Healthy Shrimp Po' Boy Sandwich

The po boy is one of Louisiana’s best contributions to the culinary world but like many of our favorite foods, it definitely falls in the “indulgence” category. The typical po boy features fried shrimp (or other seafood like oysters) with a rich and tangy remoulade sauce that Cajun food is well known for. We wanted to enjoy a more figure-friendly version so we took all of our favorite features of one of our favorites sandwiches and gave it a bit of a healthy twist. With this healthy po boy, we saute the shrimp instead of frying it and use a vegan mayonnaise that’s lighter on the heavy oils and trans fats. But don’t worry, although it may be lacking in calories, it certainly doesn’t lack it in flavor. Slather some whole wheat French bread with the remoulade, layer sliced tomatoes and pile on shredded cabbage for a unique take on this Southern sub.

Learn to cook our secrets to turning the po boy into a healthy hoagie with this recipe. You can be enjoying the heavenly flavors of the Mississippi Delta in less than 30 minutes! If you love seafood as much as we do, check out Escoffier Online’s culinary arts classes.

Healthy Shrimp Po’ Boy Sandwich Recipe

Healthy Po Boy Ingredients:
1 pound large shrimp— raw, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
¼ head purple or green cabbage, finely shredded
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1 loaf French bread or 4 hoagie rolls

Spicy Remoulade Ingredients:
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
½ medium shallot, finely chopped
½ cup vegan mayonnaise
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp horseradish
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Louisiana hot sauce
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare remoulade first. Add all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until no large pieces are present and consistency is creamy. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving to let flavors marinade together.

2. While the remoulade is chilling, prepare the shrimp and vegetables. Peel, devein, rinse and pat dry shrimp and place in a medium size bowl. Add the Cajun seasoning and toss well so every piece is coated. Let sit for 5 minutes.

3. Shred cabbage and slice tomato thinly. Cut sandwich loaves in half horizontally. If desired, you can toast bread in oven for added texture.

4. In a large frying pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add shrimp and cook about 5 minutes, tossing frequently. Shrimp is done cooking when pink in coloring and firm to touch.