Rhubarb is more well known for its sweet applications, but I love to use it in savory ones too. These grilled shrimp with rhubarb sauce are a great way get out the grill this season!
The rhubarb sauce is a little sweet and sour thanks to the honey and the rhubarb. It pairs perfectly with the subtle sweetness of the shrimp.
The sauce includes soy sauce and rice vinegar as well to add some savory-ness, and it reminds me a bit of a stir fry sauce. Shrimp is delicious in stir fry, so it really works.
Because I have green rhubarb, the sauce is not a pretty bright-pink color, but still tastes just as good. It takes on the appearance of a BBQ sauce, but with a very different flavor profile.
How to Make the Grilled Shrimp with Rhubarb Sauce
Start by prepping your sauce on the stove top. Chop the onion, rhubarb, garlic and ginger. Cook all the sauce ingredients in a pan, then scoop some out to brush on the shrimp at the grill.
Peel and devein your shrimp, thread them on skewers, and head to the grill!
Grill the shrimp while brushing with the rhubarb sauce until the shrimp are opaque.
Serve the shrimp with the additional sauce, and a side such as colorful broccoli slaw, asparagus and corn salad, or grilled polenta with tomato relish.
Variations to the Grilled Shrimp with Rhubarb Sauce recipe:
- Swap the honey for another sweetener. Try agave syrup, sugar or brown sugar.
- Reduce or increase the sweetener to taste
- Use a different protein. I plan to try it on roasted tofu next.
- Use a different mild vinegar such as white wine vinegar or a sweeter vinegar such as white balsamic vinegar.
- ¼ cup onion, diced
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 cup chopped rhubarb (fresh or frozen)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ TBS minced ginger
- 2 TBS honey
- 1 TBS each: reduced sodium soy sauce and rice vinegar
- Water, to thin
- 1lb Shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Saute the onion in olive oil until tender add the rhubarb, garlic and ginger. Saute until the rhubarb starts to break down, about 5 minutes.
- Mix in the honey, soy sauce, and vinegar. Simmer until heated through the and rhubarb breaks down when stirred, about 1-2 more minutes.
- Reserve about 3 TBS of the sauce for brushing on the grill. Mix in just enough water to thin the 3 TBS reserved sauce to a spreadable consistency, starting with 1 tsp at a time. The amount you need will depend on the water content of your rhubarb.
- Grill shrimp, while brushing with the sauce, until opaque, flipping after about 2 minutes.
- Serve shrimp with the remaining sauce.
