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This delicious one-pot recipe with Pearl Couscous & Shrimp is the perfect weeknight meal. This recipe is so many things in one. It’s healthy, it’s flavorful, and most importantly, it’s easy. I love experimenting with different grains. They can add so much texture and entirely transform a dish.
Why You’ll Love Pearl Couscous & Shrimp
- Healthy: This recipe is full of wholesome, healthy ingredients that taste great and are good for you
- Versatile: You can make this recipe your own by adding in your own veggies, swapping the protein, or changing the pearl couscous to your favorite grain
Ingredients
Pearl Couscous – Also known as Israeli couscous, pearl couscous resembles tiny little pasta balls and despite its name in English, it is in fact, not couscous. Gone are the days when you just had to use rice or quinoa. There are so many delicious grains to experiment with in your cooking that can entirely add something new to a dish
Maria Koutsogiannia
Maria is the creator of FoodByMaria and your go-to Greek food expert for cozy, flavor-packed recipes. Inspired by her Mediterranean roots, she brings traditional Greek flavors, feel-good ingredients, and a whole lot of joy to everyday cooking.
Cannellini Beans – You can use whatever beans you prefer for this recipe. The cannellini beans add additional protein to this dish and a unique texture that pairs so well with the other ingredients.
How to Make Pearl Couscous & Shrimp
- Add prawns in a bowl with salt pepper, dried oregano, cumin. chili flakes and olive oil and toss together.
- To a large high-sided skillet set to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until shrimp is fully cooked. Remove the shrimp to a bowl and set aside.
- Turn the pan to medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil, diced onion and minced garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes to soften. Deglaze the pan with white wine and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Next add the chopped zucchini, broccoli florets, diced fennel, stir to combine and then add the seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper. Stir again and cook for 3-4 minutes to soften.
- Stir in the pearl couscous, beans, 2 tbsp olive oil and chicken stock paste. Add the water and stir. Bring to a boil over high heat and then turn to medium-low once simmering. Keep at a simmer and cover with a lid most of the way while the pearl couscous cooks, removing the lid to stir every couple of minutes so it doesn’t stick.
- Cook until the pearl couscous is done, about 10-14 minutes and there is barely any liquid left. Remove from the heat and let the couscous sit in the pan with the lid on for a few minutes before serving. If you find the couscous isn’t quite done and there isn’t a lot of liquid left, add another 1/4-1/2 cup of water and cook for a few more minutes.
- Serve the couscous topped with shrimp, chopped artichokes, fresh minced mint and squeeze of lemon juice. Add crumbled feta if desired.
Substitutions
- White Wine: A good substitute for white wine, try a non-alcoholic white wine or use vegetable or chicken broth
- Couscous: Orzo is a good substitute for pearl couscous if needed as their cooking time is similar
- Beans: If you can’t find cannellini beans, try navy beans.
- Artichokes: Swap the artichokes for green olives if you prefer them, or have a mix of both
Other Bowls You’ll Love
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container and consume within 3-4 days.
Common Questions
Pearl couscous is a larger version of couscous. The size difference changes the consistency and cooking time.
Pearl couscous is often thought of as a whole grain but it’s a kind of pasta made of flour and water.
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Ingredients
For the shrimp
- 1 lb defrosted shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the couscous
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup white wine
- 1 small zucchini, cut in quarters
- 2 cups small broccoli florets
- 1 small fennel bulb, diced
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 14 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp vegetable or chicken stock paste
- 1 cup pearl couscous
- 2 ½ cups water
- 1 cup artichokes in oil, chopped
- fresh minced mint and lemon wedges for garnish
- optional: crumbled feta cheese for garnish
Instructions
Start Cooking- Add prawns in a bowl with salt pepper, dried oregano, cumin. chili flakes and olive oil and toss together.
- To a large high-sided skillet set to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until shrimp is fully cooked. Remove the shrimp to a bowl and set aside.
- Turn the pan to medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil, diced onion and minced garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes to soften. Deglaze the pan with white wine and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Next add the chopped zucchini, broccoli florets, diced fennel, stir to combine and then add the seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper. Stir again and cook for 3-4 minutes to soften.
- Stir in the pearl couscous, beans, 2 tbsp olive oil and chicken stock paste. Add the water and stir. Bring to a boil over high heat and then turn to medium-low once simmering. Keep at a simmer and cover with a lid most of the way while the pearl couscous cooks, removing the lid to stir every couple of minutes so it doesn’t stick.
- Cook until the pearl couscous is done, about 10-14 minutes and there is barely any liquid left. Remove from the heat and let the couscous sit in the pan with the lid on for a few minutes before serving. If you find the couscous isn’t quite done and there isn’t a lot of liquid left, add another 1/4-1/2 cup of water and cook for a few more minutes.
- Serve the couscous topped with shrimp, chopped artichokes, fresh minced mint and squeeze of lemon juice. Add crumbled feta if desired.
Notes
- A good substitute for white wine, try a non-alcoholic white wine or use vegetable or chicken broth.
- Orzo is a good substitute for the pearl couscous if needed as their cooking time is similar.
- If you can’t find cannellini beans, try navy beans.
- If artichokes aren’t your favourite, try using green olives instead.
- If you like this recipe, you’ll love our Greek Shrimp and Orzo Pasta Bake
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I’d really like to make this recipe but my local supermarket doesn’t stock chicken stock paste. Are there any good substitutes for this ingredient? Thanks a lot!
I would substitute for chicken brother (and just don’t add the water but add exactly amounts of stock instead)!
I cut the recipe in half. So full of flavor! Love the feta and artichoke on top! A little heavy on salt for my taste but will definitely make again! I didn’t have the bouillon paste but just used chicken stock in place of water. This is my kind of dinner! Yum!
I love to hear this, thank you so much Gracie! Always season to your taste!
Amazing- my husband said this was his favorite thing I’ve ever made. And I cook almost every night for the past 4 years ! So that’s saying something lol
oh wow – that makes me SO happy!! Thank you!!
So good!!!
Thank you so much!!!
Delicious AND easy
Thank you sooo much for the love, Mia!!!
This dish was absolutely amazing! i used the shrimp shells to make a shrimp stock and used that as the “chicken broth” turned out so so good !!
oh damn, ok!!! FLEX!! that is unreal!
This dish was amazing! So easy and delicious and my toddler and husband loved it.
This makes me so happy, thank you Lilly!
This was so good & easy to make. I nailed it on the first try! I had enough couscous to last me for the week & all i had to do was cook the shrimp / chicken (I subbed some meals) for my meal. I saved the marinade for the protein for the week so it could be cooked when I wanted.
yay! this makes me so happy, thank you so much!
I made this last night and it was delicious. It was even better today.
YOU ARE THE BEST! Thank you so much for making my recipe and trusting me!!!!
Looks amazing! Are you able to share a link to chicken stock paste?
I use better than bouillon! If you don’t have access to that use stock instead and then no water!