Pearl Couscous Salad With Shrimp and Feta
Bright lemon, mint and cilantro offset creamy feta and sweet corn in this crisp and crunchy salad. Pearl couscous, also known as Israeli couscous, is made of small pearls of chewy pasta that are a great base for so many flavors. Make sure to thoroughly drain the couscous after cooking to avoid a soggy salad. Sautéed shrimp make this into a meal, but feel free to add chopped chicken or your protein of choice.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 6 persons
Ingredients
- 1pound large shrimp (16 to 25), peeled and deveined, tails on or off
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
- ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1lemon, plus more as needed
- 1cup pearl couscous
- 1teaspoon minced garlic
- 3Persian cucumbers, diced (about 2 cups)
- 2ears corn, kernels cut off of the cob (about 1 cup)
- ½cup thinly sliced radishes
- ½cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼cup thinly sliced cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus more for garnishing
- ¼cup thinly sliced mint leaves, plus more for garnishing
Instructions
Step 1
Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. In a medium skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Sauté the shrimp until opaque and just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and zest half the lemon over top (about 1/2 teaspoon or to taste), then juice the lemon into a large bowl, sprinkle about one-fourth of the juice over the shrimp and set the bowl with the remaining juice aside.Step 2
Cook the couscous in a pot of heavily salted water until al dente, according to the package directions. Rinse with cool water and drain well.Step 3
While the couscous is cooking, make the dressing. In the bowl with the lemon juice, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.Step 4
Add the cooked couscous to the bowl with the dressing and toss to combine. Add the cucumbers, corn, radishes, feta, cilantro and mint. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings by adding more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice as needed.Step 5
Top with shrimp and a sprinkling of cilantro and mint. Enjoy immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.