Shrimp and Israeli Couscous Salad

This salad is so my kind of meal. I could eat this every day of my life and be happy. Well, this and my vegetable antipasto!

This salad has bright flavors and colors. I used red and orange bell peppers, radishes and scallions. You can exchange the veggies for any others as you please. The key is to chop them the same size as the couscous, this way every bite is the “perfect bite”!

Orange is the common denominator in this dish. It’s in the vinaigrette and in the shrimp marinade. The vinaigrette used in this salad is the perfect binder for all the components. The marinade for the shrimp has essentially the same flavors as the vinaigrette, which is the finishing touch. The couscous absorbs it beautifully.

One thing about me, is that I CAN NOT stand raw onion. I simply can not tolerate it, I almost find it insulting to eat it, as it over powers any other flavor, plus, I can taste it all day and night after eating it. The only way I can eat it, is if it’s been pickled. So the use of scallions in this salad is perfect as it adds that bit of onion taste without the punch of a raw onion. Of course you can exchange it to your liking, but the vinaigrette is so delicate and aromatic that I’m telling you, using raw onion would take over. Just my 5 cents! 😉

How I made this Shrimp and Israeli Couscous Salad:

Follow the cooking instructions for the couscous.

After it is cooked, place in a large bowl and drizzle some olive oil and mix it in well. Let the couscous cool completely in the refrigerator.

Tip! So the couscous does not stick together and clump up, while it its cooling, stir it occasionally using a FORK! Every 10 minutes or so, give it a stir.

While the couscous cools in the refrigerator, lets clean the shrimp.

Slide your finger into the shell of the shrimp and remove the shell little by little all the way down to the tail.

After the tail and shell have all been removed, cut a shallow incision in the back of the shrimp all the way to the tail.

Rinse the vein out.

Clean out the rest of the shrimp. Pat them dry and set aside.

Place the clean shrimp in a bowl.

Tip! In the recipe box below, make sure you notice the ingredients are grouped for the shrimp and also grouped separately for the vinaigrette. They are all very similar so keep that in mind when you are prepping.

Tip! Time saving: chop the orange zest and garlic needed for both the marinate and the vinaigrette. Use what you need for the marinate and set aside the remaining for the vinaigrette. No need to chop things twice!

Drizzle the shrimp with some olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Add the mustard, orange zest and minced garlic. Mix well and set aside.

For the vinaigrette:

In a jar, pour the extra virgin olive oil, pepper, salt, orange vinegar, honey, dijon mustard and the minced orange zest and garlic. Mix well.

Tip! Taste the vinaigrette and adjust the sweetness. If it’s too tart, add a bit more honey.

Remove the couscous from the refrigerator and season with salt and pepper. Add the bell peppers, radishes, scallion and flat leaf parsley.

Drizzle in some of the vinaigrette, about 2 tablespoons or so. Mix until well combined.

Add the crumbled feta and stir in. Serve on a large flat plate.

Now onto Cooking the Shrimp

In a medium sized cooking pan, heat some extra virgin olive oil on medium high heat.

Add the shrimp and cook the shrimp for 30-40 seconds per side. The shrimp will start curling and getting pink.

Once the shrimp is flipped on both sides, add about two tablespoons of the vinaigrette and cook it out.

Tip! The sugar in the honey of the vinaigrette will caramelize quickly. This will add great color and flavor to the shrimp, watch it carefully as to not burn completely.

Serve the hot shrimp on top of the couscous salad and drizzle extra vinaigrette on top.

Tip! The couscous absorbs the vinaigrette quickly so taste it before serving in case it needs a bit more.