One-Pan Shrimp and Pearl Couscous With Harissa
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 1pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 to 4tablespoons harissa paste, plus more to taste
- 1tablespoon olive oil
- 1tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1cup pearl couscous or orzo
- 3 to 4garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1teaspoon ground coriander
- 1teaspoon ground cumin
- ½cup dry white wine
- 1pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved crosswise
- ½cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, packed, coarsely chopped or left whole
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
380 calories; 8 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 43 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 30 grams protein; 775 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
In a medium bowl, toss shrimp with ¼ teaspoon salt, a few grinds of black pepper and 1 tablespoon harissa. Set aside.
- Step 2
In a large, lidded skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium. Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring, until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Step 3
Add couscous, garlic, coriander and cumin. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until couscous is toasted.
- Step 4
Add wine and cook until evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of harissa and 2½ cups water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes, until couscous is al dente. (There will still be plenty of liquid.)
- Step 5
Nestle the shrimp into the couscous, pushing them under the surface a bit. Add the tomatoes and increase the heat until simmering again. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, rearranging shrimp using tongs once, until they are pink and cooked through. Adjust seasoning, if needed, adding more harissa, salt and pepper if desired. Garnish with parsley and serve in shallow bowls.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
stefan
gorgeous! I made this the night my wife and I got divorced
Abigail
This was incredibly delicious, with a few changes based on other comments. We used TJ's harissa paste, which is pretty dang spicy. 2 Tbsp was PLENTY. Used stock instead of water and also added in 1 bunch of chopped kale for some extra green, once the stock came to a boil and before simmering. Threw in 1/4 cup of capers at the end along with fresh parsley and cilantro. Two bites in, my boyfriend declared that this absolutely needed to be added to our regular rotation.
JB
It's not listed in the ingredients, but is mentioned in step 4.
rowan
a squeeze of lemon when serving makes a world of difference here, I cannot recommend it enough
Sally
I needed to add water at Step 5 but otherwise this worked well. I might reduce the harissa and maybe add some spinach or arugula at the end as some of the notes suggest. I’d be interested in what others served with it.
Marie
Excellent! Followed recipe but had to use orzo as I couldn't find pearled couscous. Made a broth from the shrimp shells, parsley and onion to cook the orzo in. Followed the suggestions and added the tomatoes with the broth to get them cooked and release their juices. The harissa I purchased wasn't too hot and I was able to add a little more at the end when tasting. I also added several handfuls of baby spinach along with the shrimp. Will be making this again and again!
Lesley
Great recipe.....tossed through three handfuls of fresh baby spinach at last cooking phase....colours and taste fabulous. And plates well to serve for friends or just because you can.
Jodi K
There is no mention of water in the recipe
pretty good - a little one dimensional
Use jumbo, fresh shrimp. Harissa flavor is intense so definitely mix lemon into the harissa paste and also do parsley to add something green and balance out the flavors.
maddy
I loved this recipe. I did not have Harissa nor could I find it at my grocery store so I replaced it with tomato paste and sambal. It was delicious and perfectly spicy!
Megan
My harissa wasn’t that spicy so I ended up adding red pepper flakes to give it a little kick. I also added white beans instead of shrimp because I didn’t have any other protein I could use. It still turned out quite good and I would definitely recommend cooking with chicken broth instead of just water.
Jackie
Don't be like me and try to substitute "regular" couscous because you can't find Israeli couscous. The flavors were actually still very good, which is a testament to this recipe, but you'll have so much volume you won't know what to do with it all. Looking forward to trying it again with the right ingredients! ;)
Wm
In US grocery stores harissa tends to come in mild and hot. Mild harissa is not very hot at all; hot harissa can range from what you'd expect to extremely hot. To avoid culinary disasters, check the labels or, if the labels are ambiguous, when you get the product home taste it before you use it and adjust the amount accordingly. If the mild harissa tastes too mild, try adding a tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired degree of heat. If you love really hot sauces, start with hot harissa.
jackie
Writers note orzo can be used instead of pearl cous cous Add spinach as last step in preparing Some say use broth instead of water Add harissa slowly to make sure dish isn’t too spicy Add lemon juice at end
Anne
Total keeper. My husband forgot tomatoes and I added chicken broth. We added frozen spinach. I thought the Trader Joe’s comments on the heat of their harissa was bland palate stuff. I now have respect. It’s hot.
Graham
Great recipe. Couple of adjustments: -Added more garlic (5-6 cloves) -Subbed chicken broth for water. I never use water in these kind of recipes I'm also not flipping 1lb of shrimp one by one. I just stir em up and turns out just fine.
mabw
Used 2 TBS total harissa and still HOT. Use less! Added capers and chopped spinach w parsley last few minutes of 3 min cooking shrimp. Try 2 min next time. Could also reduce water by 1/4 to be less soupy but will probably absorb
mabw
Used 2 tbs harissa total and still HOT. Added chopped spinach with parsley during 3 min cooking shrimp but still too long—try 2 min
LB
I followed the recipe on this without reading the paragraph above and it was nuclear spicy. Start with no more than 2tbsp and then add more at the end if you need to. Tasty though
Amanda
If your partner has relatively low spice tolerance use only a teaspoon of harissa (if Trader Joe’s brand) or it will be inedible for them. If you have high spice tolerance you’ll get to eat all the left overs.
Hazel
If use TJ’s harissa, use only 3 tbsp tops.
jackie
Writers note orzo can be used instead of pearl cous cous Add spinach as last step in preparing Some say use broth instead of water Add harissa slowly to make sure dish isn’t too spicy Add lemon juice at end
Julie
Great recipe—fast, flexible, and satisfying. I had harissa but not harissa paste, so I made a paste of olive oil, lemon juice, harissa, and tomato paste.
DManf
I will definitely make this again. Didn't read the notes, but I'd agree that a bit color beyond parsley might have been nice. Maybe some peas. Lemon sounds like a good idea on serving. This is a very unique dish. The tomatoes were terrific! It came together perfectly.
Emilie
One of my very favourite NYT recipes! I have made it multiple times and it is always delicious!
Tim
I used sriracha instead of harissa, which was fun!
Rietta
Delicious and easy. I wouldn’t hesitate to make this for a dinner party. I didn’t have the parsley I thought was in the crisper but did have dill, that worked well as I’m sure would other herbs like cilantro. I had some homemade harissa I had to use up (usually buy, but needed one without garlic for a guest over the holidays) and it was very flavorful…looking forward to trying it with jarred too.
Teri
I'm surprised at how mediocre this was; even after adding less water to allow the flavor to concentrate a bit more (a touch over 2 cups), salting it (it needed more salt at the end), putting the tomatoes in halfway through the couscous simmering time, and stirring in capers and feta at the end, this was just... meh. I wish it had been better! As written, it's more like two stars, but the modifications pepped it up a SLIGHT bit. Still, this has flavors we usually love, but what a bummer.
Momrat3
Out of this world recipe! Even though I had to make a few changes, i.e. I had run out of harissa and had to make my own, and I used canned diced tomatoes instead of fresh, it was delicious! I served it on a bed of fresh baby spinach, and my taste buds and hubby's gave it a 2 thumbs up.
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