Pearl Couscous Salad with Shrimp, Apricots, and Basil Vinaigrette
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This pearl couscous salad with shrimp has sweet dried apricots, crunchy almonds, and tangy shallots all tossed with a fresh and light basil vinaigrette. It keeps well and tastes great chilled, so I find it extra appealing for any week when you want to treat yourself to a tasty meal you can grab from the fridge and go.
This salad is a three-way mash-up, which is always risky but in this case just works. Part one: a friend recently shared her go-to Foodie Crush pearl couscous salad with pistachios and apricots, which I wanted to try but with extra protein.
A few weeks later, I treated myself to one of those glossy, wildly expensive recipe magazines featuring the Mediterranean diet, which happened to include a simple arugula salad with white beans and poached shrimp. Brilliant! Poaching shrimp is surprisingly easy and a terrific match for tender nubs of pearl couscous and the sweet pop of dried fruit.
Finally, under the influence of warm weather at last, I craved a bright, green dressing to pull all this together. Tried-and-true basil vinaigrette has never let me down. It turns out to be dreamy here.
Put this all together, and you have a salad that is worth every little step, because the total effect is delicious, nutritious, and nourishing to the core.
Why You’ll Love This Pearl Couscous Salad with Shrimp
- Mediterranean-inspired textures and flavors
- Perfect when you want to branch out from the standard green salad + chicken combo (IYKYK)
- Easy to meal prep and batch cook, so one effort yields several tasty meals
- Tastes great room temperature right after making, or fridge cold the next day
- The basil vinaigrette alone is to die for—fresh, light, and herbacious. Make extra to do double duty dressing up another meal!
Ingredient Notes
Pro Tip
If you have plenty of basil, make a double or even triple batch of the vinaigrette. Obviously you can use it as a standard salad dressing, but it also makes a terrific marinade for chicken or shrimp, light dressing for ravioli or a pasta salad, and a flavorful yet low-effort seasoning to dress up a side dish of roasted baby potatoes.
Have even more basil? Browse my collection of creative recipes using basil for more ideas—creative pestos and beyond.
This recipe does involve a few more steps than most of my meal-oriented salads, but I promise each one is straightforward, and moreover, worthwhile.
- Prep the couscous. This is pretty simple and hands-off on the stovetop and usually takes about 15 minutes, regardless of how much you are making.
- Poach the shrimp. This is also “hands-off” but requires some attention because shrimp cook in just about 4 minutes this way. It makes them so juicy and plump!
- Whip up the dressing. A small food processor makes this ultra-easy.
Then it’s just a matter of combining it all and seasoning to taste.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
- To Make Partially Ahead: Prep the main components—couscous, shrimp, and vinaigrette—up to one day in advance and store separately in the fridge. Combine and add the remaining ingredients when ready to serve.
- To Meal Prep and Store: This can be fully assembled and stored in airtight storage containers for at least 2 days. If you crave the crunchiest almonds, keep those separate and toss over individual portions just before eating.
More Stunning Meal-Worthy Salads
- Chickpea Tuna Salad
- Extra Quick and Easy Jennifer Aniston Salad
- Thai Chopped Chicken Salad with Sweet Chili Dressing
- Greek Salmon Salads
Pearl Couscous Salad with Shrimp, Apricots, and Basil Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Couscous:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 cup dried pearl or Israeli couscous see note
- 1 and 1/3 cups water
Salad:
- 12-16 ounces raw shrimp shells on
- 1/3 cup dried apricots chopped into very small pieces
- 2 Tablespoons slivered almonds or another nut
- 1 small shallot peeled and sliced into thin strips
- 1/2 English cucumber chopped
Dressing:
- 1 and 1/2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- To prepare the couscous, warm olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the couscous and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted. Stir in the water, then increase heat to high just until it boils. Immediately reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook for 10-12 minutes, just until the couscous is tender and the liquid absorbed. Remove from the heat, fluff gently with a fork, and set aside to cool while you finish preparing the other items.1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 cup dried pearl or Israeli couscous, 1 and 1/3 cups water
- To make the dressing, combine basil, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, red pepper, and salt in a small food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth, then add a small amount of water 1 Tablespoon at a time and keep blending until it reaches your desired consistency. (I usually add about 3 Tablespoons water total. It should be thin enough to easily pour, like any other thin salad dressing.)1 and 1/2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, 4 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- To poach the shrimp, bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. (For an optional light touch of flavor, you can add 1 cup of a light white wine to the water.) Add shrimp and cook for 4 minutes or just until they turn opaque. Drain right away and rinse the shrimp under cool water. Peel the shrimp, discard the shells, and set aside.12-16 ounces raw shrimp
- To assemble the salad, add the fluffed couscous, shrimp, apricots, almonds, shallot, and cucumber to a large bowl. Pour over as much of the dressing as you like and toss very well to combine.1/3 cup dried apricots, 2 Tablespoons slivered almonds, 1 small shallot, 1/2 English cucumber
- Sample and season with more salt and red pepper to taste. (If you still feel it needs a little something more, try a squeeze of lemon juice, slivered basil or mint leaves, or a drizzle of honey.)
- Serve at room temperature or stash in the fridge to eat chilled later. It keeps well at least 2-3 days. Enjoy!
Notes
- Couscous: If you purchase your couscous from Trader Joe’s, as I often do, it will come in a box containing 1 and 1/3 cups dried couscous. In that case, I would personally just use the entire box for this recipe, and add 1 and 3/4 cups water to cook it, as per the package directions.
- Vinaigrette: If you have plenty of basil, make a double or even triple batch of the vinaigrette. Obviously you can use it as a standard salad dressing, but it also makes a terrific marinade for chicken or shrimp, light dressing for ravioli or a pasta salad, and a flavorful yet low-effort seasoning to dress up a side dish of roasted baby potatoes.
- To Make Partially Ahead: Prep the main components—couscous, shrimp, and vinaigrette—up to one day in advance and store separately in the fridge. Combine and add the remaining ingredients when ready to serve.
- To Meal Prep and Store: This can be fully assembled and stored in airtight storage containers for at least 2 days. If you crave the crunchiest almonds, keep those separate and toss over individual portions just before eating.
- Nutrition Info: Is an estimate based on this full recipe made with 12 ounces of shrimp and yielding 3 portions. If you want to “improve” the macros, it’s a pretty simple matter of using a little less couscous, a little more shrimp, and reserving a bit of the dressing.
