The spiced couscous with shrimp, vegetables, and clams is a fresh and quick complete and healthy dish. It’s very simple to make and can be eaten hot or cold.

A perfect dish to prepare in advance. Also great to serve in small portions at a savory buffet or during an appetizer.

Given the great heat, my family asks for quick, fresh, practical, and light dishes.

An easy and quick-to-prepare recipe for a dish full of flavor, perfect for lunches and dinners or for a lunch break at the office.

Also great to take to the beach, it’s perfect to replace cold pasta or rice salad.
It’s a complete dish, carbohydrates, vegetables, and the proteins of shrimp and clams.

To make today’s dish, I used whole wheat couscous, but classic couscous works just fine.

For the vegetables, I used fresh zucchini, bell peppers, and a nice bunch of cherry tomatoes from the farmer’s garden across the street. I added peas; not finding fresh ones, I used frozen ones.

A portion of couscous provides about half of the daily selenium requirement, contains 3.6 grams of protein per 100 grams, a low amount of fat, and contains no cholesterol.

I made several attempts to achieve good cooking results and concluded that for each part of couscous, you need one part of broth (or water), which is also stated on many packages.

The beauty of this dish is that we can prepare it the day before, cover it with plastic wrap, and keep it in the fridge to serve when our guests arrive.

I recommend adding a drizzle of olive oil once it’s on the plate.

Well, now let’s get straight to the recipe and see together how to prepare this delicious couscous salad.

Spiced Couscous with Shrimp and Vegetables

Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Moderate
Rest time: 10 Minutes
Preparation time: 15 Minutes
Cooking methods: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Spring, Summer, Summer

306.14 Kcal

calories per serving

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Energy 306.14 (Kcal)
Carbohydrates 34.28 (g) of which sugars 7.57 (g)
Proteins 21.44 (g)
Fat 10.50 (g) of which saturated 1.57 (g)of which unsaturated 0.60 (g)
Fibers 5.85 (g)
Sodium 631.03 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 220 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA^* and FoodData Central^** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.

^* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ^** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov

Ingredients

Spiced Couscous with Shrimp and Vegetables

10.5 oz cooked couscous (or whole wheat)
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
Half onion (or fresh spring onion)
5.3 oz peas (frozen)
2 zucchini (medium)
2 cloves garlic
to taste chives (or parsley)
1.1 lbs clams
14.1 oz shrimp
to taste sweet paprika
salt
pepper
to taste extra virgin olive oil
5.3 oz cherry tomatoes

Tools

Frying Pan
Bowl

Steps

Spiced Couscous with Shrimp and Vegetables

Pour the couscous into a bowl and cover it with boiling water (the water level should be about 0.8 inches above the grains).
(Tip: when heating the water, add a little salt).

Stir with a spoon. Add the oil.

Let it rest for 10 minutes (and cover with a plate), or until the liquid is completely absorbed.
Fluff with a fork to separate the grains.
If necessary, add another tablespoon of oil.
Store in the fridge if you want to make it cold; otherwise, leave at room temperature
In a separate pan, let the clams open (previously soaked and rinsed several times to remove sand) with a little salt and a clove of garlic.
Set them aside.
Rinse the shrimp under running water.
Peel them and remove the dark vein along the back.
Place the oil, shrimp, and cook them on high heat until they turn pink.

Don’t overcook them, or they’ll become tough.
Season with salt and a grind of pepper.
Take the zucchini and bell peppers, after washing and drying them, cut them into cubes or slices, depending on the final result you want to achieve.
In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and add the onion.
Sauté for 2 minutes.
Add zucchini and peppers, cooking for about 5 minutes.
Add the peas, cherry tomatoes, and, if desired, finely chopped chives.
Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, keeping the vegetables crunchy.
Season with salt, pepper, and sweet paprika.
Let cool, then add the shrimp and clams.
Add the couscous and gently mix to combine all the ingredients.
Spiced Couscous with Shrimp and Vegetables is ready.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
Enjoy your meal.