Mediterranean Couscous with Shrimp

Yumna Jawad

Updated Dec 28, 2025

5 from 216 votes

This Mediterranean Couscous with Shrimp is a delicious flavorful recipe to try out for dinner - it's a warm delicious dish that reheats well!

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Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings 6
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Try This Mediterranean couscous salad!

I love anything with Mediterranean flavor, so when I saw this Mediterranean Couscous with Shrimp recipe from the Skinnytaste One and Done cookbook, I had to try it and then I had to share it on the site! It’s loaded with flavor, and it makes a healthy and easy one-pot weeknight meal. The Mediterranean Couscous reheats well and can be made ahead of time, making it great for meal prep.

Happy Cooking!
– Yumna

Mediterranean Couscous Ingredients

Ingredients for recipe before prepped: lemon, capers, feta, broth, uncooked couscous, raw shrimp, oil, spics, garlic cloves, and cherry tomatoes.
  • Shrimp: You can use fresh or frozen shrimp. If you use frozen, make sure to thaw it before cooking. I like to buy shelled and deveined shrimp to save time, but read my tips on how to peel and devein shrimp if you want to do it yourself.
  • Couscous: I use pearl couscous for this recipe, but you could also use regular couscous, quinoa, or orzo.
  • Vegetables: You’ll need cherry tomatoes, capers, and Kalamata olives. You could also add in some red onion, cucumber, or peppers.
  • Feta cheese: I don’t recommend leaving it out or substituting it with another cheese. It’s just so good in this recipe! I like to buy a block and crumble it myself.
  • Lemon: Fresh tastes best. Read my tips on how to juice a lemon.
  • Vegetable broth: You can also use chicken broth or water.
  • Olive oil: I recommend using a good-quality olive oil in this recipe.
  • Garlic and seasoning: I love fresh garlic in this recipe, but you could use garlic powder if it’s what you have. If you use fresh, here’s how to mince garlic. You’ll also need salt and pepper.

How to Make Mediterranean Couscous Salad

Shrimp on skillet before cooked.
Step 1: Heat a large deep skillet. Sprinkle salt over the shrimp and add them to the skillet.
Shrimp on skillet after cooked.
Step 2: Cook until the shrimp are opaque and the tails curl. Stir in the garlic for the last minute. Remove the shrimp from the pan.
Couscous and broth in skillet before cooked.
Step 3: In the same pan used to cook the shrimp, add the broth to deglaze the pan. Then, add the couscous, stir, and cover.
Couscous and broth in skillet after cooked, fluffing with fork.
Step 4: Cook until the couscous absorbs all of the liquid. Fluff the couscous with a fork.
Tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, capers and black pepper in large bowl before mixed.
Step 5: In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, olives, feta, capers, and pepper.
Tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, capers and black pepper in large bowl after mixed.
Step 6: Gently fold all of the ingredients together.
Squeezing lemon juice on top.
Step 7: Add the shrimp, couscous and lemon juice.
Tossing all together.
Step 8: Toss well to combine. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired, and serve immediately.
Mediterranean Couscous with Shrimp.

Mediterranean Couscous with Shrimp

Author: Yumna Jawad
5 from 216 votes
This Mediterranean Couscous with Shrimp is a delicious flavorful recipe to try out for dinner – it's a warm delicious dish that reheats well!
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Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time17 minutes
Total Time22 minutes
Servings6

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Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
  • ⅓ cup kalamata olives sliced pitted
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 tablespoon capers drained
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth low sodium
  • 1 ½ cups pearl couscous
  • ½ lemon juiced
  • 2 tablespoons parsley chopped, for garnish

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, olives, feta, capers, and black pepper.
  • Sprinkle the salt over the shrimp. Heat a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the oil, then the shrimp, and cook until opaque, 2 ½ minutes per side, stirring in the garlic for the last minute. Transfer to the bowl on top of the tomato mixture.
  • Add the broth to the skillet, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the couscous, stir, cover, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until all the liquid is absorbed, 10–12 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add to the bowl with the shrimp and tomato mixture.
  • Add the lemon juice and toss well. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Equipment

Notes

My Top Tip: Don’t overcook the shrimp. They cook quickly, usually within 2–3 minutes per side, depending on their size. Overcooking can happen quickly, even without direct heat. Once the shrimp turns from gray to pink, remove it from the heat.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days. You can serve leftovers cold or reheat them in the microwave. If the couscous dries up, add a bit of olive oil and stir to rehydrate.
This recipe is from the Skinnytaste One and Done cookbook.

Nutrition

Calories: 232kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 336mg, Potassium: 270mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 557IU, Vitamin C: 22mg, Calcium: 59mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Did You Make This Recipe?
Leave a comment below!

Recipe Tips

  1. Use a hot skillet. To get the best sear on the shrimp, you want the pan to be hot so the oil will sizzle. A hot pan also helps the shrimp cook quickly and evenly.
  2. Don’t overcook the shrimp. They cook quickly, usually within 2–3 minutes per side, depending on their size. Overcooking can happen quickly, even without direct heat. Once the shrimp turns from gray to pink, remove it from the heat.
  3. Don’t wipe down the pan after you cook the shrimp. The couscous will cook with the juices from the shrimp for even more flavor.
Large pan of the Mediterranean couscous with a small plate serving of the couscous next to it.

FAQs

Why did my couscous turn out mushy?

You may have used too much broth, which can make couscous mushy. Or, you may have overcooked it. Couscous only needs about 10 minutes on the stove.

Why did my shrimp turn out rubbery?

You likely overcooked it. Shrimp cooks very quickly, so keep a close eye on it, and remove it from the heat when it turns from gray to pink.

Close up serving of couscous shrimp salad recipe in white bowl with large serving dish in back.

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Comments

  1. Teresa Perez says:

    This was AMAZING! Only swap was using oregano in place of the parsley. I could eat the whole thing myself!

    Reply
    1. Yumna J. says:

      Yay!! Aww, so glad you love it. Thanks, Teresa!

      Reply
  2. Brianna says:

    Any time I’m not sure what to have for dinner during the week, I run to Yumna because I’ve never been disappointed! I made this, but left out the olives because I was worried all together it’d be too salty. After tasting, I should have trusted Yumna and included the olive but I don’t think we missed it anyways! I added cucumber, red onion, and red bell pepper chopped small. We also couldn’t find couscous at our grocery store so opted for quinoa. My husband has high standards, and asked after dinner how long the quinoa would keep because he thought maybe we could make it on the weekends to eat as a carb throughout the week. it was a huge hit with us, refreshing and nutritious!

    Reply
    1. Yumna J. says:

      Wow, thank you!! So happy you and your husband loved the recipe, Brianna!

      Reply
  3. Tina says:

    Wonderfully simple and delicious. It tasted very fresh and light despite making it on a cold February day! Thank you for another great recipe. Also, I wanted to thank you for rooting for the Eagles in the Super Bowl. They are my team and I got a kick out of your comment that Adam had told you to pick them!!!

    Reply
    1. Yumna J. says:

      Yay, so happy you liked it!! Thank you, Tina! It was fun rooting for the Eagles, I’m glad they won!

      Reply
  4. Colleen says:

    Super delicious!! Such an easy, quick, nutritious dish!! Definitely will be part of our regular rotation! Thank you

    Reply
    1. Yumna J. says:

      Aww so happy you liked it!! Thank you so much, Colleen!

      Reply
  5. karen Alexander says:

    I made this from a similar recipe. It says refrigerate up to 8 hours , why only 8. The shrimp is separate from the salad. Doesn’t it keep longer than that? This means when i wake up its no good…

    Reply
    1. Yumna J. says:

      Hi there! I’m not sure where you got 8 hours from, this dish will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge.

      Reply
  6. Donna says:

    I absolutely LOVE this recipe!! I have made ot many times and shared ot with friends. My only question is why there are no amounts given of each ingredient? it would be helpful. Especially for 1st timers.
    Thank you for sharing! it is one of my favorite meals!

    Reply
    1. Yumna J. says:

      Hi Donna, the ingredients with the amounts are listed in the recipe card above the comments section. So glad you like the recipe!

      Reply
  7. Barbara says:

    The recipe in general looks good but I wonder if between the feta and capers if it’s too salty?

    Reply

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