When I think of Greek food, I always think of this dish – feta, tomatoes, couscous, fennel & shrimp…all things that I adore! This dish only takes a few ingredients, and makes great leftovers! Joy!
Fennel
If you have not used this veggie before, you should get acquainted with it! It is native to the Mediterranean region, has a mildly licorice flavor, and is a member of the parsley family. It has a bulb-like base and stalks like celery, and is very high in Vitamin C! I love that once cooked, it adds an elegant vegetal crunch to your dish, and it’s also great in salads. Before using, I wanted to share below the best way to prepare. It does have a slightly bitter core that you will want to remove before using. See below.
I cut the bulb in half after cutting the stalks off, and then remove the core as seen above. I also save/chop some of the feathery fronds for garnish in this dish at the end.
Greek Shrimp & Couscous
The refreshing Mediterranean flavors of fennel, chickpeas & tomatoes pair so well with shrimp & couscous to create a meal in one dish!
Ingredients
- 1.5 C dry pearl couscous
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 LB large frozen shrimp (thawed - 21-25/lb)
- 3 medium plum tomatoes - large diced
- 1 fennel bulb - halved, cored & sliced
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1/3 C dry white wine
- 1 15 oz. can chickpeas - drained & rinsed
- 2 green onions - chopped
- 1/2 C feta cheese -crumbled
- (Optional - Red pepper flakes to sprinkle over shrimp to taste)
Directions
- Step 1 Prepare couscous as package directs. Cover & keep warm.
- Step 2 Meanwhile, chop tomatoes, scallions, and fennel
- Step 3 Next, heat 1 TBSP olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat
- Step 4 Add the shrimp & red pepper flakes (optional) and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes total, 1.5 min on each side. Remove from pan, and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Step 5 Preheat the broiler. Heat remaining 1 TBSP olive oil in skillet & add the tomatoes, fennel and garlic – cook stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes.
- Step 6 Add the wine and bring to a simmer – then add chickpeas and 1/3 cup of water
- Step 7 Cook, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas are slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
- Step 8 Return the shrimp to the skillet, plus any juices, & add scallions over top.
- Step 9 Sprinkle feta and fennel fronds over top and transfer pan to the broiler – middle rack – for about 2 minutes, or until starting to brown.
- Step 10 Serve shrimp mixture over spoonful of couscous – Enjoy!
Inspired by: Food Network Magazine
