This salad! It is so freakin’ fantastic, and we cannot wait for you to try it asap! Cook Moroccan couscous until light and fluffy, then stir in a quick tarragon vinaigrette, red onion, tomatoes, slivered almonds and chives. The best part? It’s topped with quick and simple tarragon roasted shrimp! It seriously is the best couscous salad ever!
Here’s why we love it so much:
- Moroccan couscous cooks in 5 minutes (not a typo!) – it’s quick!
- Tarragon and shrimp are a flavor match made in heaven!
- Slivered almonds add the most wonderful crunch.
- Make-ahead friendly! Both couscous and shrimp can be enjoyed at room temperature or cold, so this is a perfect meal to make before serving company or just if you want to prep dinner earlier in the day.
You’re going to absolutely love it. And before you freak out at the ingredient list below, most of them overlap!! Suggestions below for substitutions for couscous, tarragon, and red onion.
Ingredients For Couscous Salad
For the couscous salad recipe:
- Moroccan couscous
- Salad dressing: olive oil, sherry vinegar, fresh tarragon, Dijon, Kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper
- Slivered almonds
- Tomato
- Red onion
- Chives
For the roasted shrimp:
- Extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails on or off)
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Fresh tarragon
What Is Tarragon?
Fresh tarragon is a beautiful herb with long, soft, tender leaves that tastes a little like licorice, only better. Its similar in flavor to both fennel and anise. (For the record, I love tarragon, fennel, and anise, but absolutely hate licorice, so they are different!)
If you’re looking for a tarragon substitute, you could use fresh basil, dill, or oregano — they are absolutely not the same flavor, but they’ll all work well in this couscous salad recipe!
Oh! And if you have tarragon vinegar, feel free to substitute that for sherry vinegar in the vinaigrette!
Looking for more recipes featuring tarragon? Check out these leeks in tarragon vinaigrette with walnuts or this simple tarragon chicken!
How To Cook Couscous
- Make the salad dressing. Combine olive oil, sherry vinegar, chopped tarragon, Dijon mustard, Kosher salt, and black pepper in a measuring cup, then whisk to combine.
- Add the onions. Raw red onions can have a sharp bite. To lessen their intensity, add the thinly sliced onion directly to the salad dressing while you make the couscous.
- Make the couscous. Combine water, olive oil, and Kosher salt in a medium saucepan, then bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous, then remove from heat and cover tightly. Let the couscous sit undisturbed for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Transfer couscous to a large bowl.
- Dress the couscous salad. Pour the vinaigrette over the couscous, then add slivered almonds, chives, and chopped tomato. Stir to thoroughly coat, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving. Meanwhile, make the tarragon shrimp.
Note: if you don’t love the taste of raw red onion, you’ve got a couple options. Either substitute with 2 scallions, ½ a head of fennel, or use 1 small shallot instead (all thinly sliced).
Tarragon Roasted Shrimp
If you’re not making oven roasted shrimp, you’re missing out on tons of flavor! Like way more than you could get from steaming or boiling. It takes minutes to prep, less than 10 minutes to cook, and can be flavored with any herbs you’ve got. My favorite? Tarragon shrimp!
- Season the shrimp. Preheat an oven to 425 F. Place shrimp on a rimmed baking sheet, then toss with olive oil, Kosher salt, black pepper, and chopped tarragon. Make sure shrimp are in a single layer.
- Cook the shrimp. Roast until just pink and opaque, 8-10 minutes. Shrimp can be served hot, room temperature, or cold.
Not into shrimp? Serve this with your favorite protein: grilled salmon, rotisserie chicken, seared scallops — whatever you love most!
Is Couscous Gluten-Free?
Nope, most couscous is made from semolina, which is not gluten-free. However, if you’re looking for gluten-free grain alternatives to couscous, any of the following would make great substitutions:
- quinoa (biggest question we see is couscous vs quinoa — one is gluten-free, the other is not!)
- sorghum
- millet
And certainly you could make this with plain ol’ reliable white rice! It’s all about that glorious vinaigrette!
Moroccan couscous vs Israeli couscous
Moroccan couscous is a Middle Eastern and North African dish made from precooked coarsely ground semolina. Of the two, this couscous is much smaller. Israeli couscous (also called pearl couscous), however, is larger and pearl-shaped. Other than texture, the biggest difference is cook time. Moroccan couscous takes 5 minutes, while Israeli couscous cooks in 10-15 minutes. Both are great substitutes for pasta or rice, so use whatever you’ve got!
It’s just the most wonderful couscous salad — so fresh, so vibrant, and comes together very quickly. Add this to your lunch or dinner menu rotation asap!
If you make this Couscous Salad Recipe with Roasted Shrimp, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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For more seafood recipes, check out the following:
- Butter Poached Cod
- Shrimp Lettuce Wraps Recipe
- Salmon Cakes
- Cajun Shrimp and Grits
- Grilled Lobster Tails and Clams
Couscous Salad with Tarragon Roasted Shrimp Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped tarragon
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
For The Salad
- 1 ¼ cup water
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus more for serving
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- 1 cup Moroccan couscous
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
- 1 large tomato cut into small chunks
- ¼ medium red onion thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp chives finely chopped
- Flaky sea salt for serving
- Lemon wedges for serving
For The Shrimp
- 1- 1 ¼ lb extra large or jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined (tails on or off)
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped tarragon
Instructions
- Make the salad dressing. Combine ¼ cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp sherry vinegar, 2 Tbsp chopped tarragon, ½ tsp Dijon mustard, ½ tsp Kosher salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper in a measuring cup, then whisk to combine.
- Optional: Add the onions. Raw red onions can have a sharp bite. To lessen their intensity, add the thinly sliced onion directly to the salad dressing while you make the couscous.
- Make the couscous. Combine 1 ¼ cup water, 1 Tbsp olive oil, and ½ tsp Kosher salt in a medium saucepan, then bring to a boil. Stir in 1 cup couscous, then remove from heat and cover tightly. Let the couscous sit undisturbed for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Transfer couscous to a large bowl. (You can also mix everything right in the saucepan!)
- Dress the couscous salad. Add ¼ cup slivered almonds, red onion, 2 Tbsp chives, and chopped tomato, then pour the vinaigrette over the couscous. Stir to thoroughly coat, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving. Meanwhile, make the tarragon shrimp.
- Season the shrimp. Preheat an oven to 425 F. Place shrimp on a rimmed baking sheet, then toss with 1 Tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp Kosher salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, and 1 Tbsp chopped tarragon. Make sure shrimp are in a single layer.
- Cook the shrimp. Roast until just pink and opaque, 8-10 minutes. Shrimp can be served hot, room temperature, or cold.
- To serve: place a few big spoonfuls of couscous salad on a plate, then top with a couple of roasted shrimp. Garnish with additional chives or tarragon, a drizzle of olive oil, a generous pinch of flaky sea salt, and lemon wedges. Best served at room temperature or cold.
Video
Notes
- Note: if you don’t love the taste of raw red onion, you’ve got a couple options. Either substitute with 2 scallions, ½ a head of fennel, or use 1 small shallot instead (all thinly sliced).
- Israeli couscous (or pearl couscous) can absolutely be used here! Bring 1 ½ cups water to a boil with Kosher salt. Add pearl couscous, stir, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Drain off any excess water.
- Tarragon substitute: you can use fresh basil, dill, or oregano — they are absolutely not the same flavor, but they all work here.
- If you have tarragon vinegar, feel free to substitute that for sherry vinegar in the vinaigrette!
Okay this was SO easy, SO simple, and So delicious. I made a few subs just based on what I had on hand and it was still so good. Will definitely be making over and over and telling all my family and friends.
Yes yes yes, 100x yes! My absolute current favorite way to enjoy shrimp! I rarely let anyone else touch the leftovers, they are all MINE lol! xo, Ari