Plento Pasto CookbookMoroccan-Spiced Chickpea & Shrimp Skillet with Couscous
⏱ 18 min
🍽 Serves 4
≈ $33.71 ($8.43/serving)
novice
Why this fits a family on a budget
Using frozen shrimp, canned chickpeas, and instant couscous keeps the total per serving while delivering bold Moroccan spice flavor. The entire meal is ready in under 20 minutes with just one skillet and one small saucepan.
Ingredients
• 12 oz frozen medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 15 oz canned chickpeas
• 15 oz canned crushed tomatoes
• 1.5 cup instant couscous
• 1.5 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 each zucchini
• 3 clove garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp ground coriander
• 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.25 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 each fresh lemon
Instructions
1. Place frozen shrimp in a colander and run cold water over them for 5 minutes to thaw. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside.
2. While shrimp thaws, dice zucchini into half-inch cubes and mince the 3 garlic cloves.
3. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pieces are slightly golden on the edges.
4. Add minced garlic, 1 tsp cumin, 0.5 tsp coriander, 0.25 tsp cinnamon, and 0.25 tsp turmeric to the pan. Stir for 30 seconds until very fragrant.
5. Drain and rinse the 15 oz canned chickpeas, then add them to the skillet along with the 15 oz crushed tomatoes. Stir everything together and let simmer over medium heat for 4 minutes — the sauce should thicken slightly and deepen in color.
6. Push the tomato-chickpea mixture to the edges of the pan to create space in the center. Add the thawed 12 oz shrimp in a single layer. Cook for 2 minutes, then flip each shrimp. Cook another 1–2 minutes until shrimp are pink and curled into a C-shape. Do not overcook — a tight O-shape means they are rubbery.
7. While shrimp cooks, make couscous: bring 1.5 cups broth to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, stir in 1.5 cup couscous, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
8. Season the skillet with 1 tsp salt and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice from the 1 lemon. Taste and adjust. Serve shrimp and chickpea mixture over fluffy couscous.
Contains: shellfish. Always double-check labels for your household's allergies.
Cost is a national-average estimate and varies by store and region.
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This recipe was generated by Plento Pasto's AI from a library of family-friendly dishes and reviewed for a real photo before publishing. Cooking times, costs, and nutrition are estimates — use your judgment in the kitchen.
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