The easy weeknight shrimp dish you’ve been looking for, with a dairy-free cream sauce.
Prawns, spinach and tomatoes in a garlic and lemon cream sauce with couscous
If you’ve ever worried about overcooking shrimp, you’ll love this recipe. Everything in a cream sauce has enough moisture to prevent overcooking!
This shrimp dish is a 30-minute weeknight wonder made with a creamy sauce made with coconut milk and vegetable broth, so it’s dairy-free and light on the stomach (no heavy cream complaints!). Garlic, oregano, and lemon are all you need to create a rich, delicious sauce.
Arrowroot is a thickening agent, but if you don’t have access to it, you can substitute cornstarch for it! But do yourself a favor and buy arrowroot — it’s a less-processed version of cornstarch and gluten-free, so it causes even fewer spikes in blood sugar.
Either way, you’ve got tomatoes, spinach, and onions with these quick-cooked shrimp, all served over pillowy couscous. I’m having a moment with pearl couscous – it’s just too good!
Work this into your weekly rotation—and honestly, you can do this with flaky cod too (you’ll need to cook cod a little longer).
Prawns, spinach and tomatoes in a garlic and lemon cream sauce with couscous
portions 2 People
- 1 Cup dry pearl couscous
- 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 Onion, diced
- 2 Garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 Cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 (15 ounce) can light coconut milk
- 1 prize dried oregano (about 1/4 teaspoon)
- salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon Arrowroot Powder
- 1/2 pint Cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1.5 – 2 Pound deveined, cleaned shrimp (with or without tail)
- 2 handful baby spinach
- 1 lemon
- red pepper flakes for garnish
-
Prepare couscous according to package directions. Cover to keep warm.
-
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is simmering, add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are soft, about 2 minutes. Add broth and coconut milk, oregano and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes to allow the flavors to develop and add the arrowroot powder and stir until the sauce has thickened slightly. Add the tomatoes, stir and cook for 5 minutes or until tomatoes are just tender. Meanwhile, season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Once the tomatoes are almost soft, add the spinach, stir well, then add the shrimp, which nestle in the sauce. Cook 2 minutes, flip and cook another 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp are opaque. Squeeze over the lemon and stir vigorously. Garnish with red pepper flakes.
-
Divide the cooked couscous between two bowls and sprinkle evenly with the shrimp mixture.
