Miso Shrimp and Corn Couscous Salad

Name: Miso Shrimp and Corn Couscous Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1/4 packed cup chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems; 1 large lemon, juiced (about 3 tablespoons); 5 tablespoons olive oil; Salt and freshly cracked black pepper; 1 1/2 cups pearl couscous; 2 cups corn kernels, removed from the cob (from 2 to 3 fresh ears of corn); 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp, patted dry; 4 scallions, light green and white parts thinly sliced; 1 tablespoon white miso paste; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

By Yasmin Fahr

Published July 16, 2024

Miso Shrimp and Corn Couscous Salad — David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 30 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Rating: 5(269)
Notes: Read community notes

A delightful blend of bright, sunny colors and flavors shine in this summery salad. A lemony dressing coats the tender, slightly chewy, pearled couscous, which helps to cut the richness of the miso-butter mixture that coats the shrimp and charred corn. While this salad is best with fresh corn — at its sweetest scraped straight off the cob — frozen corn makes an excellent substitute any time of year, even though it won’t char quite as visibly. Serve at room temperature or warm for a picnic or outdoor dinner, pairing it with an herby green salad or grilled broccoli.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

¼packed cup chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
1large lemon, juiced (about 3 tablespoons)
5tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1½cups pearl couscous
2cups corn kernels, removed from the cob (from 2 to 3 fresh ears of corn)
1pound peeled and deveined shrimp, patted dry
4scallions, light green and white parts thinly sliced
1tablespoon white miso paste
1tablespoon unsalted butter

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
In a large serving bowl, mix together half the cilantro with the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil until combined. Season with salt and a few grinds of pepper.
Step 2
In a saucepan over medium-high, toast the couscous, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and fragrant, 3 or 4 minutes. Add 3 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt, then bring to a boil. Adjust the heat to maintain an active simmer and cook until tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly; then transfer to the bowl and toss with the dressing.
Step 3
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy, 12-inch skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add the corn kernels, season lightly with salt and let cook, mostly undisturbed, until charred in spots, 7 to 9 minutes. Stirring once or twice as the kernels brown, or as needed if they start to pop.
Step 4
Push the corn to the sides of the pan to create an open space in the middle. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, then the shrimp and scallions; season lightly with salt and cook for 2 minutes. Stir everything together and cook until the shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more, depending on the size of the shrimp.
Step 5
Remove from the heat and stir in the miso and butter until evenly dispersed, scraping up anything on the bottom of the pan, about 1 minute more.
Step 6
Transfer everything in the pan to the serving bowl and toss with the couscous. Garnish with the remaining cilantro and serve.

Ratings

5 out of 5

269 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

CG1 month ago

Delicous. Used 1 c couscous which was plenty for the amount of shrimp. I want a little more zip so next time may add a jalepeno or few dashes of red pepper flakes, personal preference. Served with green salad and lemon vinaigrette.

Cross Lane Chefs1 month ago

Cooked to recipe without the cilantro, as we didn’t have any. Still was great, freshness from the acid and sweet from the corn. Added some spanish chickpeas that we had leftover and it was a great filling addition. Will make again, looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow!

Gail1 month ago

I made this to take to a potluck with many vegetarians and so deleted the shrimp. For textural contrast I added toasted pine nuts and garnished with torn fresh mint leaves on top. I agree with the contributor who suggested adding some red pepper flakes.

Donna Brinckerhoff1 month ago

Can this be made ahead by a few hours and refrigerated?

SLC1 month ago

It was a little bland; next time I'll use more miso and maybe lime instead of lemon.

Emmett1 month ago

Am in high season for corn here in southern ontario. Finding white miso a bit a of a challenge, but finally found it in an organic food section of a big grocery store here. This was a huge hit for lunch and will do it again because corn is so terrific this summer. I had a fancy fine tri color regular couscous i brought with me from Citarella which worked well too.

Meghan1 month ago

Made without cilantro - definitely will make again!!! VERY tasty. Pair with a buttery Chardonnay.

Judy6 days ago

Delicious! Made with soy sauce instead of miso.

Meg1 week ago

We enjoyed this very much! I was glad for the note about adding crushed red pepper, as it added a little kicky interest. I also squeezed some extra lemon on at the end. My two ears of corn resulted in about 3 cups raw and cooked down to 2 rounded cups, which was the right amount. Served with a crisp, crunchy green salad.

Amelia1 week ago

This is great, made it twice in two weeks! The second time I subbed in lentils for half of the couscous for a little extra fiber and protein and it made it even better

Hallie1 week ago

Delicious summer meal with bright and fun flavors. FYI - Trader Joes sells white miso paste.

Holly1 week ago

Loved this recipe. As noted by others, I added red pepper flakes when cooking the corn and a splash of lime when serving. Great way to enjoy fresh summer corn.

tom1 week ago

This is a very easy recipe too!!

Mary1 week ago

Like others, used 1 cup of couscous and liked that ratio! If you have the soapy cilantro gene like me, substituting for parsley works very well. I also tossed in a handful of crumbled feta.

notes2 weeks ago

Delicious as is! Would make again same way

dt2 weeks ago

Added more Miso. Next time season the shrimp. Also made corn stock from the corn cobs to cook the couscous in. Added fish sauce, jalapeño and oyster sauce to the dressing.

Lucina2 weeks ago

I used 24 oz of shrimp, and red miso, since it's what I had on hand. The miso flavor was still subtle and the red miso didn't add any discernible color to the dish. Tasty!

Christina2 weeks ago

I was worried it would be boring, but it was bright, lemony, buttery. I enjoyed it very much

Nash Wednesday2 weeks ago

great flavors, especially with a healthy squeeze of sriracha since aldi shrimp comes in a 12-ounce bag, i added a can of white beans; used a mix of cilantro, chives, and mint

Sophie2 weeks ago

I made shrimp broth with the shells and cooked the cous cous in that. Added a lot of flavor.

Drkitty3 weeks ago

No couscous, so used fregola and it was delicious. Used the shrimp shells to make a quick broth to cook the pasta. Maybe there’s some rule against mixing citrus, but made the dressing with lemon and squeezed some lime over afterwards. Used an extra 1/2 tbsp of miso and the often suggested hot pepper flakes. Will definitely make again. It’s especially nice as a fancy summer lunch.

olives3 weeks ago

Canned corn Add onions and saute before shrimp Spinach at the end while hot

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