Chermoula Shrimp Salad

Last Updated on May 24, 2020 by Chef Mireille

Many cultures have an herb based marinade to be used ubiquitously throughout the cuisine. These all purpose marinades can be used in everything from roasted and grilled meats to rice and vegetable dishes to salads.

In Morocco, this all purpose marinade is called chermoula. What makes chermoula so special is the inclusion of smoked paprika.

Smoked Paprika

Smoked paprika is one of my favorite spices. Don’t think you can use smoked and sweet paprika interchangeably. They have two very different flavor profiles.

Sweet paprika adds color to food, but little flavor. It is not a spice where you can easily detect the flavor, especially when used in combination with other spices. Smoked paprika, however, is very different.

You will notice the strong smoky aroma as soon as you open the bottle. You will immediately detect the flavor of the smoked paprika in any food it is added to it.

I have included online sources below where you can purchase the smoked paprika, if it is not available in your local area. However, if you can’t wait and just have to make this salad today, a close substitute is to add a little cumin to sweet paprika. It won’t really do justice to smoked paprika, but it’s the closest thing!

Chermoula can be used with anything, but it is especially popular in Morocco with fish and seafood dishes.

I took my queue from there and created this protein packed Chermoula Shrimp Salad that can be a meal on its own with some nice crusty French Bread!

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Chermoula Shrimp Salad

Chermoula Shrimp Salad is a protein packed salad with shrimp and chickpeas using Chermoula – the flavorful Moroccan marinade.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Resting Time15 minutes mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Moroccan

Servings: 6 people

1x2x3x

Calories: 207kcal

Equipment

• Food Processor

Ingredients

Chermoula Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves
• a large handful parsley
• Handful of cilantro
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 chile pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons olive oil

Salad Ingredients

• 1 lb. shrimp shelled and deveined
• 15 oz. can chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 1 bell pepper chopped
• 1 to mato chopped
• 2 persian cucumbers chopped

Instructions

• Combine garlic, parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, chile, cumin, smoked paprika, paprika and salt in a food processor.
• Process until ingredients are well chopped.
• Add olive oil and mix until you have a thick paste.
• In a skillet, pour chermoula and bring to a simmer.
• Add shrimp and cook until shrimp turns pink and is just cooked.
• In a large bowl, combine chickpeas, bell pepper, tomato, cucumber and the shrimp with all of the spice paste.
• Toss to combine.
• Leave to rest for at least 15 minutes for flavors to develop.

Notes

You can use any type of chile pepper you prefer such as serrano, jalapeno, bird’s eye or habanero. However, depending which chile pepper you use will determine how spicy it is. If using Habanero, I would use only half. If using Bird’s Eye, I would use 2.

Nutrition

Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 395mg | Potassium: 265mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1222IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg

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