Cajun-Spiced Shrimp with White Bean, Fennel & Artichoke Ragout
Daily Recipe: March 25, 2026
This dish borrows the soulful spice profile of Cajun cooking but keeps everything firmly Mediterranean: olive oil, plenty of herbs, legumes, seafood, and a bright lemon finish. Instead of a predictable blackened fish with rice, tender roasted shrimp are layered over a warm ragout of fennel, artichokes, tomatoes, and creamy white beans, then finished with a pistachio-herb dust for color and crunch. It feels early-spring seasonal, vibrant, and a little moody in the best way.
Ingredients (for 2)
- Large shrimp - 10 oz - peeled and deveined
- Cooked cannellini beans - 1 cup - drained
- Small fennel bulb - 1 - thinly sliced; fronds reserved
- Artichoke hearts packed in water - 1 cup - quartered and drained
- Cherry tomatoes - 1 cup - halved
- Small shallot - 1 - finely sliced
- Garlic cloves - 3 cloves - minced
- Lemon - 1 whole - zested and juiced separately
- Flat-leaf parsley - 1/2 cup - roughly chopped
- Unsalted pistachios - 2 tbsp - chopped
- Capers - 1 tbsp - drained
- Dried oregano - 1/2 tsp
- Smoked paprika - 1 tsp
- Sweet paprika - 1 tsp
- Ground cumin - 1/2 tsp
- Dried thyme - 1/2 tsp
- Aleppo pepper or chili flakes - 1/4 tsp
- Black pepper - 1/2 tsp - freshly ground
- Vegetable broth or water - 1/2 cup
- Extra-virgin olive oil - 3 tbsp - divided
- Kosher salt - 3/4 tsp
Preparation
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Step 1 - 🍤🌶️🥄Pat the shrimp dry. Toss with smoked paprika, sweet paprika, cumin, thyme, oregano, Aleppo pepper, half the black pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Let sit for 10 minutes.
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Step 2 - 🌿🍋🫒Chop the parsley. Mix half of it with 1 tablespoon olive oil, half the lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Set aside for serving.
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Step 3 - 🧅🔥🥘Heat a wide skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the shallot and sliced fennel with a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
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Step 4 - 🧄🍅🥬Add the garlic and capers and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the artichoke hearts and cherry tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes, gently pressing some tomatoes to release their juices.
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Step 5 - 🫘🍋🥣Add the cannellini beans and vegetable broth or water. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice and the remaining parsley, then taste and adjust with the remaining kosher salt and black pepper as needed.
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Step 6 - 🍤🔥🍳Heat a second skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook the shrimp for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side until just opaque and lightly charred.
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Step 7 - 🥜🌿✨Toast the pistachios in a dry pan for 1 minute if you like. Mix them with the reserved fennel fronds and a little of the remaining lemon zest.
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Step 8 - 🥣🍤🌿Spoon the warm bean and vegetable ragout into shallow bowls. Arrange the shrimp on top. Drizzle with the parsley oil and sprinkle with the pistachio-fennel topping.
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Step 9 - 🍋🍽️😋Squeeze over the remaining lemon juice and serve right away.
Additional
For an even deeper Cajun echo, add a tiny pinch of celery seed to the shrimp rub. If you want to make it heartier while staying Mediterranean, serve with a small side of farro or grilled whole-grain sourdough. For a vegetarian variation, replace the shrimp with thick slabs of roasted cauliflower rubbed in the same spice blend.