Zooming Zooms On.
When “it” all began, Mark and I started zoom dinners with his brother and sister-in-law, David and Becky. We were having so much fun that, at times, we forgot there was a pandemic. And more than once we said “Why haven’t we been doing this all along?” It is a really great way to stay in touch with family and friends on a regular basis.
And so we do; we still zoom with each other monthly, and we take turns choosing the menu. As I’ve mentioned before, we work hard to have a menu that can be completely executed in less than 90 minutes. We set up our computers in our kitchens, sign on, cook together, and compare progress as we go. When dinner is ready, we move the computers to our respective dining areas and we sit, chat, and catch up while eating “together,” though 2,000 miles apart. Before you know it, 3 or 4 hours have passed.
Another nice thing is that we bring new and fun recipes to one another’s tables. Each of us has different cookbooks, different online sources, shared recipes from family and friends, and fun ideas for thematic dining. For a recent dinner, after we were all in Morocco together, Becky & David came up with a recipe that combined several recipes from Mediterranean Fresh, a salad cookbook by Joyce Goldstein. They thought it would be a great way to use some of the spices we procured in the souks of Marrakech.
Naturally, I made a couple of small adaptations to their recipe, but not so much as to make it unrecognizable from their version. My iteration of Shrimp and White Beans with Chermoula Vinaigrette is below. I paired it with a very nice rosé from the Languedoc region of France; you can read more about that on the Provence WineZine.
~ David
Shrimp and White Beans with Chermoula Vinaigrette
To print this recipe, please click the small printer icon below.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons plus 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 shallot, very finely minced
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon hot paprika
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1/4 of a preserved lemon, rind only, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, or as needed
- 2 cans Great Northern white beans, drained and rinsed (see Notes)
- 20 shelled and deveined jumbo shrimp (about 1 pound)
- lemon zest (from an organic lemon), cut into matchsticks, for garnish
Instructions
- Make the vinaigrette. Add the 2 teaspoons olive oil to a small skillet over medium heat; add the minced shallot and cook gently until soft. Combine the shallot with the lemon juice, paprika, cumin, and hot paprika in a small bowl, and mix to a smooth paste. Whisk in the parsley, cilantro, olive oil, preserved lemon and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
- Next, transfer the drained beans to a saucepan over low heat. Add 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette and stir; season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.
- Heat the remaining vinaigrette in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook 3-5 minutes, turning once.
- Divide beans and their vinaigrette among four soup plates. Top each serving with 5 cooked shrimp and spoon over remaining warm vinaigrette. Garnish each portion with a few lemon zest matchsticks. Serve warm.
- Serves 4.
- Notes:
- • You can use cannellini beans in place of the Great Northern beans. Either works perfectly well for this dish.
- • One important addition that I made is the matchsticks of lemon zest as a garnish. It’s not just about being pretty; the zest makes a bright difference with alternate bites.
© 2026 Copyright Cocoa & Lavender
Mad Dog
October 4, 2025 at 4:33 am…and I was just thinking about making shrimp stock!
Your Shrimp and White Beans with Chermoula Vinaigrette looks delicious, I can definitely see myself making that!
Cocoa & Lavender
October 4, 2025 at 8:01 amHonestly, Mad Dog, homemade shrimp broth/stock is one of my favorite things. The flavor is far superior or anything else we can get commercially.
Barb
October 4, 2025 at 7:02 amThis is a very interesting recipe! I’ve never mixed shelled beans and shrimp but this combination sounds excellent with the Chermoula vinaigrette. The Paraza Rosé sounds like a great match for it.
Cocoa & Lavender
October 4, 2025 at 8:00 amI have heard of a shrimp and white bean dish in Spain, and this seems to confirm that it is done. It’s a great combination, Barb, and healthy!
Mimi Rippee
October 4, 2025 at 7:53 amPreserved lemon? Very interesting! I need to use it more often. I love this combination. I love white beans. Sometimes for dinner I make a quick white bean salad. Great idea to zoom !
Cocoa & Lavender
October 4, 2025 at 7:59 amI love using pressure Fleming for so many things, not just Moroccan food. If you try it, you’ll see the add so much to a salad dressing. I think you will like this salad, Mimi!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
October 4, 2025 at 8:52 amI don’t think I’ve ever paired shrimp and beans together, but why not? It looks delicious and flavourful!
Cocoa & Lavender
October 4, 2025 at 9:59 amI’ve seen some white bean and shrimp cassoulet recipes, so this made perfect sense to me. It’s definitely a good combination, Ben.
Suzo
October 4, 2025 at 10:51 amMmmm!
What can you use if you don’t have preserved lemons?
Cocoa & Lavender
October 4, 2025 at 4:10 pmI suppose you can just use lemon zest and juice — but you should really preserve some lemons, Suzo! They are such a great condiment!
angiesrecipes
October 4, 2025 at 11:21 amA great idea of combining seafood and beans. But I love esp. those succulent prawns!
Cocoa & Lavender
October 4, 2025 at 4:09 pmThey are so sweet — from Alaska! Thanks, Angie!
Eha Carr
October 4, 2025 at 2:59 pmGreat minds think alike – just read a prawn and bean recipe on a Filipino blog > love yours as I liked theirs 🙂 ! Have not had the pleasure of ‘doing’ a zoom dinner with friends but that surely would be a hugely fun way of having a ‘dinner party’ ! Miss my Meyer lemon tree – had such fun making jars and jars of preserved lemons every year . . .
Cocoa & Lavender
October 4, 2025 at 4:08 pmWas it Raymund? I’m a bit behind. Zoom dinners have been so fun but we did learn that more than two households is untenable. I make loads of preserved lemons each year but prefer Lisbon lemons — Meyers are too sweet and don’t have enough pith for me.
Eha Carr
October 4, 2025 at 4:41 pm*huge smile* Yes – both times! I know most people prefer the Lisbon – I have just always been ‘in love’ with the Meyers!
Cocoa & Lavender
October 4, 2025 at 4:43 pmI love Meyers for so many things — we have a Meyer lemon tree! — but they just don’t have the authentic flavor especially when making Moroccan cuisine!
FEL!X
October 4, 2025 at 6:40 pmWhat a nice idea to share cooking over zoom!
And what a delicious combination of shrimps with white beans!
I will use dried soaked beans, cook them in shrimp stock made from the prawn shells! The Chermoula vinaigrette matches perfect!
Thank you for this inspiration!
Cocoa & Lavender
October 9, 2025 at 6:18 amThank you so much for your wonderful comment, Felix. And thank you for following up with me to let me know that you made the recipe. I like what you did with the shrimp stock and we’ll have to try that myself.
sherry
October 4, 2025 at 11:11 pmI love cannellini beans and i love prawns. And i love your idea of having a zoom dinner with family and friends! Excellent idea!
sherry
Cocoa & Lavender
October 9, 2025 at 6:18 amEven without Covid, most of our family lives so far away. It’s a really nice way to keep connected, Sherry.
Gerlinde
October 5, 2025 at 7:59 amThis is a great looking recipe, I have never combined shrimp and beans. Why not , l love both.
Cocoa & Lavender
October 9, 2025 at 6:17 amThat’s what I really enjoy about our Zoom dinners. They often bring us recipes that would never have occurred to me to make.
Inger
October 5, 2025 at 9:30 amCan you believe I just bought shrimp and preserved lemon? The shrimp comes up fresh from the Gulf and I was pondering what to do with them. This is fate!
Inger
October 7, 2025 at 1:20 pmJust had this for a late lunch David–delicious! I’m thinking the beans would work even without the shrimp and I may consider that for a vegetarian dish on Christmas Eve.
Cocoa & Lavender
October 9, 2025 at 6:13 amI agree with you, Inger — the beans would make a wonderful standard aside Gechter dish for the holidays.
Inger
December 21, 2025 at 9:47 pmI did make my own preserved lemons years ago. I do think I’ll have to try again now that I’m coming up with more recipes using them.
Cocoa & Lavender
December 22, 2025 at 8:25 amIt is definitely worth having them in your refrigerator, even if you keep them in the back corner! We use ours all the time. Last year I made three jars, and I only have two lemons left.
Cocoa & Lavender
October 9, 2025 at 6:17 amI’m going to try and convince you to make your own preserved lemons, Inger — you’ll find a huge difference between homemade and store-bought! I’m really glad you like the salad.
Ronit Penso
October 6, 2025 at 12:22 pmI often make tuna and bean salad, and have mixed shrimp with beans as well. You’ve upgraded this tasty combination even further with the robust dressing. Preserved lemons are a condiment I always have at hand, as well as lemon zest for garnish, so it all means I’ll be making this dish very soon! 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
October 9, 2025 at 6:16 amI think I should repost my recipe for preserved lemons as I’ve had more questions about where to buy preserved lemons than about the rest of the recipe! I think it’s something everyone should do every winter (or summer if you’re below equator).
Ronit
October 9, 2025 at 6:21 pmGood idea! I’ve made a nice batch this year, but used it too quickly. Luckily, they are available in stores or online. 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
October 12, 2025 at 6:57 amTrue — I’ve been lucky that I have only had to buy them once!
Raymund
October 8, 2025 at 2:59 pmThis is such a lovely tradition, David! I love how your Zoom dinners evolved into something so meaningful, cooking, chatting, and sharing recipes across miles sounds like the perfect blend of connection and creativity.
Cocoa & Lavender
October 9, 2025 at 6:12 amThanks, Raymund. We look forward to these every month
Jeff the Chef
October 9, 2025 at 5:06 amWhat a nice, new tradition! Of course I’m curious about the technicals. Do you position the camera so that it has a wide shot of the whole kitchen? Or do you position yourself always in front of the camera? I’m planning to develop some recipes with my sister-in-law, who lives about two hours away. This would be a great way for us to collaboarate.
Cocoa & Lavender
October 9, 2025 at 6:11 amGreat questions, Jeff… we have a small galley kitchen and set the camera/computer in the pass-through window above the cooktop. Since we are working mostly on that part of the counter, that’s what we see. I have done it from the side before, but find it awkward to keep remembering to look at/talk to the camera. I might have some screenshots of what it looks like… If I do, I will email them to you separately.
valentina
October 10, 2025 at 9:18 amI think it’s so cool that you still do the zoom dinner parties. Both the cooking and eating together is so great — and that you can feel you’re all in the room together. I love white beans, and shrimp (and other seafood!) pairs so well with them. And those flavors. Perfection. 🙂 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
October 12, 2025 at 6:52 amThanks, Valentina — until now, I had never thought to combine beans with any other fish or seafood except good, tinned Italian tuna. I am glad this recipe started me on a new path!
Frank | Memorie di Angelina
October 10, 2025 at 1:18 pmSounds delightful, David. And equally delightful your cookalongs with family. What a lovely way to keep in touch with loved ones.
Cocoa & Lavender
October 12, 2025 at 6:50 amThanks Frank — it is especially fun when everyone loves to cook!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
October 11, 2025 at 6:44 amI remember your mentioning the zoom dinners. It is nice how they have evolved since then. Your dish sounds delicious, I do something very similar but more Italian style. Must try your recipe with the cilantro and cumin..
Cocoa & Lavender
October 12, 2025 at 6:46 amWhen I first started Cocoa & Lavender with Doreen 15 years ago, she posted an Italian cannellini beans and shrimp recipe which was delightful. Thanks for reminding me, Karen. I think you will like this version, too.
2pots2cook
October 25, 2025 at 4:21 amLove it very much. Can you please write back if it is an appetizer or main, please? Thank you.
Cocoa & Lavender
October 25, 2025 at 6:07 amI serve it as a main course but, with smaller portions, it would be perfect for a starter!
Christina
November 15, 2025 at 11:56 amWhat a great and fun idea! Most of my friends and family are so many time zones away, this wouldn’t really work for the same meal time, but we could do breakfast for dinner and both eat breakfast!
I love the flavors in this bean and shrimp dish, especially with the vinaigrette! Must try!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 16, 2025 at 6:24 amActually, since Europeans eat rather late, you could do a brunch/lunch with them and it would work pretty well! We’ve done it with friends of ours in France and it’s quite fun. The beans, shrimp, and vinaigrette are a wonderful combination.