Tasty shrimp salad with a wonderfully creamy dressing is the perfect lunch, and it also makes a wonderful dinner in the summer.
This delicious shrimp salad is so easy to make, and it’s so very flavorful. I love making it in the summer. It’s so fresh-tasting.
I dress it in a lovely dressing of mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, and garlic. It’s a light dish that goes really well with dry white wine.
The ingredients used in this recipe
You’ll only need a few ingredients to make this tasty dish (exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below):
- Shrimp: It’s best to use small shrimp since they are bite-size.
- Mayonnaise: I prefer avocado oil mayonnaise over mayo made with refined, bleached and deodorized oils (RBD oils).
- Dijon mustard: Dijon is creamier and less vinegary than yellow mustard.
- White wine vinegar: Or use fresh lemon juice if you prefer.
- Minced garlic: Mince it yourself, or use the stuff that comes in a jar.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: I use kosher salt in most of my recipes. If using fine salt, you might want to use less salt.
- Minced red onion: Make sure it’s truly minced and not roughly chopped. It’s unpleasant to bite into large pieces of sharp onion.
- Minced celery.
- Chopped cilantro.
How to make shrimp salad
It’s easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
- Boil the shrimp briefly, just until pink and opaque. Transfer them to a bowl filled with cold water. This will stop the cooking process, and will also help chill them.
- In a salad bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
- Now add the cooked shrimp, the red onion, celery and cilantro to the dressing. Mix gently, then serve.
Interesting variations
If you like spice, try adding a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the dressing. You can also add seeded, thinly sliced jalapeno peppers.
What shrimp to use in this recipe
It’s best to use small shrimp – 40 per pound – because they are bite-size and easy to eat in a salad. You want them peeled and deveined, of course, but unlike warm shrimp recipes such as baked shrimp, here you also want the tails off.
Can I use frozen pre-cooked shrimp?
Yes, you can defrost them and use them in this recipe. Just keep in mind that these shrimp are a compromise – they’re not as good, in terms of both flavor and texture, as freshly cooked shrimp.
How to serve shrimp salad
I really like it just as it is, on a plate, eaten with a fork! But if you want to serve it with something, here are a few ideas:
- Serve it on a bed of shredded lettuce.
- Stuff it inside a lettuce sandwich wrap.
- Serve it on thick slices of almond flour bread.
- It’s great on halved cheese muffins.
- Instead of stuffing tomato with crab salad, stuff it with this shrimp salad.
How long can I keep it?
You can keep it in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing it.
How to choose sustainable shrimp
Shrimp are generally healthy, but imported shrimp are not always well regulated. They are sometimes grown in contaminated water and fed antibiotics.
Your best bet is to choose either US-grown wild shrimp or responsibly farmed sustainable shrimp. Here are some good tips for choosing sustainable shrimp and consuming shrimp responsibly.
More tasty shrimp recipes
Another great recipe for cold shrimp is this boiled shrimp recipe. Super simple, super delicious, whether dipped in drawn butter or in a low-sugar cocktail sauce.
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Shrimp Salad
INGREDIENTS
Shrimp:
- 1 lb. small shrimp , peeled and deveined, tails off (40 per pound)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or fresh lemon juice)
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Additional salad ingredients:
- 1/4 cup minced red onion
- 1/4 cup minced celery
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
INSTRUCTIONS
Cook the shrimp:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and the shrimp. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook the shrimp, uncovered, until pink and cooked through, about 2 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked shrimp to a bowl filled with cold water, to stop the cooking process. You don't want them overcooked.
Make the dressing:
- In a salad bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, vinegar, garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper.
Mix the salad:
- To the bowl with the dressing, add the cooked shrimp, the red onion, celery, and cilantro. Gently mix to incorporate. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for a couple of hours. Gently mix again before serving.
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NOTES
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., has been following a healthy real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She has taken 
