Shrimp Salad
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Old Bay kicks up the flavor of this classic shrimp salad. Pile it onto a croissant, scoop it over lettuce, or serve it with crackers.
Made with perfectly-cooked, chilled shrimp, crunchy celery and scallions, and a flavor-packed creamy dressing, this shrimp salad makes the perfect lunch or light supper. You can pile it onto a croissant or toast, scoop it over lettuce, or dice the shrimp up and serve it as a dip with crackers.
The secret ingredient is Old Bay seasoning, a spice blend that contains celery salt, pepper, paprika, and mustard, to name just a few. Sold near the seafood department in most supermarkets, Old Bay is great on seafood, especially in crab cakes and peel n’ eat shrimp, but we shake it on everything here in Maryland, from fried chicken to popcorn. It really kicks up the flavor of this shrimp salad a few notches.
Table of Contents
“My husband and I made this for New Year’s Day and are delighted to tell you it’s the best shrimp salad we have ever tasted!”
What You’ll Need To Make Shrimp Salad
Buying Shrimp
For all of my shrimp recipes, I recommend buying frozen shrimp, as most shrimp are flash-frozen shortly after being caught. Unless you live on the coast, the “fresh” shrimp you see in the seafood case is typically thawed frozen shrimp. For the freshest shrimp, it’s best to buy frozen shrimp and defrost it yourself. The best way to defrost it is overnight in the fridge, but if you’re in a time crunch, you can run the shrimp under cool water.
I also recommend buying shrimp labeled “shell-on and deveined.” The shrimp will have more flavor and better texture when cooked in the shell – and it’s much easier to buy shrimp already deveined. If for some reason you need to devein the shrimp yourself, use kitchen shears to cut through the shell along the back of the shrimp, from the head to the tail, then use a paring knife to remove the vein.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by bringing a pot of water to a boil.
Add the shrimp and cook until bright pink and cooked through, about 1-1/2 minutes (the water needn’t return to a boil).
Drain the shrimp in a colander and then immediately plunge them into the ice water to shock them and stop the cooking process. Let sit until chilled, about 15 minutes.
Peel the shrimp and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Old Bay, wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.
Whisk to combine.
Add the cooked shrimp, celery and white and light green scallions.
Toss well, then taste and adjust seasoning.
Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Before serving, sprinkle the salad with the dark green scallions and a dash of Old Bay. The salad will keep for two days, covered, in the refrigerator.
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Shrimp Salad
Old Bay kicks up the flavor of this classic shrimp salad. Pile it onto a croissant, scoop it over lettuce, or serve it with crackers.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds large raw shrimp (31-35 per pound), shell-on and deveined, thawed if frozen
- ½ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellman's or Duke's
- 1½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup finely diced celery
- ¼ cup finely sliced scallions, light and dark green parts separated
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water and set next to the sink.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until bright pink and cooked through, about 1½ minutes (the water needn't return to a boil).
- Drain the shrimp in a colander and then immediately plunge them into the ice water to shock them and stop the cooking process. Let sit until chilled, about 15 minutes. Peel the shrimp and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Old Bay, wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in the shrimp, celery, and light green scallions. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Before serving, transfer the salad to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the dark green scallions and a dash of Old Bay. The salad will keep for 2 days, covered, in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 244
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Sugar: 0g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 21g
- Sodium: 979mg
- Cholesterol: 198mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Do I need to “cook” the precooked shrimp?
Hi Leonard, No need to cook the pre-cooked shrimp. Enjoy!
I love this salad. It is better chilled. I served it at a luncheon with creamed squash soup.
Fast, easy, delicious! Everyone at the picnic wanted the recipe. I have served this on a roll, with crackers, and as a side dish with salads. It is perfect with my Jersey tomatoes.
This recipe is perfect for a hot summer day! I like to make it in the morning and let the flavors blend in the fridge throughout the day just in time for dinner.
I loved this salad,easy and tastes great. Hubby is a shrimp nut so good to find another way to serve them.
This is an alltime favorite here in Surnadal, Norway. So easy and absolutely delicious!
This recipe is divine! My entire family gobbles this down every time I make it, so much so that I always have to double the recipe. I tend to chop the shrimp into bite size pieces, to make this easier to eat. We love to eat this shrimp on a toasted croissant. Would definitely be a showstopper at brunch. I actually love this website and Jenn’s recipes. There isn’t a bad one on here and every time I make one of her recipes it always turns into a new family favorite.
Excellent! I love the addition of the Worcestershire sauce. I also added about 2 Tbsp. of sour cream to the sauce to make it a bit creamier. Delicious!! I must say, I’ve never made a recipe of yours that wasn’t terrific.
It also makes a great macaroni salad with minimal tweaking.
Where do I find “Old Bay seasoning”? If I can’t get it here what does it have for ingredients?
Hi Michael, It’s generally sold near the seafood department in the supermarket. If you can’t find it, you can order it online or make your own. Here’s a good recipe.