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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Thank you so much for this beautiful recipe! Made it, loved it, and now want to try all your recipes! Thank you again! : )
This is a great recipe and easy for me. Sometimes I’ll add a heaping spoonful on top of a 1/4 avocado.
The frozen large shrimp I found were really small, so I bought the extra large/jumbo which is the same count that you mention. They don’t look like jumbo size but definitely larger than your picture. Would I need to change the amount of the ingredients?
Hi Renee, As long as you’re using 2 lbs. of shrimp, there’s no need to change the ingredients. 🙂
I am having a party and want to try this with crackers I think. I am a big presentation guy. How exactly would you serve this, and what brand of crackers?
Hi Andrew, I think this would be nice on some kind of buttery crackers (something like these). Just make sure to dice the shrimp for easier serving/eating. Hope that helps!
Have you even tried this with yogurt instead of mayo?
No, I can’t say I have.
This recipe is as easy as can be, and absolutely delicious! I just made it and I’m going to make it again next week for a family gathering. I added some parsley and chives just for a little more color but I will make it multiple times going forward.
Delicious and easy.
I used Jumbo Shrimp for the salad and reduced the recipe because only cooking for two people. I made it as a side dish with a tortilla wrap on the side and it was so good I regretted not making more. The praises were non-stop and I truly enjoyed this combination of spices to make it memorable. I didn’t have white wine vinegar but had rice vinegar which I used as a substitute. Will make it again next month with the expectation of praise for the chef.
Another very tasty recipe!
Jenn – I’ve made quite a few of your recipes now and each one has been so good that I make again and again! I’ve given your cookbooks for hostess gifts and telling friends that you’re one of those chefs that can be counted on for recipes that are consistently delicious! Thank you!
💗
I would recommend cooking the shrimp in beer or adding old bay to the water, infuses the shrimp with more flavor!