Description
This creamy shrimp salad is a delicious and refreshing dish made with tender boiled shrimp, crisp celery and red onion, all tossed in a zesty lemon-dill mayonnaise dressing. Perfect as a light main course or an elegant appetizer served in crisp butter lettuce leaves.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Shrimp Salad
- 2 pounds shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
- 1 rib celery finely chopped
Shrimp Salad Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 lemon zested and juiced (about 1 tablespoon zest and 3 tablespoons juice)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Optional
- Butter lettuce leaves for serving
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, lemon juice and zest, fresh dill, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper until smooth and well combined. Set aside to allow flavors to meld.
- Boil the shrimp: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the peeled and deveined shrimp and cook for 3 minutes until they turn pink and are cooked through. Avoid overcooking to keep shrimp tender.
- Prep and ice water bath: While the shrimp cook, prepare a large bowl of ice water. Using a skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer the cooked shrimp immediately into the ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Let them sit for 3 minutes to chill completely, then drain well in a colander.
- Stir it all together: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled shrimp with finely chopped red onion and celery. Pour the prepared dressing over and gently toss everything together until the shrimp salad is evenly coated and creamy.
- Serve: Serve the shrimp salad chilled, either on its own or spooned into butter lettuce leaves for a fresh and crunchy presentation.
Notes
- Make sure not to overcook the shrimp; they should be just opaque and pink for best texture.
- You can substitute plain Greek yogurt for half of the mayonnaise for a lighter version.
- Fresh dill can be replaced with fresh parsley if unavailable, but dill gives the salad its classic flavor.
- Chilling the shrimp after boiling ensures the salad stays crisp and refreshing.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate the salad for up to 24 hours before serving to let flavors deepen.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 180 mg
