Description
This creamy shrimp salad is a refreshing and flavorful dish combining tender boiled shrimp with a zesty lemon-dill dressing. Perfect as a light lunch or appetizer, it features a crisp texture from fresh celery and red onion, enhanced by a tangy and creamy dressing made with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Shrimp
- 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 freshly ground black pepper until well combined. Set aside.
- Boil the shrimp: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the peeled and deveined shrimp and cook for 3 minutes or until they turn opaque pink and are cooked through. Avoid overcooking to keep them tender.
- Prepare ice water bath: While the shrimp boil, fill a large bowl with ice and cold water. Using a skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer the cooked shrimp immediately into the ice water bath to stop cooking. Let them chill for 3 minutes, then drain in a colander to remove all excess water.
- Combine salad: In a large mixing bowl, gently stir together the cooled shrimp, finely chopped red onion, celery, and the prepared dressing until everything is evenly coated and creamy.
- Serve: Serve the shrimp salad chilled either on its own or spooned into butter lettuce leaves for a fresh, crunchy contrast.
Notes
- For an extra touch of flavor, consider adding a pinch of smoked paprika or a dash of hot sauce to the dressing.
- You can substitute mayonnaise with Greek yogurt for a lighter version.
- If fresh dill isn’t available, dried dill can be used but reduce the quantity to 1 tablespoon as it’s more concentrated.
- Make sure to not overcook the shrimp to maintain a tender texture.
- This salad can be prepared a few hours in advance and refrigerated for flavors to meld beautifully.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 180 mg
