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Shrimp Salad Recipe
5 from 27 votes

Shrimp Salad Recipe

This shrimp salad combines poached shrimp with a zesty pickling-spiced broth and fresh, crisp vegetables like celery, red onion, bell pepper, and fennel. Bound with mayonnaise and brightened by lemon juice and fresh dill, it offers a creamy texture balanced by the crunch and acidity. The salad is chilled, keeping the shrimp tender and the flavors harmonious, making it suitable for sandwiches or served on its own.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
2 mins
Servings: 6
Course: Side Dish, Lunch
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the Shrimp:
  • 2 pounds Shrimp fresh, peeled and deveined, 26/30 size
  • lemon about 4 to 6 tablespoons, juice of 2
  • 3 tablespoons pickling spice
  • salt coarse, to taste
For the Salad:
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ red onion about 1/3 cup, peeled and small diced, large
  • 2 celery rib small diced
  • 1 garlic small diced clove
  • 1 ½ tablespoons dill minced fresh
  • ½ red bell pepper seeded and small diced
  • 2 tablespoons fennel bulb fresh, finely minced
  • lemon about 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons, juice of ½ lemon
  • black pepper coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper
  • salt coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Remove the shells and devein the shrimp.
  2. Add 2 quarts of water to a medium-sized pot and bring it to a boil along with the juice of 2 lemons, the squeezed lemons, and pickling spice.
  3. Generously season the liquid with coarse salt until it is as salty as the ocean. This will be about 2 to 3 tablespoons.
  4. Place the shrimp in the boiling seasoned water and cook for 90 seconds. Do not overcook the shrimp.
  5. Remove the shrimp and add them to a container of ice water to help stop the cooking process. This is known as shocking. The shrimp should be in a loose C shape, not a tight C shape.
  6. Strain the shrimp and chill them until you need them.
  7. In the meantime, prepare the onions, celery, garlic, dill, bell pepper, and fennel.
  8. In a large bowl mix together the shrimp, mayonnaise, lemon juice, onions, celery, garlic, bell pepper, fennel, salt, and pepper.
  9. Serve as is or on toasted bread with lettuce and optional sliced tomatoes and thinly sliced red onions.

Notes

  • This salad can be prepared up to one day in advance for freshness, with possible adjustments to seasoning or mayonnaise before serving.
  • Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to three days; it is not suitable for freezing.
  • Use a strongly salted poaching liquid, about as salty as ocean water, to infuse flavor into the shrimp while cooking.
  • Avoid letting cooked shrimp sit in ice water too long to prevent them from becoming waterlogged.
  • For a low-carb option, serve the salad inside peeled, pitted avocado halves instead of bread.
  • If using larger shrimp, cut them into smaller one-inch pieces after cooking for easier eating.