Ready in just 25 minutes, this salad is truly easy to make, and the leftovers are great too. Main-dish salads are a lifesaver in the summer. They are light and fresh, they are easy to make, and they save you from heating up the oven.

Ingredients

You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty salad. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need: I dress it in a lovely dressing of mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, and garlic. It’s a light dish that goes really well with dry white wine. Shrimp: It’s best to use small shrimp since they are bite-size and easier to eat in a salad. Mayonnaise: I prefer avocado oil mayonnaise. Sir Kensington’s is a good brand. Dijon mustard: Dijon is creamier and less vinegary than yellow mustard. White wine vinegar: Or use fresh lemon juice if you prefer. Kosher salt and black pepper: I use kosher salt in most of my recipes. If using fine salt, you should use less of it. Vegetables and aromatics: Minced red onion, minced garlic, minced celery, and chopped cilantro.

Instructions

Making this tasty shrimp salad is easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps: First, boil the shrimp briefly, just until pink and opaque. Transfer them to a bowl filled with cold water. This will stop the cooking process, and will also help chill them. Next, in a salad bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Now, add the cooked shrimp, red onion, celery and cilantro to the dressing. Mix gently, then serve.

Expert tip

It’s best to use small shrimp in this recipe - 40 per pound. Since they are bite-size, they are easy to eat in a salad. You want them peeled and deveined, of course, but unlike warm shrimp recipes such as baked shrimp, here you also want the tails off.

Frequently asked questions

Variations

I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you’d like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:

If you like spicy food, try adding a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the dressing. You can also add seeded, thinly sliced jalapeno peppers.Add a handful of bacon bits.Add chopped hard-boiled eggs.Scallions are a good substitute for red onions in this recipe.Instead of shrimp, you can use the same amount of cooked bay scallops.

Serving suggestions

I really like this salad just as it is, on a plate, eaten with a fork. But if you want to serve it with something, here are a few ideas:

Serve it on a bed of shredded lettuce.Stuff it inside a lettuce sandwich wrap.Serve it on thick slices of almond flour bread.It’s great on halved cheese muffins.Instead of stuffing tomato with crab salad, stuff it with this salad.Serve it on top of avocado halves.

Storing leftovers

You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to two days. I don’t recommend freezing the leftovers.

👩🏻‍🍳 I typically publish a new or an updated recipe once a week. Want these recipes in your inbox? Subscribe! You can unsubscribe at any time.

Recipe card

❤️ Let’s connect! Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter.

Creamy Shrimp Salad - 31Creamy Shrimp Salad - 5Creamy Shrimp Salad - 35Creamy Shrimp Salad - 76Creamy Shrimp Salad - 43Creamy Shrimp Salad - 17Creamy Shrimp Salad - 63Creamy Shrimp Salad - 14Creamy Shrimp Salad - 41Creamy Shrimp Salad - 14Creamy Shrimp Salad - 20Creamy Shrimp Salad - 93Creamy Shrimp Salad - 80Creamy Shrimp Salad - 39Creamy Shrimp Salad - 92