Description
Crab Salad is a refreshing and light summer dish combining sweet, tender crab meat with crisp vegetables and a zesty, creamy dressing. Quick to prepare in under 30 minutes, it serves as a versatile meal perfect for lunches, BBQ sides, or elegant appetizers. This salad is packed with nutritious ingredients, customizable to your taste, and best served chilled for enhanced flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Seafood
- 8 oz fresh lump crab meat
Vegetables & Herbs
- 1 cup crisp celery, finely chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh dill or parsley, finely chopped
- Optional: 1/2 avocado, diced
Dressing
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt (for lighter option)
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare Your Ingredients: Finely chop the celery, red onion, and herbs. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Dice any optional ingredients like avocado.
- Mix the Dressing: In a bowl, combine mayonnaise or Greek yogurt with freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir until smooth and creamy.
- Combine Salad Components: Gently fold the crab meat and chopped vegetables into the dressing, taking care not to break up the crab too much to preserve texture and ensure balanced flavors.
- Chill Before Serving: Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld beautifully.
Notes
- Use fresh or high-quality lump crab meat for the best flavor and texture.
- Gently fold ingredients to keep the crab meat intact and maintain great mouthfeel.
- Add lemon juice gradually to achieve the perfect acidity balance.
- Chill the salad well before serving for enhanced flavor integration.
- Serve cold directly from the refrigerator for the best taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 60mg
Keywords: crab salad, summer salad, seafood salad, light lunch, BBQ side, fresh crab, healthy salad