When you're looking to upgrade a boring lunch, a Cold Shrimp Salad with freshly chopped veggies on a toasted and buttered baguette is a game-changer. It's delicious, crisp, and easy to make in under 30 minutes.
There's nothing quite as refreshing as a chilled salad in the summer. Try our Chickpea Cucumber Feta Salad or Caprese Tortellini Salad if you like something chilled!
Jump to:
Why This Recipe
If you're always eating the same lunch over and over again, a cold shrimp salad on a sandwich with sourdough bread or a freshly toasted baguette could be a great way to switch it up! Forget about a tuna salad, because this one is fresh and delicious!
This delicious seafood salad with mayonnaise has virtually no fishy smell, it's so tasty, and you can have it with chips, crackers, or on a sandwich. I love a warm sandwich in the Fall or Winter, like Gruyere Grilled Cheese, but this cold shrimp salad or a Grilled Shrimp Salad with Mango Lime Dressing is perfect for the Spring and Summer months.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Shrimp. Use large shrimp, peeled and deveined. It makes the process a lot easier. You could peel your own shrimp and then use the peels to make a shrimp stock to boil your shrimp in, like I do with The Best Homemade Shrimp Cocktail.
- Mayo. Mayo is a necessity for any cold salad like this. There is no substitute that will give you a similar result.
- Vegetables. Sub out any veggies you don't want.
- Parsley. For a different flavor profile, you can substitute dill for parsley.
*Please see the recipe card below for more information on the ingredients.
How to Make Cold Shrimp Salad
Step 1: Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Add half a lemon and 1 teaspoon salt. Place the shrimp in the pot and boil for 3-5 minutes, until the shrimp are opaque.
Step 2: Remove the shrimp from the pot and place them in a bowl of ice water to cool and stop the cooking process.
Step 3: Combine the red pepper, celery, green onion, red onion, parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and lemon.
Step 4: Chop the chilled shrimp.
Step 5: Add the shrimp and mayonnaise and combine well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 6 (Optional): Toast up some bread in butter to serve with your cold shrimp salad.
Step 7: Serve your cold shrimp salad with crackers or bread. It's also delicious as is! This easy recipe can be transformed into the perfect sandwich as shown below!
Serve this delicious cold shrimp salad with Italian Green Bean Salad or a simple side salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette!
The red peppers and celery make this salad so fresh and crisp. It's guaranteed to be a lunch favorite.
Pro-Tips
- Boil your own shrimp. Precooked shrimp is flavorless and rubbery. The fresher the shrimp is, the better for this dish.
- Marinate for a few hours to really let the flavor infuse through the sauce.
- Serve on bread or crackers. You can eat this by itself, but it's way better on crunchy bread or crackers.
Recipe FAQs
Up to 2 days. After 2 days, I noticed a big deterioration in the texture of the shrimp. The flavor was fine, but it just got a lot more rubbery.
Marinating a shrimp salad lets the flavor build up, just like in a good tuna or salmon salad. Plus, you want all the ingredients to be cold.
More Delicious Sandwiches
Please leave a comment and star rating below in the recipe card! I love to hear what you think of our recipes. Feel free to tag us on Instagram @vindelgiudice.
📖 Recipe
Easy Cold Shrimp Salad
Equipment
- 1 large pot
- 1 large bowl
- 1 knife
- 1 cutting board
Ingredients
- 2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails removed
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ red pepper, chopped
- ½ small red onion, chopped
- 3 green onions, chopped to the white
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Add half a lemon and 1 teaspoon salt. Place the shrimp in the pot and boil for 3-5 minutes, until the shrimp are opaque. Remove the shrimp from the pot and place them in a bowl of ice water to cool and stop the cooking process.
- Chop the shrimp up once cooled. Combine the red pepper, celery, green onion, red onion, parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and lemon. Then add the shrimp and mayonnaise and combine well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Serve on a sandwich or with crackers once chilled.
Notes
- Boil your own shrimp. Precooked shrimp is flavorless and rubbery. The fresher the shrimp is, the better for this dish.
- Marinate for a few hours to really let the flavor infuse through the sauce.
- Serve on bread or crackers. You can eat this by itself, but it's way better on crunchy bread or crackers.
Vinny
A deliciously fresh and crisp cold salad I love to serve on my wifes homemade sourdough bread. You'll love this one!