The addition of shrimp makes any dish more elegant and tasty. This shrimp salad recipe is easy to make and can be doubled or tripled for larger gatherings. Serve on a bed of lettuce and tomatoes, or on your favorite thick crusted bread for a hearty sandwich.
Shrimp Salad
Ingredients:
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Parboil shrimp in a small saucepan of salted boiling water until pink.
2. Strain shrimp and rinse in very cold water.
3. In a small bowl, mix the shrimp, eggs, celery, mayonnaise, mustard, onion powder, salt and pepper.
4. Chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.
Things to Know When Buying Shrimp
Unfortunately, due to the state of our oceans and fish farms, buying seafood can be a challenge. There are several things you'll want to keep in mind when shopping for any seafood, including shrimp. Fortunately, we'll tell you everything you need to keep in mind when buying the shrimp for this recipe.
If you decide to buy your shrimp fresh, it's important to keep in mind that it can spoil quickly. Any shrimp that's slimy, falling apart, or that smells of ammonia is a definite no. Generally, buying frozen shrimp is going to be safer than buying fresh shrimp. It's important to note that shrimp advertised as fresh may have previously been frozen; only shrimp that comes fresh from the ocean or that you select live from a tank is guaranteed to be fresh.
Make sure to check the label of your shrimp for added preservatives when buying. Preservatives are sometimes added to shrimp to increase their thawed shelf life. Generally, avoiding this is advisable. You should look for shrimp bags that only say “shrimp” under the ingredients list, with no added preservatives or similar.
Unfortunately, the regulations requiring companies to disclose where and how the shrimp were caught are loose. This means that in many cases, you won't know where your shrimp originated from. As a rule of thumb, freshwater shrimp are usually caught more sustainably than ocean shrimp. Some of the fishing practices used to catch ocean shrimp are highly dangerous to the environment and to endangered ocean species. Before opting for farm-raised shrimp, keep in mind that many seafood farms are not clean and are breeding grounds for various parasites.
By taking care when buying your shrimp, you'll buy the best possible bag of shrimp for use in this salad. Seafood shopping can be time-consuming, but it's worth it in the end. If you enjoyed this shrimp salad recipe, then be sure to check out some of our other awesome recipes!
The image featured at the top of this post is ©iStock.com/Ann_Zhuravleva