Shrimp and Crab Louie Salad (Louis Salad)

This Shrimp and Crab Louie Salad (or Louis salad) is an iconic American classic filled with delicious seafood and hard boiled eggs and topped with a creamy dressing. It is perfect to serve for lunch, brunch or when you crave a light dinner.

I found myself at the grocery store last week pondering what to do for dinner. I had NO DESIRE to cook. I just cleaned all the dishes and scrubbed the counters clean. I was looking for an easy dinner that didn’t include a preservative rich pre-packaged meal.

That’s when I found myself in front of the seafood counter and I saw that shrimp was on sale for $5.99/lb. I looked down and saw the imitation-crab was also on sale. I know, IMITATION crab… But, it really is tasty stuff! So it hit me, let’s eat healthy tonight with a classic, Shrimp and Crab Louie Salad!

Why this recipe is so awesome

There are several iconic American salads, and this Crab Louie (or Louis) Salad is definitely one of them. Its origins are believed to be from a San Francisco restaurant, Solari’s, dating back to the early 1900s. Other records shows it being served at the Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington.

Wherever it came from, the classic salad remains the same: crisp iceberg lettuce with lump crab meat, although imitation crab meat can also be used. Also served are hard boiled eggs, tomatoes and a creamy dressing. You can also mix in capers, olives, asparagus spears, cucumbers.

So who is the Louie the salad is named after? Well, this salad is known as the King of salads, so I’m guessing King Louis of France.

As for me, it doesn’t matter where this salad came from or who it is named after, I love this dish! It is easy to whip together, very filling (for a salad) and filled with seafood.

And the dressing? Zingy and creamy!

Ingredients you need

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• Mayonnaise: You can any mayonnaise you like, from regular to olive oil based.
• Cocktail sauce: If you don’t have cocktail sauce you can substitute with ketchup and horseradish, or just ketchup. For more zing, add more horseradish.
• Dijon mustard: You can also use stone ground mustard or any brown mustard you have in your fridge.
• Lemon: You will the zest and juice from one lemon.
• Chives: I grow chives in my yard – so easy and forgiving! You can also use finely diced green onions.
• Salt
• Salad greens: I am not a fan of iceberg lettuce, so I use romaine or any variety of leafy greens.
• Seafood: The traditional Louie salad is made with lump crab. I used imitation crab and cooked shrimp.
• Eggs: You will need to hard boil and cool your eggs before assembling the salad.
• Tomatoes: I used grape tomatoes, but you can use any variety of tomatoes.
• Capers: This adds more zing and salt to the salad. You can substitute with chopped green or black olives.

Step-by-step directions

1. In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, cocktail sauce, dijon mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, chives, and salt. Set aside.

2. On a large serving platter arrange the mixed salad greens. Top salad greens with shrimp, and lump crabmeat. Arrange hard boiled eggs and tomatoes decoratively around the salad. Top with the capers. Serve salad with prepared dressing.

Recipe tips and FAQs

For the shrimp, you can buy it precooked or raw. I always prefer cooking my own shrimp, because I think I add more flavor, even if I am just boiling the shrimp.

To cook 1-pound of shrimp, I usually drop in half a lemon, a  bay leaf, a smashed garlic clove and a teaspoon of peppercorns to the water and bring it all to a boil. Add the shrimp, and it’s done when pink, about 5 minutes.

Want some more salads feature seafood? Then try my avocado crab salad with seville oranges and my Mexican ceviche with avocado (cheviche de pescado). And another favorite light lunch I enjoy all the time are my tuna egg salad lettuce cups.

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.

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