This luscious shrimp salad from the Barefoot Contessa herself–Ina Garten–is made with shrimp, mayo, mustard, vinegar, and more. Excellent for picnics, brunch, showers.
Adapted from Ina Garten | Barefoot Contessa Parties! | Clarkson Potter, 2001
Creamy but not gloppy. Light but not abstemious. And easy peasy to make yet elegant to behold. That’s what we think of this shrimp salad, which is gonna rock your world. And your cocktail party. And your work lunch rotation.–Renee Schettler
☞ Contents
Shrimp Salad from Ina Garten
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 lemon cut into quarters
- 4 pounds large shrimp in the shell* 16 to 20 shrimp per pound
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons good white wine or white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons minced dill leaves
- 1 cup minced red onion 1 onion
- 3 cups minced celery about 6 stalks
- A few gratings of lemon zest optional
Directions
- Bring 5 quarts water, 3 tablespoons salt, and the lemon to a boil in a large saucepan. Add half the shrimp and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, for only 3 minutes, or until the shrimp are barely cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to move the shrimp into a bowl of cool water.
- Bring the water back to a boil and repeat with the remaining shrimp. When cool enough to handle, peel and devein the shrimp and place in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, wine, 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper, and dill. Add as much of the dressing as you like to the peeled shrimp along with the red onion, celery, and lemon zest, if using, and gently toss. Taste and adjust the seasonings accordingly. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for a few hours.
Notes
*How long will cooked shrimp last in the fridge?
We say this a lot around here—you’ll be lucky to have any leftovers. But we’re usually right, huh? We know what we’re talking about. However, if you do happen to have any of Ina Garten’s shrimp salad left, cooked shrimp can be refrigerated for up to three days.Show Nutrition
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Sadly, I’ve been missing out. Sounds weird, but though I’ve cooked shrimp about a thousand times, I’ve never actually made shrimp salad. (Such a thing is very uncommon, if not downright unheard of, where I live.) This recipe allowed me to view shrimp in a different way and got me excited about eating it cold.
Sure, I’ve poached a lot of shrimp, and this shrimp tasted good simply poached in lemon juice, salt, and water. (I tasted a couple, just to see.) The shrimp salad from Ina Garten was also enjoyable with the mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon, white wine, red onion, celery, and dill mixture.
I agree with Ina’s cooking technique and timing. The shrimp were tender and sweet and quite likable. My first shrimp salad experience was a good one. An experience I will undoubtedly repeat!
The only drawback is it seemed like there was a bit too much mayonnaise, but that can very easily be adjusted to personal taste.
This shrimp salad from Ina Garten looked like the perfect addition to my bridal shower luncheon menu, so I decided to give it a try. The fresh dill elevates this recipe to something very special—worthy of a bridal shower or any other special event, but easy enough to throw together for a casual summer lunch or dinner.
I liked the idea of not boiling the shrimp, so I tossed them with a little olive oil and roasted them for 6 minutes in a 400°F oven. When I made the dressing, it looked like a lot for the amount of shrimp. I tend to like salads lightly dressed, so I used just over half the dressing. I also used Vidalia onion to give the salad a milder flavor.
HUNGRY FOR MORE?
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
How many servings is this salad??
Cheryl, the salad makes 12 servings. Please let us know how it turns out.
WOW! the sodium is over the top! I’m assuming the nutrition calculator just saw the amount of salt added to the water and included it in the recipe? I don’t see any other added salt, except for dijon. Recipe looks amazing though.
Thanks for catching that, Sharon! You were correct, the salt in the cooking liquid got included in the calculation. We have adjusted it, but if you are sensitive to salt, or need to keep your sodium intake low, you may want to use less than 1 teaspoon in the mayonnaise mixture to help keep that number down.
The absolute best shrimp salad I ever ate. Refreshing so good in a fresh croissant or alongside Ina’s fresh corn salad on a hot summer day! Thank you Ina, you never disappoint!
Thanks for taking the time to let us know, Shirley!
Can frozen shrimp thawed, already shelled and deveined work, too?
Sure can, Diana. Just make sure they’re good quality.
Thanks so much for replying-gonna give this recipe a try!
You bet, Diana!
Oh Great thanks!! I will definitely try that next time. The shrimp salad came out Awesome will make again. Thanks for the tip.
Maddie, you bet!