Crab Salad with Creamy Tangy Dressing (Printable)

Tender crab with crisp vegetables in a creamy, zesty dressing. Ready in 15 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 10.5 oz cooked lump crab meat, drained and picked over for shells

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 small celery stalk, finely diced
03 - 1/4 small red onion, finely diced
04 - 1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
05 - 2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
06 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

→ Dressing

07 - 3 tbsp mayonnaise
08 - 2 tbsp sour cream or Greek yogurt
09 - 2 tsp Dijon mustard
10 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
11 - 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

13 - Mixed salad greens or butter lettuce leaves
14 - Lemon wedges

# How To Cook:

01 - In a large bowl, gently combine the crab meat, celery, red onion, cucumber, chives, and parsley.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream (or yogurt), Dijon mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth.
03 - Pour the dressing over the crab mixture and gently fold until everything is evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
04 - Chill for at least 10 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld.
05 - Serve mounded on salad greens or butter lettuce, garnished with extra chives and lemon wedges if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's the kind of dish that makes people think you spent way more time and effort than you actually did
  • The creamy tangy dressing perfectly highlights the crab without overpowering its delicate flavor
02 -
  • Overmixing is the enemy of crab salad. Fold everything together gently and stop as soon as it's combined.
  • The salad tastes better after a short chill but don't let it sit too long or the vegetables will release water and turn it watery.
03 -
  • Pat the crab meat gently with paper towels before combining it with the vegetables to prevent the dressing from becoming too thin
  • If using canned crab, rinse it briefly under cold water and let it drain well to remove any metallic taste from the can