Grandma’s Coastal-Style Chopped Shrimp Salad

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Grandma’s “Salt-Air” Chopped Shrimp Salad

The “Chopped” style is key here—cutting the shrimp into thirds ensures you get a piece of seafood in every single bite along with the crunch of the vegetables.

CategoryDetails
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time3 minutes
Total Time23 minutes (plus chilling)
Yield4–6 servings

🍴 Ingredients

  • 1 lb Large shrimp (peeled, deveined, tails off)
  • 2 stalks Celery, very finely diced
  • ½ Small red onion, minced
  • ¼ cup Fresh dill, chopped (don’t skimp on the dill!)
  • 1 tbsp Capers, drained and chopped
  • The “Coastal” Dressing:
    • ½ cup High-quality mayonnaise (like Dukes or Hellmann’s)
    • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
    • 1 Lemon, zested and juiced
    • ½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
    • Pinch of Cayenne pepper (optional)

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. The Gentle Poach

  • Bring a pot of water to a boil with a slice of lemon and a pinch of salt.
  • Drop in the shrimp, turn off the heat, and cover. Let them sit for 2–3 minutes until just pink.
  • The Shock: Immediately move them to an ice bath for 5 minutes. Drain and pat bone-dry.

2. The Uniform Chop

  • Chop each shrimp into 3 or 4 bite-sized pieces. You want them to be roughly the same size as your diced celery.

3. The Flavor Fold

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the mayo, Dijon, lemon juice/zest, Old Bay, and cayenne.
  • Fold in the shrimp, celery, red onion, dill, and capers.

4. The “Marinate” Phase

  • Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. This allows the celery to soften slightly and the shrimp to absorb the lemon-dill aromatics.

5. The Serving

  • Serve on a toasted brioche roll, over a bed of butter lettuce, or—if you’re feeling truly nostalgic—with a side of saltine crackers.

The “Avocado” Secret: If you want to make this a main course, fold in one diced avocado just before serving. The creaminess of the avocado acts as a “second dressing” and pairs beautifully with the Old Bay spice.

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