Low Carb Recipes: Shrimp Salad

Shrimp is a wonderful southern food and is part of several of my low carb recipes. I also use shrimp in many of my quick and easy recipes. When steamed or boiled, shrimp is practically carb free, and I love the little suckers. When it comes to shrimp, I’m a lot like Bubba from Forrest Gump. I like ‘em steamed, boiled, fried, baked, grilled, in a sandwich, shrimp Creole, shrimp fajitas, shrimp stir-fry, shrimp Alfredo, shrimp bisque, shrimp tempura, shrimp and rice, shrimp and grits, shrimp thermidor, shrimp Newberg, Cajun shrimp, shrimp egg rolls, shrimp burgers, shrimp tacos…okay, you get the picture. One of my favorite shrimp dishes is shrimp salad. When you say “shrimp salad” in the South, you’re not talking about a tossed green salad with a few shrimp thrown on top. By shrimp salad, we Southerners mean a concoction that’s a lot like chicken salad, but made with shrimp instead of chopped chicken.

My recipe for shrimp salad is virtually carb free. It might have one carb per serving, so I can eat it without feeling guilty. It doesn’t affect my blood sugar, either. Shrimp salad is especially wonderful as a light lunch on a hot summer day, but I eat it throughout the year.

The key to good shrimp recipes is to use the freshest shrimp available. We’re fortunate in that respect, as we live only two hours from the ocean. I’ve made my shrimp salad with frozen shrimp, and it was good, but with really fresh shrimp, it’s awesome! As a matter of fact, it’s one of my favorite low carb recipes. This is a great way to use leftover boiled or steamed shrimp, like from a Low Country boil.

Holle’s shrimp salad

What you’ll need:

One pound cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp

1/3 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise

Two boiled eggs, chopped

½ cup chopped celery

green onions (optional - sometimes I add them, sometimes not)

Two tablespoons no sugar added sweet pickle relish

One teaspoon lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Paprika

Directions: Chop shrimp finely. Add remaining ingredients to shrimp and toss. Sprinkle with paprika. If you want your shrimp salad to have a “bite,” add red pepper or chipotle powder. Serve shrimp salad cold. Most people serve shrimp salad on a large lettuce leaf, but I like mine served in a large tomato that has been cut into wedges, almost all the way to the bottom. Not only does it look nice, but I love the taste of the shrimp salad and tomato combination.

If you want to “fancy” the shrimp salad up some, cut a whole pineapple in half. Dice the pineapple flesh and add it to the shrimp salad. If you do this, I suggest leaving out the sweet pickle relish. Now you have a tropical shrimp salad! Serve the shrimp salad in the scooped-out pineapple shells for an attractive dish that’s pretty enough to serve at a party or to dinner guests. It makes a great appetizer and can be served with crackers.

Low carb recipes don’t have to be difficult. There are so many products on the market today that can be used as substitutions, low carb dieting can be fairly easy and very tasty and satisfying. I experiment so much in my kitchen that sometimes my hubby thinks he’s a guinea pig. To get more of my low carb recipes, click the links below.