Simple Crab Salad with Mayonnaise

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Total: 35 mins

Servings: 4 servings

Serve this simple, well-seasoned crab salad with a slice of avocado on salad greens. It’s an especially nice salad for a hot summer lunch or dinner, and it makes a fabulous starter or appetizer salad.

Use 1 pound of fresh cooked crab for the salad. You can steam them yourself with Old Bay seasoning, or use freshly cooked crab from the market if it is available. The average blue crab contains about 2 ounces of meat. Some will feel heavier than others, so use more to ensure you have enough for four salads. A 2-pound Dungeness crab will yield roughly 1/2 pound of meat.

Diced celery and bell peppers add crunch and flavor while a little lemon juice and mayonnaise provide the perfect dressing. Serve the salad with slices of avocado or surround it with tomato wedges.

A serving size is considered 3 ounces, but you might want smaller or larger portions depending on whether the salad is an appetizer or main dish.

Ingredients

• 4 Dungeness crabs, or 12 blue crabs

• 2 quarts water (will vary depending on stockpot)

• 2 quarts white vinegar (amount equal to the water)

• 1/2 cup Old Bay seasoning

• 1 cup diced celery

• 1/4 cup chopped red or green bell pepper

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 8 cups salad greens, or Boston lettuce leaves

• 6 avocado wedges, optional

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.

   

2. Scrub crabs thoroughly.

   

3. Place a wire rack in a large stockpot. Add equal amounts of water and white vinegar to the pot to a depth of about 3 inches. The level of water should be just below top of rack. Place pot over high heat. Bring water and vinegar to a boil.

   

4. Place about 2 to 3 Dungeness crabs or 6 blue crabs on the rack, sprinkle with 1/2 cup of Old Bay Seasoning, cover, and steam for about 20 minutes. Dungeness crabs will be bright orange when done, while blue crabs will be red.

   

5. Remove cooked crabs and repeat steaming process with remaining crabs.

   

6. Allow crabs to cool, then crack open and pick out crabmeat.

   

7. In a large bowl, mix crabmeat with diced celery, chopped bell pepper, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and mayonnaise.

   

8. Serve over mixed greens, watercress, or lettuce leaves with a slice of avocado, if desired.

   

Tips

• If you don't use Old Bay Seasoning, season the steaming water with about 1 tablespoon of salt.
• Depending on which coast you live on, fresh crab salad will be seasonal in the winter through spring or in the summer through fall. Dungeness crab season begins in mid-November to early December and lasts until summer. This is the opposite of Maryland's blue crab season, which begins in April and lasts through mid-December.