• Home
  • Recipes
    • Search All Recipes
    • Recipe Round-Ups
  • Lifestyle
    • Outside the Kitchen
    • Kitchen Tips & Gifts
  • Weekly Meal Plans
  • More
    • About
    • Work With Me!
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Framed Cooks

My life. One recipe at a time.

Want every new recipe delivered right to your email inbox?

Sign Me Up!
Recipes » Classic Shrimp Louie Salad

Classic Shrimp Louie Salad

By Kate Morgan Jackson

Jump to Recipe

This light and lovely recipe for the classic Shrimp Louie salad pairs shrimp, fresh veggies and hardboiled eggs with a tangy dressing on the side!

classic shrimp louie salad

PIN this recipe for Shrimp Louie Salad now… So you can make it later!

Welcome to my newest shrimp salad crush, the good old classic Shrimp Louie salad.  

This Shrimp Louie tends to show up on old-timey country club menus along with its cousins Cobb Salad and Salad Nicoise, and while I love most of how the old classic is made, I needed to put my own tweak on it.

I’m hoping that this is one that my seafood-averse sweet Southern daughter will go for, since she has cracked the seafood door open by actually eating shrimp now and then. Especially if I whip up one of my other faves, peel-your-own shrimp cooked in beer. YUM.

easy shrimp cooked in beer

What is Shrimp Louie Salad, anyway?

According to my research, this Shrimp Louie recipe originated in the early 1900s in San Francisco, and since that is the town where the Southern husband proposed to me, it already had a head start in terms of my love and affection.  

It is traditionally made with shrimp, lettuce, egg and tomato, and (here’s where it lost me) it’s liberally tossed with Thousand Island Dressing.

Now, I am not a fan of liberal salad dressing (see my recipe for Steak Caesar Salad for example) and Thousand Island reminds me of that thing our moms used to do when we were kids – mixing ketchup and mayo together as a dip.

However, I did want to come up with a solution that gave a nod to the original Shrimp Louie dressing recipe dressing without glooping it all over the light and lovely shrimp and veggies.

So I did my favorite salad trick, which is to put it in a little cup on the side of the dish, so you can either dip your fork into it before you spear up a shrimp, or you can lightly drizzle your own amount on.

AND, since I was already messing with a classic, I added a little chili sauce in place of the ketchup, and some Worcestershire to give it a little oomph.  

I did use mayo, because you need it for the creaminess, although next time I might throw caution to the wind and swap out the mayo for sour cream.  But I am being classic here.  :)

Ingredients You Need to make Shrimp Louie Salad!

  • Chili Sauce
  • Mayonnaise
  • Lemon Juice
  • Worcestershire Sauce
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Old Bay Seasoning
  • Shrimp
  • Romaine Lettuce
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Cucumber
  • Hard Boiled Eggs

Here’s how you make (almost) classic Shrimp Louie Salad!

STEP 1: Start by making that dressing, which is as easy as  combining the chili sauce, mayo, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and letting it sit while you prepare the rest of the salad.

STEP 2: Cook up the shrimp in a pot of water season with Old Bay until the shrimp are just done, about 3 minutes.  Scoop them out and put them in a mixing bowl filled with ice water so they stop cooking – this will keep them nice and tender, and also cool them off a little for your pretty salad!

STEP 3: Arrange the lettuce on two plates and divide up the shrimp and eggs – I also added some cherry tomatoes and cucumber, which is also not super traditional but IS super colorful and scrumptious.

STEP 4: As for that dressing, do with it what you will! I served it on the side but if you feel like drizzling it over the salad is the right thing to do, drizzle away!

classic shrimp louie salad

more tips for making shrimp louie salad!

Can I use pre-cooked shrimp?

You can! I always think shrimp cooked right before you serve it tastes best, but pre-cooked shrimp is a timesaver if you are in a rush.

What is Old Bay Seasoning?

Old Bay is a seafood seasoning that is a mixture of celery salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika and a few others. You can find it in the spice aisle of your grocery store, and it adds a delightful flavor to your shrimpies. And if you want to try your hand at mixing up your own, here’s a recipe for the homemade version!

Can this recipe be made ahead of time?

Yep, especially if you are serving the dressing on the side. If not, drizzle it on right before you serve it up. And keep everything in the fridge until it’s time to eat.

Have a question I didn’t cover?

Pop your question in the comments section below and I promise to answer pronto!

So there you have it – the best Shrimp Louie Salad recipe I know!

Print
easy classic shrimp louie salad

Classic Shrimp Louie Salad


★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1x
  • Category: Lunch
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

This light and lovely recipe for the classic Shrimp Louie salad pairs shrimp, fresh veggies and hardboiled eggs with a tangy dressing on the side!


Ingredients

For the dressing

  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons chili sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper

For the salad

  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
  • ½ pound medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 cups romaine lettuce, either torn or use the small interior leaves
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ cucumber, peeled and sliced
  • 2 hardboiled eggs, peeled and quartered

Instructions

  1. Make the dressing by combining all dressing ingredients and letting them sit while you prepare the rest of the salad.
  2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the Old Bay seasoning and the shrimp and cook until the shrimp are just done, about 3 minutes.  Scoop them out and put them in a mixing bowl filled with ice water so they stop cooking.
  3. Arrange the lettuce on two plates. Divide up the shrimp, tomatoes, cucumber and eggs.
  4. You can either toss the dressing with the ingredients or do like I do and serve it on the side.

Notes

Need to add something to your kitchen equipment to make this recipe? Below are some of the items we used in the Framed Cooks kitchen to help cook this up. These are affiliate links to things we use and love, which helps to pay for all that bacon I keep buying (without any extra cost to you)!  Thanks for using them to keep our kitchen cooking…xoxo!

Equipment

Image of Adjustable Measuring Cup

Adjustable Measuring Cup

Buy Now →
Image of Measuring Spoons

Measuring Spoons

Buy Now →
Image of Cutting Board

Cutting Board

Buy Now →
Image of Medium Pot

Medium Pot

Buy Now →
Image of Strainer

Strainer

Buy Now →
Image of Old Bay

Old Bay

Buy Now →
5774.7 g1572.6 mg46.9 g8.2 g0.1 g8.5 g2.3 g31.2 g391.6 mg

Did you try this recipe?

Tag @FramedCooks on Facebook and tell us how it came out!

581 shares
  • Facebook423
  • Twitter
  • Yummly
Kate Morgan Jackson

Hi there!  I’m Kate, and I’m a recipe writer, food photographer and devoted bacon lover.  I started Framed Cooks in 2009, and my mission is to create and share family-friendly recipes that make cooking both easy and fun…yes, I said FUN!  My kitchen is my happy place, and I want yours to be that place too.  And if you make this recipe, I would love you to tag @FramedCooks on Instagram so I can see the deliciousness!as seen in logos

Know someone who would love this recipe?
Click here to email them the link!

Published on June 28, 2020

Good for: Brunch, Dinner In A Hurry, Dinner Party

Last Post:
Baked Shrimp with Cheese Grits
Next Post:
Fourth of July Recipe Round-Up!

I'D LOVE IT IF YOU WOULD RATE THIS RECIPE
(AND COMMENTS ARE WONDERFUL TOO!) Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Comments

Want a photo beside your name? Go to Gravatar.com, sign up for a free account, and upload a photo. It's super easy!

  1. Angie Heller says

    June 29, 2020 at 9:15 am

    Excellent cool summer dinner !

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Kate Morgan Jackson says

      June 29, 2020 at 11:46 am

      We will have to put it on our list to have together! xoxo

      Reply

Hi, I’m Kate! I’m a recipe writer, food photographer and devoted bacon lover. I’m so glad you’re here!

If you want to know more….

Want to round out your meal? This recipe pairs well with...

peach mint margaritaPeach Mint Margarita
grilled flatbreadEasy Grilled Flatbread
easy blueberry cakeBlueberry Crumble Cake

STILL HUNGRY? CHECK OUT MY LATEST RECIPE VIDEOS!

These recipes are trending up! Come see what the excitement is about!

  • Pastina with Egg and Cheese, Otherwise Known As Comfort Food
  • Fresh Mint Tea
  • Julia Child's Filet Of Sole
  • Grandpa's Coca-Cola Ribs
  • Pasta with Buttered Egg Sauce

These recipes are trending up! Come see what the excitement is about!

  • Pastina with Egg and Cheese, Otherwise Known As Comfort Food
  • Fresh Mint Tea
  • Julia Child's Filet Of Sole
  • Grandpa's Coca-Cola Ribs
  • Pasta with Buttered Egg Sauce

Want every new recipe delivered right to your email inbox?

  • Home
  • Starters
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Dessert
  • Contact
Terms of Use • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 Framed Cooks
All photographs © FramedCooks and may not be used for any purpose without written permission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.