Cucumber Shrimp Salad

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Chilled cucumber shrimp salad is perfect for summer! Just toss cold shrimp and sliced cucumber with a creamy, lemony dressing and fresh herbs.

shrimp and cucumber salad with creamy dressing

This salad has just two main ingredients: shrimp and cucumbers.

The dressing is both luxurious and light & lemony. It's creamy, but not thick and heavy. Perfect for shrimp salad!

If you like shrimp, then you should also try rice noodles with egg and shrimp, or Instant Pot orzo and shrimp scampi pasta, or shrimp and feta garlic bread or lemon garlic shrimp pasta with basil arugula pesto.

Ingredients

Cucumber: I like using Persian cucumbers for this recipe. The smaller size makes it easy to slice bite-sized pieces.

Dressing: Mayo, sour cream, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and fresh herbs make a creamy dressing that still has a light and lemony flavor. Fresh dill and chives are my favorite herbs to add. You can add one, or both herbs.

Shrimp: Cooked, chilled shrimp is used in this recipe. You can buy cooked shrimp at the grocery store (either fresh or frozen) or you can buy raw shrimp and cook it yourself. I buy shrimp that is already peeled, and then I pull the tail off after the shrimp is cooked so that it's easier to eat in a salad.

Looking for an easy way to cook shrimp? Try this recipe for Instant Pot frozen shrimp or pan seared shrimp.

Or, read below for instructions to boil shrimp.

How to Boil Raw Shrimp

Bring 4 quarts/16 cups water to a gentle boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer, add the shrimp and boil gently for about 3 minutes until the shrimp have just turned pink/orange. Remove with a slotted spoon.

To immediately stop the cooking process, plunge the cooked shrimp into a bowl of cold water for a minute or two. Drain the shrimp, pat dry, then proceed with this recipe if the shrimp are no longer warm. If the shrimp are still slightly warm, chill them in the refrigerator first.

Shrimp Size and Packaging

Shrimp is packaged and sold according to the size of the shrimp. For this recipe, I buy shrimp that is labeled as "21/30" which means there are between 21 to 30 shrimp per pound. This size of shrimp is easy to eat in one or two bites.

Shrimp labeled as 31/35 are smaller in size and you'll get between 31 to 35 shrimp per pound.

Colossal shrimp, which are very large, are labeled as U-10 because there are under 10 shrimp per pound.

Step-by-Step Instructions

mayo, sour cream, lemon juice and Dijon mustard in a bowl to be whisked into salad dressing

Step 1: Make the dressing by combining mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and dill or chives.

shrimp and cucumber in a bowl next to a creamy lemon salad dressing

Step 2: Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over the shrimp and cucumber. Mix gently.

FAQ About Cooking Shrimp

How long does raw shrimp last in the fridge?

The FDA recommends that fresh, raw shrimp be kept in the refrigerator for only 2 days before it's cooked.

What's the best way to defrost frozen shrimp?

You can cook frozen, raw shrimp in an Instant Pot without defrosting it. But if you need to defrost shrimp, the best way is defrosting in the refrigerator overnight. If you have to thaw seafood quickly, you can immerse the sealed bag of seafood in cold water.

How long does it take to cook raw shrimp?

Raw shrimp usually cook in 3 to 5 minutes, or slightly longer if the shrimp are large. This is true whether you are boiling, sautéing or broiling shrimp.

What is the best way to reheat cooked shrimp?

There are several ways to reheat cooked shrimp without drying it out. Read my article How to Reheat Shrimp for the best methods.

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