Coastal Crab Salad
Fresh, crisp, and packed with flavour, this Coastal Crab Salad feels like something you'd order at a little seaside café on a warm afternoon. Sweet crab meat, crunchy vegetables, buttery lettuce, and juicy tomatoes are tossed together with a light lemon herb vinaigrette that keeps everything bright and refreshing. Elegant without trying too hard.
Prep time
15 min
Cook time
0 min
Serves
Ingredients
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The Salad
- 1 headromaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 small headbutter lettuce, torn into pieces
- 1½–2 cupscrab meat (real crab if possible, imitation works too)
- 1 cupcherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cupcucumber, sliced or diced
- ½red pepper, very thinly sliced
- ¼ smallred onion, very thinly sliced
- 1avocado, diced (optional but highly recommended)
- 2 tbspfresh parsley or dill, chopped
- fresh cracked black pepper
Light Lemon Herb Vinaigrette
- ⅓ cupolive oil
- 2 tbspfresh lemon juice
- 1 tbspwhite wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 1 tspDijon mustard
- 1 tsphoney or maple syrup
- 1 small clovegarlic, finely grated
- to tastesalt and black pepper
Ingredients
The Salad
- 1 headromaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 small headbutter lettuce, torn into pieces
- 1½–2 cupscrab meat (real crab if possible, imitation works too)
- 1 cupcherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cupcucumber, sliced or diced
- ½red pepper, very thinly sliced
- ¼ smallred onion, very thinly sliced
- 1avocado, diced (optional but highly recommended)
- 2 tbspfresh parsley or dill, chopped
- fresh cracked black pepper
Light Lemon Herb Vinaigrette
- ⅓ cupolive oil
- 2 tbspfresh lemon juice
- 1 tbspwhite wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 1 tspDijon mustard
- 1 tsphoney or maple syrup
- 1 small clovegarlic, finely grated
- to tastesalt and black pepper
Instructions
Prepare the Salad
- 1
In a large serving bowl, layer the romaine, butter lettuce, crab meat, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, red onion, avocado, and fresh herbs.
Make the Dressing
- 1
In a small bowl or mason jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper until fully combined.
Toss & Serve
- 1
Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad just before serving and toss gently.
- 2
Finish with fresh cracked pepper and extra herbs if desired.
Melissa's Notes
Butter lettuce adds a soft texture that pairs beautifully with the crab. Fresh dill works especially well with seafood in this salad. Avocado adds extra creaminess without making the salad heavy. Chill the salad ingredients beforehand for the freshest flavour. Serve with warm crusty bread for an easy summer lunch or light dinner.
Nutrition Information
Per serving — based on 4 servings
Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary depending on the ingredients and brands used.
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