Crab and Avocado Salad
This easy salad combines simply dressed crab with crunchy lettuce and croutons, juicy tomatoes, and creamy avocados—perfect for a summer table.
Ingredients
1 lb lump crabmeat
½ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup lemon juice
1 bunch chives, chopped
2 romaine hearts
2 cups croutons
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Hass avocados
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Start by making the dressing for the crab. Traditionally this is mostly mayonnaise, which is heavy and can overwhelm the delicate flavor of the crab. I find that replacing most of the mayonnaise with yogurt results in not only a lighter dish, but a more pleasant flavor. Mix ½ cup plain yogurt with ¼ cup mayonnaise and ¼ cup lemon juice, and mix together until well combined.
When looking for picked crab, go for lump crabmeat or larger. [1] We want detectable pieces of crab in this salad, and picked crab any smaller than lump will disappear into the dressing. Add the crabmeat to the dressing, together with the chopped chives. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, and gently toss the crab pieces in the dressing until well coated.
To assemble the salad, lay a bed of romaine lettuce leaves down in a large serving bowl or platter. Tear any large romaine leaves in two to create lettuce pieces of a more manageable size. Scoop the dressed crab over the romaine leaves, and top the salad with croutons, halved cherry tomatoes, and optional avocado slices. Serve immediately.
Substitutions
You can substitute Boston or iceberg lettuces for the romaine lettuce. Blanched green beans are a great addition to the vegetable component of this salad. Heirloom tomatoes can also be substituted for cherry tomatoes, and lime juice can be substituted for lemon juice. For added umami, add two anchovy fillets to the dressing. To add a bit of spice, sprinkle in some paprika, cayenne pepper, or Old Bay seasoning.
[1] In the United States, picked crabmeat is almost always from the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus). Picked meat is sorted into sizes and sold separately. From smallest to largest, these sizes are: special, backfin, lump, colossal, and jumbo. Claw meat is generally sold separately as well. It should be noted that the exact definitions of these sizes are not regulated, and will vary from brand to brand.
Recipe
Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 0 min Total Time: 10 min
Difficulty: 1/5
Heat Sources: none
Servings: 8
Ingredients
1 lb lump crabmeat
½ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup lemon juice
1 bunch chives, chopped
2 romaine hearts
2 cups croutons
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Hass avocados
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Mix together the yogurt, mayonnaise, and lemon juice to make the dressing.
2. Add the crabmeat and chopped chives to the dressing and mix to combine, seasoning to taste with salt and black pepper.
3. Lay a bed of romaine lettuce leaves in the serving bowl, tearing any larger leaves in half. Scoop the dressed crab over the romaine leaves, and top with croutons, cherry tomatoes, and avocado slices. Serve immediately.
