This shrimp pasta salad features a creamy dressing and lots of freshness and crunch from celery and cucumbers. It is a perfect side dish for gatherings. I also like to serve it as a main dish at lunch time. Either way, it is simple to make are really delicious.
Summer and pasta salads go hand in hand. There are so many different flavor combinations, you can make them every week and never grow tired of them.
I like to make one for a side dish on Sunday. Then, I bring the leftovers to work for lunch during the week.
This shrimp salad is perfect for that. The creamy dressing is based off of the flavors I love in shrimp salad.
The dill and lemon juice are so good with shrimp. The mayonnaise gives it richness and sour cream (or greek yogurt) lightens it up a bit so it isn’t too much.
I love adding celery and cucumber with just a bit of onion. A lot of recipes include diced bell pepper instead of the cucumber.
Raw pepper isn’t my favorite, so I prefer the cucumber. You could use either or both.
If you want more veggies in the mix, some peas would be good as well. For more protein, add in a few diced hard boiled eggs.
I used a protein pasta for this batch. It adds protein and fiber without any extra effort. You can use your favorite kind of pasta.
Email Me The Link
I'll email this post to you, so you can easily find it later. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
Like most pasta salads, this recipe is very forgiving. So, feel free to use it as a starting point and customize it to your liking.
Carlee’s Tips and Tricks
As with any salad with a mayo dressing, you want to minimize the amount of time this salad stays out of the fridge. If it needs to be out for an extended period of time for serving, nestle the bowl of pasta salad in a bowl of ice to help keep it cold.
If you can’t find small shrimp, use larger ones but chop them into smaller pieces so there is more to go around.
You don’t have to worry about defrosting the shrimp before adding them. They will defrost during the chill time.
Old Bay fanatics can use that instead of the dill. Just start with a teaspoon or two and taste it before adding more.
When making pasta salad, I like to rinse the al dente pasta with cold water. It stops the cooking, removes excess starch, and helps to cool it down so you can add it to the salad faster.
Ok, that should do it. Now, let’s get to the recipe!
Shrimp Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ¾ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoons dried dill
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- ½ cup finely diced onion
- 12 ounces frozen salad shrimp cooked and peeled
- optional: hard boiled eggs, diced bell pepper, or peas
Instructions
- Cook 12 ounces pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water.
- While the pasta is cooking, combine 1 cup mayonnaise, ¾ cup sour cream, ¼ cup lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 Tablespoons dried dill, and 2 teaspoons granulated sugar in a large bowl.
- Add 1 cup diced celery, 1 cup diced cucumber, ½ cup finely diced onion, and 12 ounces frozen salad shrimp.
- When the pasta is done, add to the bowl with the rest of the salad. Toss to coat.
- Cover and chill at least 1 hour before serving.
- Store leftover in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Email Me The Link
I’ll email this post to you, so you can easily find it later. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
Did you try this recipe?
Don’t forget to leave a rating below and make sure to follow on Pinterest and Instagram for more!
Popular Chicken Recipes
Get social!
Recipes in your inbox
