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Home Recipes By Type Salads

Shrimp Louie

Shrimp Louie is a filling and satisfying salad topped with seafood, eggs, avocado, and a delicious homemade creamy dressing.
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By: Diana Last updated on December 3, 2024

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

a salad of avocado, eggs, and shrimp. Text overlay says "shrimp louie salad"

A filling and satisfying salad topped with seafood, eggs, avocado, and a delicious homemade dressing, Shrimp Louie makes a wonderful lunch or a light dinner.

It’s super flavorful, packed with protein, and so, so tasty!

Shrimp Louie Salad is a large platter of salad with shrimp, capers, homemade dressing, egg, and avocado.


What is Shrimp Louie Salad?

Shrimp Louie is a variation of the also delicious Crab Louie, which is a cold seafood salad thought to have originated in San Franciso, California sometime in the early 1900s.

While Shrimp Louie and Crab Louie can still sometimes be found on west coast restaurant menus, this old-fashioned salad is a rarity in other areas.

Luckily, it’s easy to make this wonderful salad, topped with sauteed shrimp, hard-boiled eggs, capers, and a sweet and savory homemade Louie dressing.

If you need more filling shrimp salad recipes, make sure to try my Shrimp Cobb Salad and Shrimp Caesar Salad as well!

freshly made shrimp louie salad with capers and dressing.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  1. A Satisfying Salad – Adding protein to fresh veggies is the best way to turn a salad into a full and filling meal. Shrimp Louie includes shrimp, and eggs, plus avocado for those healthy fats that will make you feel happy and full.
  2. A Classic Recipe – There are thousands of ways to make a salad, but sometimes it’s best to stick with what has worked for years and years. Shrimp Louie, Nicoise Salad, and the classic Waldorf Salad are all great examples of this.
  3. Versatile Recipe – Feel free to add or replace ingredients in this salad based on what you and your family enjoy. Substitutions are easy and welcome!

Key Ingredients for Shrimp Louie

Here’s what you need to make this amazing shrimp salad recipe:

The ingredients needed to make shrimp louie
  • Shrimp: You can use any size of shrimp to make this salad. I’m using 31-40 count or large shrimp. Medium or Jumbo shrimp work just as well. Buy uncooked shrimp, and be sure that they are peeled and deveined before you start.
  • Eggs: Hard boil 4 eggs for this salad. I suggest steaming the eggs so that they are super easy to peel.
  • Cajun Seasoning: To make the shrimp flavorful and a bit spicy. If you prefer a less spicy salad, use just smoked paprika instead.
  • Salad Veggies: Romaine lettuce, sweet cherry tomatoes, and 1 ripe avocado.
  • Capers: The acidity of these little pickled buds goes so well with seafood.
  • Louie Salad Dressing: This dressing is similar to Thousand Island, with a base of mayonnaise and ketchup.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How To Make Shrimp Louie Salad

The ingredients for Shrimp louie dressing in a bowl with a whisk
Shrimp louie dressing

To Make the Louie Dressing

  1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, sour cream, lemon juice, white vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, honey, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
  2. Mix well, then cover and refrigerate for at least an hour for the flavors to develop and meld.

To Cook the Shrimp

A non-stick frying han holding seasoned shrimp and oil.
pan seared shrimp in a non-stick skillet
  1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp to the skillet, season with salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning, and sauté.
  2. Cook the shrimp for 3-5 minutes, or until the shrimp turns pink and is cooked through, but avoid overcooking it. Remove the shrimp to a bowl and set aside.

To Assemble the Salad

A platter of romaine lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes, and sliced avocado
Hard boiled eggs and shrimp with capers on a salad.
  1. Using a large salad bowl or a platter, lay out the chopped romaine lettuce.
  2. Top the lettuce with halved cherry tomatoes, avocado slices, and hard-boiled eggs.
  3. Finally, add the cooked shrimp. Sprinkle with capers, and drizzle the chilled Louie dressing on top.
homemade dressing poured over shrimp louie salad

Tip!

If you prefer, serve the dressing on the side. This way everyone can have exactly the amount of salad dressing that they want!

Recipe Tips

  • Choose your spice level: I used Slap Ya Mamma cajun seasoning, and it’s quite spicy! Other cajun seasonings may be less spicy, or skip the seasoning and just use a bit of smoked paprika for no heat at all.
  • Be careful not to overcook the shrimp. Remove them from the skillet as soon as they are done, otherwise, they will continue to cook while you finish assembling the salad.
  • Chill the dressing. Try to plan ahead so that the dressing has at least an hour to chill in the fridge. The flavors are so much better this way!
  • If you need a shortcut, serve shrimp louie salad with your favorite bottled thousand island dressing. Although, the homemade dressing is so much more delicious!
  • Use leftover Louie dressing as a dipping sauce for shrimp, crab, or lobster.
  • Other ingredients to add to Shrimp Louie include crab meat, blanched asparagus or green beans, olives, red onion, or radishes.
  • Instead of shrimp, try this salad with poached chicken or poached salmon!
a large shrimp louie salad, viewed from overhead

Storing Tips

It’s best to enjoy this salad right after making it.

If needed, you can prepare the dressing, the eggs, and the veggies up to a day ahead of time.

Before serving, cook the shrimp fresh. I also suggest waiting to slice the avocado until serving so that it doesn’t turn brown.

Serving Suggestions

Shrimp Louie Salad is usually served as the main course and is acceptable as a lunch or light dinner.

You could also serve smaller portions of this salad as a side or appetizer too.

Try Shrimp Louie with a basket of homemade breadsticks on the side, or with your favorite soup.

Recipe FAQs

What can I use instead of capers?

Your favorite olives in vinegar can be used in place of the capers. You can also leave them out if you aren’t a fan. Shrimp Louie will still be wonderful without capers!

How can I make Crab Louie?

Use this recipe, but replace the shrimp with the same amount of cooked lump crab meat. This salad is also delicious with both shrimp and crab!

What dressing is similar to Louie dressing?

Thousand Island dressing is very similar to Louie dressing. You can use either in this salad.

How do you know when shrimp are cooked?

Shrimp cooks extremely quickly, so be sure to keep a close eye on it! When it’s fully cooked you’ll see that the color changes from gray to pink and the shrimp will firm up. Remove it from the pan at this point so that it doesn’t overcook and turn rubbery.

More Easy Salad Recipes

Big Mac Salad

Chef Salad

Seven Layer Salad

Buffalo Chicken Salad

All Salads →

This classic recipe for Shrimp Louie Salad is so filling and delicious! Serve it for lunch, or enjoy it as a light dinner. Pin the recipe to save it for later too!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe
Shrimp Louie Salad is a large platter of salad with shrimp, capers, homemade dressing, egg, and avocado.
5 from 21 votes
(Click stars to rate!)

Shrimp Louie

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 5 minutes mins
Chilling Time: 1 hour hr
Total Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Author: Diana
Print Rate Recipe
Shrimp Louie is a filling and satisfying salad topped with seafood, eggs, avocado, and a delicious homemade creamy dressing.
6 Servings
Shrimp Louie is a filling and satisfying salad topped with seafood, eggs, avocado, and a delicious homemade creamy dressing.

Equipment

  • 12-inch non stick skillet
  • Large Salad Bowl
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Whisk

Ingredients 

Louie Dressing:

  • ½ cup (120 ml) mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) ketchup
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar if you prefer
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Shrimp:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (not extra virgin), or avocado oil
  • 1 pound (450 g) raw shrimp (after peeling), peeled and deveined, any size (I used 31-40 per lb)
  • ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning or smoked paprika
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Salad Assembly:

  • 4 hard-boiled eggs peeled and quartered
  • 1 heart romaine lettuce washed and chopped
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 avocado sliced
  • 2 tablespoons capers

Instructions 

For the Louie Dressing:

  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, honey, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
  • Chill the dressing in the fridge for at least an hour. Chilling is strongly recommended to allow the flavors to meld. Taste the dressing, and adjust seasonings to your preference (if needed)

For the Shrimp:

  • Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp to the skillet, season with salt, cajun seasoning (if using), and black pepper and sauté until it turns pink and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes depending on shrimp size. Do not overcook the shrimp. Remove onto a bowl.

Salad Assembly:

  • In a large salad bowl, lay out the chopped romaine lettuce.
  • Top with sautéed shrimp, cherry tomatoes, avocado slices, and hard-boiled eggs.
  • Sprinkle with capers. Serve with the chilled Louie dressing on the side or drizzled on top.

Notes:

  • Choose your spice level: I used Slap Ya Mamma cajun seasoning, and it’s quite spicy! Other cajun seasonings may be less spicy, or skip the seasoning and just use a bit of smoked paprika for no heat at all.
  • Be careful not to overcook the shrimp. Remove them from the skillet as soon as they are done, otherwise, they will continue to cook while you finish assembling the salad.
  • Chill the dressing. Try to plan ahead so that the dressing has at least an hour to chill in the fridge. The flavors are so much better this way!
  • If you need a shortcut, serve shrimp louie salad with your favorite bottled thousand island dressing. Although, the homemade dressing is so much more delicious!
  • Other ingredients to add to Shrimp Louie include crab meat, blanched asparagus or green beans, olives, red onion, or radishes.
  • Instead of shrimp, try this salad with poached chicken or poached salmon.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 349kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Cholesterol: 233mg, Sodium: 922mg, Potassium: 396mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 761IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 80mg, Iron: 1mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Little Sunny Kitchen

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  1. Toni says

    Posted on 9/12/23 at 16:29

    5 stars
    Such a really amazing recipe! Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply
    • Little Sunny Kitchen says

      Posted on 9/13/23 at 01:27

      You’re welcome, Toni! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  2. Jessica says

    Posted on 9/5/23 at 05:27

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness! I made this for dinner and everyone raved about it! So good.

    Reply
    • Little Sunny Kitchen says

      Posted on 9/6/23 at 01:26

      That’s so great to hear, Jessica! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
  3. Sharina says

    Posted on 9/1/23 at 12:36

    5 stars
    My first time making this shrimp louie and I can’t ask for more! It was packed with flavors and filled with my fave seafood and dressing.

    Reply
    • Little Sunny Kitchen says

      Posted on 9/2/23 at 01:26

      I’m so happy you loved it, Sharina! Thank you for the kind review!

      Reply

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