Bright, crisp, and easily assembled, Grand Central Oyster Bar Shrimp Salad is a perfect summery meal. You can make the dressing ahead of time, bring the ingredients to a party, and then combine it on the spot. It’s great for a hot day, because there’s very little cooking and it comes together in under 15 minutes. It’s similar to Crab Louis sauce, but a bit tangier, and without any cream.
This recipe makes me a bit nostalgic. When he was young, my dad was a bit of a creature of food habit. He was working in midtown New York City, and would go and get this salad from the Grand Central Oyster Bar (go check it out, it’s still there, and make sure to look up at the Guastavino ceiling tiles). Dad didn’t cook much, but he really liked this salad, and the chef made the dressing right at the counter. So, dad watched carefully, until he could replicate it at home.
I had the recipe, but without any measurements, so it took a bit of trial and error to get it right, and cut it down for one serving. But, it was worth it. And, since frozen shrimp were on sale at my local market recently, I pounced!
Shrimp Salad Grand Central Oyster Bar
Grand Central Oyster Bar shrimp salad with veggies and a tangy dressing. Ready in fifteen minutes.
Notes
Grand Central Oyster Bar shrimp salad, replicated for home cooking. Shrimp, veggies, and a tangy dressing come together for a fast, delicious summer salad.
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 2 T canola oil
- 7-8 large shrimp, thawed (run under running water and let sit for two minutes, or thaw overnight in fridge)
Salad
- 1 C spinach or romaine lettuce, torn into pieces
- 1/4 C bell pepper, cut in large dice
- 2 large mushrooms, sliced
- 2 inches of cucumber, cut in large chunks
Dressing
- 1 T ketchup
- 1/2 tsp horseradish
- 1 tsp mayonnaise
- dash Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 dashes Tabasco
- dash lemon juice
- grinding of black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the canola oil in a shallow frying pan.
- Add the shrimp and cook on medium-low, about 2 minutes per side.
- Remove shrimp from pan and let cool while you assemble the salad and make the dressing.
- Cut up the veggies, and add to a medium size serving bowl.
- Combine all the dressing ingredients in a smaller bowl.
- Add the shrimp to the serving bowl and pour the dressing on top.
Substitutions and Variations for Grand Central Oyster Bar Shrimp Salad
- Skip the shrimp and pour the dressing over a chef salad
- Use the dressing on hard boiled eggs
- Swap out the spinach for romaine lettuce
- Add tomatoes
More 15 Minute Summer Salad Recipes
Panzanella SaladTransform day-old bread into this easy summer salad. Add tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, or zucchini. Or, bump it up to a heartier meal with hard boiled eggs or canned tuna.
Mediterranean Cucumber Feta Tomato Salad
Versatile and easy, depending on your choices, this requires no cooking at all. Perfect for a sticky, summer day.
Canned Salmon Salad with Lime Vinaigrette
No cooking and no stove. Just open a can, pick your favorite veggies out of your fridge, and make an easy dressing. Done in minutes.
Apple Almond Chicken SaladStart with leftover chicken, or a rotisserie bird from the store. Full of flavor and crunch from crisp apples, almonds, and sour cream.