Crab Louis (Louie) Salad

Although the exact origins of Crab Louis are somewhat unclear, most will agree that the recipe originated somewhere on the West Coast in the early 1900s. The salad is typically comprised of Dungeness crab (although that's not what we used), romaine lettuce, hard-cooked eggs, steamed asparagus and tomato wedges, then topped with a Thousand Island-style dressing and a sprinkling of chopped chives.

Crab Louis (Louie) Salad

Crab Louis (Louie) Salad

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

A vintage American salad recipe made with crab, romaine lettuce, hard-cooked eggs, asparagus, tomatoes and a creamy Thousand Island-style dressing.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb quality crabmeat (we used jumbo lump)
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 hearts of romaine lettuce (3/4 to 1 lb)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
  • 4 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
  • 2 medium tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
  • 1 English cucumber, peeled and sliced
  • 4 lemon wedges
  • 12 spears asparagus, steamed until tender

For the dressing:

  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons horseradish
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons sweet onion, very finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, very finely chopped
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Prepare the dressing first. In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, vinegar, mayonnaise and vegetable oil.
  2. Continue whisking until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in the onion and garlic. Season to taste with black pepper and divide the dressing between 4 small bowls for serving.
  3. Place the crabmeat in a bowl and check thoroughly for any bits of shell that might remain. Add the lemon juice and a few grinds of black pepper. Toss to combine and set aside.
  4. Remove 16 of the outermost leaves from the romaine, wash and pat dry. Arrange four of these leaves in a spoke pattern on each of four plates. Wash and dry the remaining lettuce, chop roughly and mound it in the center of each plate. Top with crabmeat and sprinkle with chives.
  5. Arrange the egg slices, tomato wedges, cucumber and asparagus spears around the edges of the plate. Serve with dressing and a lemon wedge.
© Lynne Webb
Category: Salads