Crab salad is easily the best side dish ever. It is so fresh and versatile. Crab salad pairs well with just about everything! From poultry to a filet mignon, crab salad dresses up the plate and is the perfect cold salad on the side.

When I say crab salad is versatile, I really mean it! As with other salad recipes, you can add and subtract whatever ingredients your heart desires. So if you’re craving a more satisfying crab salad, you can add bowtie pasta into it, and perhaps some grated Parmesan. If you want a side dish on the lighter side, omit the pasta, and add some favorite vegetables instead. Dress it up with a light mayo!

Today’s easy crab salad recipe is both fresh and savory; not too light, yet not heavy either – delivering the best of both worlds! We get a delicious crunch from the celery, and a tangy garden freshness from the dill.

For the “crab” we’ll be using imitation crab, or crab sticks. It is much more affordable than real crab meat, but tastes amazing. Imitation crab is commonly used in sushi such as the California roll.

What is imitation crab meat made of? The main ingredient in imitation crab is surimi. Surimi is a fish paste made from white fish, usually pollock. Other additives include egg whites, sugar, starch, and crab flavoring.

With the ingredients pulverized together, the crab sticks now resemble snow crab and Japanese spider crab leg meat.

I don’t like to complicate things, and sometimes less is more. And when a crab salad tastes this good, why complicate it and add more ingredients? You only need a handful of flavors to make this easy and delicious crab salad!

What You Need:

16 oz Transocean flake style imitation crab

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped dill

1/4 cup mayonnaise

Salt

Black pepper

Instructions:

Isn’t that a tiny list of ingredients?! Chances are, you have most of those items in your pantry already.

I prefer to grate the imitation crab meat because I can control how many fine pieces I get, and also include some chunks as well. My favorite store bought crab salads always have that variation in texture, and it’s so good!

Image: ThingsandWays

Add the crab meat into a bowl. Cut off ends of the celery stalks and wash the celery. Chop the celery and add to the crab meat. Wash the dill, chop finely, and add to the bowl. Scoop mayo in, and fold into the salad. Now add salt and pepper sauce to taste, and chill crab salad in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy!