Creamy Shrimp Salad with Red Onion, Dill, and Chili

Headnote

This is a cold shrimp salad of disciplined richness and clean heat. The dressing is deliberately restrained so the sweetness of the shrimp remains central, while red onion, dill, and chili sharpen the finish. It should eat with clarity: creamy, bright, and lightly piquant, never heavy.

Recipe essentials

Dish category: Salad

Cuisine or origin: Modern European

Course type: Starter

Yield: 1 serving

Serving size: 360 g

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Equipment

Medium saucepan

Mixing bowl

Fine strainer

Chef’s knife

Cutting board

Spoon

Serving plate or shallow bowl

Ingredients

Shrimp salad

Shrimp, peeled and deveined: 250 g

Red onion, finely sliced: 25 g

Dill, finely chopped: 8 g

Red chili, finely sliced and deseeded if needed: 5 g

Dressing

Mayonnaise: 45 g

Sour cream: 20 g

Lemon juice: 7 g

Fine salt: 0 g

Method

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a gentle simmer. Add the shrimp and poach for 2 to 3 minutes, just until they turn opaque and firm at the edges. Drain immediately and spread on a tray or plate to cool for 5 minutes; the flesh should remain plump and tender, not tight.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, and lemon juice. Stir until smooth and lightly glossy. The dressing should be thick enough to coat the shrimp without pooling.

3. Add the red onion, dill, and red chili to the dressing and mix briefly to distribute evenly.

4. Fold in the cooled shrimp with a spoon, turning carefully for 20 to 30 seconds until every piece is evenly coated. The salad should look creamy and composed, with the shrimp intact and the herbs evenly suspended.

5. Taste and adjust only if necessary with additional lemon juice from the same ingredient allowance, keeping the balance bright and clean. Chill for 5 minutes if the mixture feels too loose.

Plating and serving

Arrange the salad in a shallow bowl or on a chilled plate in a neat mound. Spoon any remaining dressing lightly around the base, not over the top, so the shrimp remain visible. Finish with a few strands of dill and slivers of chili distributed with precision.

Professional notes

Use shrimp of even size so the poaching is uniform. Cool them before dressing to preserve the emulsion and prevent the mayonnaise from thinning. The onion should remain crisp and the chili present only as a clear, controlled heat.