The Ultimate Crab & Shrimp Louie Salad
Introduction – Why This Salad Is Pure Luxury on a Plate
Behold the majestic Crab & Shrimp Louie (pronounced “LOO-ee”), the undisputed monarch of American seafood salads. Born in the early 1900s on the West Coast, this is not your average lunch salad. This is chilled Dungeness crab meat and sweet bay shrimp luxuriously draped in a tangy, rosy-pink Thousand-Island-style “Louie dressing,” piled high over crisp iceberg lettuce with bright peas, carrots, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, and tomato. It’s cool, creamy, crunchy, and decadent all at once.
Served with a warm, buttery pretzel roll (or classic saltines), it’s the kind of dish that makes people stop talking mid-sentence when they take their first bite. It screams summer, yacht clubs, San Francisco fog, and old-school elegance — yet it’s shockingly easy to make at home.
The Delicious History of the Louie Salad
The Crab Louie originated sometime between 1904 and 1919 in one of three legendary West-Coast establishments:
Solari’s in San Francisco
The Davenport Hotel in Spokane
Or most famously, the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco
Most food historians now credit either Chef Victor Hertzler (St. Francis Hotel) or Louis Coutard of Solari’s. The original was simply fresh Dungeness crab, hard-boiled egg, and a mayonnaise-based dressing served on iceberg lettuce. Over the decades, shrimp was added, the dressing turned pink with chili sauce, and it became the signature dish of Pacific Northwest and California fine dining. It peaked in popularity in the 1930s–1950s and has been experiencing a massive renaissance in the 2020s as people rediscover retro-chic seafood classics.
Health Benefits – Yes, This Decadent Salad Is Actually Good for You
Dungeness crab: extremely high in protein (20 g per 3 oz), low in fat, rich in omega-3s, vitamin B12, zinc, and selenium
Shrimp: lean protein, iodine, and astaxanthin (powerful antioxidant)
Iceberg lettuce: surprisingly high water content and fiber
Eggs & avocado: healthy fats and complete protein
Peas & carrots: fiber, vitamins A, C, K
Homemade dressing means you control the sugar and use quality ingredients
A full plate clocks in around 550-650 calories but delivers 40+ grams of protein and a rainbow of micronutrients.
The Full Restaurant-Quality Recipe
Serves 4 as a main course | Prep time: 40 min | Chill time: 30 min
Ingredients
For the Classic Louie Dressing (makes ~2½ cups – keeps 1 week)
1½ cups (360 g) high-quality mayonnaise (Duke’s or Best Foods/Hellmann’s)
½ cup (120 g) Heinz chili sauce (or ketchup + 1 tsp hot sauce)
¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp finely minced dill pickle or sweet pickle relish
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp prepared horseradish (more if you like bite)
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt & fresh cracked black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh chives (added just before serving)
For the Salad
- 1 large head iceberg lettuce, core removed, cut into 8 wedges
- 1 lb (450 g) fresh Dungeness crab meat (cooked, picked over) OR best-quality lump crab
- ¾ lb (340 g) cooked bay shrimp (salad shrimp) or larger shrimp, halved
- 4 large eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, and quartered
- 2 ripe avocados, sliced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed (do NOT cook – they stay bright green)
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- ¼ small red onion, very thinly sliced (soaked in ice water 10 min to mellow)
- 4 warm pretzel rolls or crusty sourdough for serving
- Lemon wedges and extra chives for garnish
Three Professional Methods
Method 1 – The Classic Plated Presentation (Restaurant Style)
- Make the dressing 30-60 minutes ahead so flavors meld. Whisk all ingredients except chives. Taste and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate.
- Arrange the base: Place two iceberg wedges on each chilled large plate, slightly overlapping.
- Create the “snowcap”: In a large bowl, gently fold together crab meat, shrimp, thawed peas, shredded carrot, and drained red onion with 1 cup of the Louie dressing — just enough to coat everything lightly.
- Mound a generous 1½–2 cups of the seafood mixture on top of the iceberg wedges so it looks like a snowy mountain.
- Decorate like a jewel box: Arrange egg quarters, avocado slices, cucumber ribbons, and cherry tomatoes around the base.
- Drizzle extra Louie dressing in artistic zig-zags over everything.
- Finish with a heavy shower of fresh chives and a few cracks of black pepper.
- Serve immediately with warm pretzel rolls and extra dressing on the side.
Method 2 – Deconstructed Louie (Modern Fine-Dining Style)
- Serve the dressing in a small pitcher.
- Arrange all components separately on a large board or platter so guests build their own perfect bite.
- Looks stunning for parties.
Method 3 – Louie Stuffed Avocados (Low-Carb / Keto Version)
- Halve avocados, remove pit.
- Fill each half with the crab-shrimp mixture.
- Serve two halves per person with extra veggies on the side.
Formation & Pro Presentation Tips
- Chill your plates in the freezer for 15 minutes before plating — keeps everything cold and crisp.
- The classic “snowcap” look is essential: the seafood mixture should be piled high in the center.
- Use only the inner pale leaves of iceberg for maximum crunch and visual appeal.
- Soak red onion slices in ice water to remove sharpness.
- Add the chives at the very last second — they wilt fast.
Nutritional Information (per serving – ¼ of recipe)
- Calories: 620
- Protein: 44 g
- Fat: 42 g (mostly healthy fats from seafood & avocado)
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Vitamin B12: >300% DV
- Vitamin C: 60% DV
- Selenium: 120% DV
- Zinc: 80% DV
Who Are the True Lovers of Crab & Shrimp Louie?
- West-Coast natives who grew up eating this at Fisherman’s Wharf
- People who believe mayonnaise-based salads are a love language
- Anyone who orders the most expensive thing on a seafood restaurant menu
- Retro food enthusiasts and Mad Men fans
- Yacht club members and country club brunch crowds
- Keto and low-carb eaters looking for something that doesn’t taste like “diet food”
- Anyone who thinks salad should feel like a celebration
Conclusion – Part One
The Crab & Shrimp Louie isn’t just a salad. It’s a time machine to an era when lunch was an event, when fresh seafood was king, and when dressing could (and should) be pink. One perfect bite delivers chilled crab sweetness, creamy-tangy dressing, crisp lettuce, and that buttery pretzel roll for dipping — it’s pure coastal bliss.
Final Conclusion – Part Two
Make this once, and you’ll understand why old-school San Francisco chefs still argue over who invented it. Make it twice, and it will become your signature “company’s coming” dish. Serve it on a sunny patio with chilled white wine or sparkling rosé, and watch your guests fight over the last spoonful of dressing.
This is more than a recipe.
This is West-Coast royalty on a plate.