Imitation Crab Seafood Salad

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Imitation Crab Salad Recipe. © 2008 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
  • 10 mins
  • Prep: 10 mins,
  • Cook: 0 mins
  • Yield: 3 cups
Ratings (50)

By Peggy Trowbridge Filippone

Updated 09/21/17

Imitation crab (also known as surimi) is made from fish so it is a good choice for those who cannot eat shellfish. It is delicious mixed into a creamy cold salad. Most supermarkets have a small fresh seafood section where you can buy imitation crab salad in just the amount you need. You can also find it packaged in the refrigerated food case. However, it is much cheaper to make it yourself, and you can adjust the flavors and ingredients as you like.

Place a scoop of this seafood salad in an avocado half for an impressive and beautiful lunch or light dinner--perfect on a hot summer night. You can also simply serve imitation crab salad on a bed of lettuce, on a sandwich in lieu of tuna fish, as a chunky dip with vegetables or as an appetizer spread on crackers. 

What You'll Need

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickle
  • 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
  • 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon white pepper, or to taste
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon chopped chives
  • 1/2 pound imitation crab (surimi - see Note, below), chopped

How to Make It

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together sweet onion, celery, dill pickle, sweet pickle relish, dill weed,  salt, white pepper, mayonnaise, yellow mustard and chives until combined.
  2. Toss in chopped imitation crab at the end because it has a stringy texture and may fall apart in the salad if over-mixed. Feel free to substitute freshly-cooked crab, lobster or cooked shrimp for the imitation crab if you wish. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

     

    A Note About Imitation Crab

    Imitation crab is made from surimi, or Asian fish paste, and is often known as Krab in the U.S. and sold in chunks or sticks. It generally is made from pollock whitefish. The fish is first skinned and boned and then minced. The minced pollock is rinsed and flavored before being formed into the fish paste known as surimi. The finished surimi is shaped into chunks or tubes and cut into blocks or sticks. It is cooked to give it a texture closer to real crab meat and is coated with a reddish food coloring to give it a pink tint like real crab. It is a good choice for those who are unable to eat shellfish. 

    Imitation crab or surimi has less protein and potassium and more sodium than real crab, but it has less cholesterol and carbohydrates.

    Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
    Calories 753
    Total Fat 45 g
    Saturated Fat 7 g
    Unsaturated Fat 10 g
    Cholesterol 191 mg
    Sodium 3,468 mg
    Carbohydrates 36 g
    Dietary Fiber 4 g
    Protein 51 g
    (The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)