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A refreshing and elegant salad featuring sweet lump crab meat, crisp lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, and fresh vegetables, all brought together with a creamy, tangy homemade Louie dressing. This is a true California classic, perfect for a special lunch or light dinner.
Prepare the Louie Dressing
Cook Eggs and Asparagus
Prepare Salad Components
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A refreshing and elegant salad featuring sweet lump crab meat, crisp lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, and fresh vegetables, all brought together with a creamy, tangy homemade Louie dressing. This is a true California classic, perfect for a special lunch or light dinner.
This california recipe takes 32 minutes to prepare and yields 4 servings. At 665.29 calories per serving with 33.35g of protein, it's a beginner-friendly recipe perfect for lunch or dinner.
Assemble and Serve
Substitute the crab meat with an equal amount of cooked, chilled large shrimp to make a classic Shrimp Louie. Cooked lobster or even grilled chicken can also be used.
Add one sliced avocado to the salad for extra creaminess and healthy fats. Arrange the slices alongside the other vegetables.
For a spicier kick, add 1-2 teaspoons of sriracha, a pinch of cayenne pepper, or 1 teaspoon of prepared horseradish to the Louie dressing.
Instead of romaine, use a base of iceberg lettuce for a more traditional crunch, or a mix of butter lettuce and arugula for a more complex flavor.
Both crab meat and eggs are packed with high-quality protein, which is essential for muscle repair, immune function, and feeling full and satisfied after a meal.
The variety of fresh vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, and asparagus provides essential vitamins such as Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and folate, as well as important minerals and antioxidants.
Crab meat is a good source of phosphorus and contains some calcium, both of which are crucial minerals for building and maintaining strong bones and teeth.
Crab meat provides beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to support heart health by reducing inflammation and improving cholesterol levels.
Crab Louie can be a very healthy meal. It's packed with lean protein from the crab and eggs, and loaded with vitamins and fiber from the fresh vegetables. The main consideration is the dressing, which is mayonnaise-based and can be high in calories and fat. To make it healthier, you can use a light mayonnaise, an avocado oil-based mayonnaise, or simply use less dressing.
A typical serving of Crab Louie can range from 450 to 650 calories, largely depending on the amount and type of dressing used. The salad itself is relatively low in calories, but the creamy Louie dressing contributes significantly to the total count.
Fresh Dungeness crab is the traditional and ideal choice for an authentic Crab Louie. However, high-quality pasteurized lump crab meat is an excellent and more widely available alternative. Avoid imitation crab for the best flavor and texture.
You can prepare all the components ahead of time. The dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance, and the eggs and asparagus can be cooked and chilled a day ahead. However, for the best results, assemble the salad just before serving to prevent the lettuce from becoming soggy.
If you don't have chili sauce, you can substitute it with ketchup and add a small pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce for a little kick. For a less sweet version, use tomato puree with a splash of vinegar and a pinch of sugar.