Skip to main content

Sweet and Sour Crab Salad

4.3

(7)

A slightly tart dressing and a perfectly crisp-sweet cucumber salad are wonderful foils for rich, meaty chunks of crab.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    30 min

  • Yield

    Makes 4 to 6 (first course) servings

Ingredients

For dressing:

1/2 cup rice-wine vinegar (not seasoned)
2 tablespoon sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes

For salad:

1/2 seedless cucumber
1 pound king crab legs, thawed if frozen
1/2 pound Napa cabbage, cored and thinly sliced (4 cups)
1/3 cup torn basil leaves
1/3 cup torn mint leaves
1/3 cup torn cilantro leaves

Equipment:

an adjustable-blade slicer fitted with 1/4-inch julienne blade

Preparation

  1. Make dressing:

    Step 1

    Bring vinegar and sugar to a boil in a small nonreactive saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in garlic, red-pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cool to room temperature

  2. Make salad while dressing cools:

    Step 2

    Using slicer, cut cucumber lengthwise into long julienne strips, slicing until you reach core, then rotate cucumber a quarter turn and continue slicing and rotating until left with nothing but core. Discard core and pat cucumber strips dry.

    Step 3

    Cut through crab shells with kitchen shears. Remove and coarsely shred meat.

    Step 4

    Toss crabmeat with cucumber, remaining ingredients, dressing, and salt to taste.

Read More
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
The golden, crunchy corners are worth fighting over.
Not stuffed shells. But not not stuffed shells either.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Like spicy carrot rigatoni and weeknight-fancy ravioli with peas.
A veg-forward main or gets-along-with-everyone side.
Filberts, goobers, scaly bark nuts: Explore the world beyond almonds in this guide.
The most efficient method takes less than an hour, but you might not even need it.