Light Shrimp Pasta Salad Recipe

Light Shrimp Pasta Salad Recipe

My parents visited this weekend, and I wanted to make one of my dad’s favorite meals. He hasn’t had it in a while since he’s been trying to eat lighter, so I decided to create a healthier version for him. 

During the holidays, my mom always makes shrimp salad for my dad. Her recipe typically includes two packages of macaroni, 1 cup of celery, 2 cups of mayonnaise, and 1 pound of cooked shrimp. I wanted to lighten it up, so I got creative. Knowing my dad loves cucumbers and tomatoes, I added them to bulk up the salad instead of using an extra bag of pasta. I also swapped the regular pasta for whole wheat organic pasta with a high fiber content. Instead of real mayonnaise, I found a vegan version that tasted like real—my dad couldn’t tell the difference! You could also use an avocado oil-based mayonnaise. 

He fell in love with the dish at first bite. He enjoyed the new textures and flavors from the fresh vegetables and the vegan “nayo.”

Safe to say, I earned some serious brownie points with this recipe!

Ingredients:

-1/2 Jar of Vegan Nayonnaise
-1 Large Cucumber
-1 Package Whole Wheat Elbows
-1 Pound Cooked Shrimp
-2 Large Tomatoes
-1 Cup chopped celery

-Peel and dice cucumber.
-Dice tomatoes
-Cut shrimp into pieces
-Chop up Celery

-Cook pasta noodles, drain them under cold water, and chill them in the refrigerator for thirty minutes.

-Add Nayonnaise to pasta and combine.

-Chill for another 20 minutes in the refrigerator.

-Mix in shrimp

-Add cucumbers

Mix in cucumbers and celery.

-Add tomatoes last. Drain the juices before adding to the salad, or it will be runny,

Lightly mix it all. Top with pepper and salt for extra taste. Chill in the refrigerator for half an hour before serving. It will be the party’s favorite!

I hope you love this healthier shrimp salad pasta recipe!