Turn a humble crab stick into a delicious imitation crab salad using only a few vegetables and simple pantry ingredients. I've got 2 versions to share today, but once you've got the basic recipe you can chop and change to your heart's content.
I love the taste and texture of those imitation crab sticks you can pick up for next to nothing in the supermarket. I often serve them as a side dish with a bowl of Marie Rose dipping sauce when I'm serving a meal of cold meats and salads.
And today I'm going to show you how I use them to make a delicious pasta salad and a quick and easy appetiser that doubles as a tasty sandwich filling too.
The main image on this post is for an imitation crab pasta salad which I've made with orzo pasta, also known as rice noodles. For this salad, I've added finely chopped red peppers (or capsicums) and spring onions to the crab sticks.
The dressing is made with avocado pear, mashed and mixed with Greek yoghurt and a dash of tomato ketchup. The result is a creamy dressing that pairs so well with the imitation crab and coats the orzo pasta perfectly.
Now you might think that tomato ketchup is a strange ingredient to add to Greek yoghurt. But please trust me on this one! Think of guacamole - that has tomatoes in it - and just a tablespoon of ketchup is all you will need. The sweetness of the ketchup combined with the avocado flavour in the sauce takes this dressing to a whole new level.
The second dish is my imitation crab salad starter (which also makes an amazing sandwich filling). There is no pasta in this dish, instead, the crab sticks are mixed with finely chopped spring onions and celery and combined in a tangy Marie Rose sauce. I like to serve this on a bed of shredded lettuce with a few pieces of homemade Melba toast for a tasty appetiser.
Of course, you can swap out my vegetable suggestions for your own choice.
Let's get on with it!
Jump to:
Imitation crab salad instructions
The first recipe is for crab salad with pasta.
Ingredients
This recipe is sufficient for 6 people as a side dish.
- imitation crab sticks - you can buy these in any supermarket, normally near the fish counter.
- red pepper (or capsicum). The seeds and membrane should be removed and the red pepper should be finely diced.
- spring onions (or green onions) - these should be finely sliced.
- orzo pasta - this is also known as rice noodles. If you prefer you can substitute the orzo for any small pasta shapes.
- avocado - the avocado will be mashed and mixed with the Greek yoghurt and tomato ketchup to form the dressing.
- tomato ketchup - you don't need a large amount - one or two tablespoons will be sufficient. The sweetness of the ketchup cuts through the tartness of the yoghurt, while the tomato flavour complements the avocado.
**You can get the exact ingredient measurements on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**
What to do
Start by cooking the pasta. Follow the instructions on the packet, and once cooked, drain the pasta and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Leave the pasta in a colander to drain.
Step 1: Cut the crab sticks into half-inch lengths and finely slice the spring onions. Remove the seeds and membranes from the red pepper and dice it finely.
Step 2: Mash the avocado pear finely then mix in the yoghurt and the tomato ketchup.
Step 3: Add the drained pasta to the chopped crab sticks and vegetables and pour in the avocado dressing.
Step 4: Mix thoroughly to combine and optionally garnish with chopped parsley or extra spring onions.
Cover the dish and leave it in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat it.
Imitation crab salad starter
The second recipe is for a crab salad starter (without pasta)
Ingredients
This will feed 4 people as a starter.
You only need three main ingredients for the starter itself - imitation crab sticks, celery and spring onion. The celery and spring onion should be finely chopped.
The dressing is made with a combination of mayonnaise and tomato ketchup, with a few drops of Tabasco sauce for a kick of heat, and a teaspoon of dried dill for extra flavour. The Tabasco sauce is optional - leave it out if you don't like the heat.
What to do
Step 1: Slice the crab sticks, celery and spring onions. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
Step 2: Pour the dressing ingredients over the crab sticks and vegetables.
Step 3: Mix thoroughly to combine all the ingredients and chill in the refrigerator until required.
Step 4: Arrange on a bed of lettuce to serve.
This crab salad makes a delicious filling for sandwiches.
Variations
You can vary these recipes in a variety of ways. These suggestions will work for either of the recipes.
Try mixing in one or more of the following:
- a small can of drained whole-kernel corn.
- half a cup of defrosted frozen garden peas or petit pois.
- finely chopped shallot.
- quartered button mushrooms.
- finely chopped pickled beetroot.
- finely chopped pickled gherkins.
- cubed cheddar cheese.
You might also like to combine the crab sticks with a small packet of mini cold water prawns and turn your crab side salad into a complete meal.
A squeeze of lime or lemon juice in the Marie Rose sauce adds a delicious citrus piquancy to the dressing.
To be honest, you are limited only by your imagination!
Equipment
The only equipment you will need will be a sharp knife and a chopping board for cutting up the ingredients and mixing bowls to combine everything.
Storage
Both these dishes can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Crab sticks bought from the supermarket can be safely frozen for up to three months, however once defrosted they should be kept in the refrigerator and consumed within three days.
FAQ
No, imitation crab sticks are pre-cooked and you can eat them straight out of the packet.
No, they are made with minced white fish (most commonly pollock or whiting) and combined with crab flavouring, starch and egg white to provide the texture.
This is food colouring that is applied to mimic the appearance of crab.
Save for later
If you want to try either of these recipes, why not save this post to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click the image below.
Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
Related recipes
Visit my sides and salad recipes page for other tasty salads. Here are few you might enjoy:
📋The recipe
Imitation crab salad
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
Imitation crab salad
- 1 cup / 170 grams uncooked orzo pasta
- 8 ounces / 225 grams imitation crab sticks
- 1 medium red pepper or capsicum cleaned and finely diced
- 2 to 3 spring onions cleaned and finely sliced
- 1 medium ripe avocado
- 1 cup / 240 ml Greek or Natural thick yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
- Salt to taste
Imitation crab starter (no pasta)
- 8 ounces / 225 grams imitation crab sticks
- 2 to 3 spring onions cleaned and finely sliced
- 1 large stalk of celery finely diced (approx ¾ cup)
- ½ cup / 120 ml mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 4 to 5 drops tabasco sauce optional
Instructions
Imitation crab salad
- Cook the pasta in lightly salted water according to the instructions on the packet.1 cup / 170 grams uncooked orzo pasta, Salt
- Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Leave the pasta in a colander to drain.
- Cut the crab sticks into half-inch lengths and finely slice the spring onions. Remove the seeds and membranes from the red pepper and dice it finely. Place them into a serving dish.8 ounces / 225 grams imitation crab sticks, 1 medium red pepper or capsicum, 2 to 3 spring onions
- In a separate bowl, mash the avocado pear finely then mix in the yoghurt and the tomato ketchup.1 medium ripe avocado, 1 cup / 240 ml Greek or Natural thick yoghurt, 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
- Add the drained pasta to the chopped crab sticks and vegetables and pour in the avocado dressing.
- Mix thoroughly to combine and optionally garnish with chopped parsley or extra spring onions.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Imitation crab starter (no pasta)
- Slice the crab sticks, celery and spring onions and place them in a serving dish.8 ounces / 225 grams imitation crab sticks, 2 to 3 spring onions, 1 large stalk of celery
- Combine the dressing ingredients in another small bowl.½ cup / 120 ml mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup, 1 teaspoon dried dill, 4 to 5 drops tabasco sauce
- Pour the dressing ingredients over the crab sticks and vegetables.
- Mix thoroughly to combine all the ingredients and chill in the refrigerator until required.
- Leave in the refrigerator to chill until required and arrange on a bed of lettuce to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
If you made this recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love it if you could give me a star rating in the comments below. And if you'd like to get in touch, you can email me at [email protected]. I'd love to hear from you. And don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list so you can grab yourself a copy of my FREE COOKBOOK!
If you'd like to continue browsing, just click on this link to all my recipes.
VJ
This makes a welcome addition to any al fresco meal!