This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Simple to make but beyond impressive in flavor, this Crab Cake Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette is sure to be a hit on your dinner table.
Crab cakes seem to always be intimidating to people but I am here to tell you they should not be! All you need is crab meat, a few fresh herbs, and some pantry staples and you will have dinner ready in no time. Another note about these crab cakes — and crab cakes in general — they should be packed with more crab than filling! Another reason why I love this recipe is that while I use a small amount of panko breadcrumbs to form the cakes, there is not too much of a binder. So you are actually enjoying lots of crab with each bite!
What you’ll need for the crab cakes:
- Fresh Lump Crabmeat (use canned if you are unable to get fresh!)
- Homemade Mayo
- Dijon Mustard
- Capers
- Fresh Dill and Parsley
- Lemon Zest
- Salt, Pepper, Cajun Seasoning
- Panko Breadcrumbs
Now that crab cake talk is about of the way, another star of this dish is the simple Champagne Vinaigrette. With just a few ingredients, you will have an everyday dressing that you’ll want to add over simple greens even without the crab cakes.
Once your dressing is ready and the crab cakes are assembled, simply divide your lettuce among your plates, top with crab cakes and drizzle with the Champagne VinaIgrette. Garnish with dill and a wedge of lemon then dinner is ready to go.
I can’t wait to hear what y’all think about this Crab Cake Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette!
Crab Cake Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the Crab Cakes:
- 16 ounces fresh lump crabmeat if you buy canned, be sure to drain it first
- 3 tablespoons homemade mayo
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoon capers roughly chopped
- ¼ cup finely chopped parsley leaves
- ¼ cup finely chopped dill fronds
- Grated zest of half a lemon
- 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For the Champagne Vinaigrette:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup champagne vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup roughly chopped shallot
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Salad:
- 6 cups butter lettuce leaves or little gem lettuce
- Fresh dill fronds for garnish
- 1 lemon cut into wedges, for serving
Instructions
Assemble the Crab Cakes:
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the crabmeat, mayo, mustard, capers, parsley, dill, lemon zest, cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper. Use a fork to mix until combined, breaking up and larger chunks of crab. Add the panko and stir once more to combine.
- Use a 1/3-cup measuring cup to scoop out the crab mixture and, using your hands, form into a patty. Set on the prepared baking sheet and continue until all of the crab cakes are formed. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes while you prepare the dressing.
Make the Vinaigrette:
- In a blender or using an immersion blender in a wide mouth jar, combine all of the champagne vinaigrette ingredients and blend until just smooth. Set aside.
Cook the Crab Cakes:
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, but not yet smoking, use a sturdy spatula to carefully lay the crab cakes into a single layer in the hot oil. You will likely need to do this in two batches to not overcrowd the pan. Cook until golden brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked crab cakes to a wire baking rack to prevent them from softening.
Assemble the Salads:
- To serve, divide the lettuce among 4 plates and drizzle each with desired amount of the Champagne Vinaigrette. Add two crab cakes per plate and top with fresh dill.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Eat Love Eats.
Do you think you could form these 1 day ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator?
yes absolutely!!
Hi Alex! Can you bake the crab cakes vs pan fry?
I find that when you bake them, they don’t get as crispy/hold together as well— but you can spray them with EVOO and I’d cook them at 400 so they get a good brown color on them.
LOVED the flavor of the crab cakes and the vinegarette. I went the cheap route with canned crab meat and I definitely did not drain the water enough, they tended to fall apart/break BUT they tasted so good I didn’t care!
Glad that they still tasted great! Thanks for commenting