Dungeness Crab Salad in a white bowl garnished with red cabbage, radishes, and sliced avocado.

Dungeness Crab Salad with Buttermilk Garlic Pepper Dressing

A recipe for Dungeness Crab Salad with Buttermilk Garlic Pepper Dressing. Sweet morsels of crab in a crunchy salad with a spicy buttermilk dressing that gets its kick from Tabasco!

Dungeness Crab Salad in a white bowl garnished with red cabbage, radishes, and sliced avocado.
Dungeness Crab Salad with Buttermilk Garlic Pepper Dressing

A recipe for Dungeness Crab Salad with Buttermilk Garlic Pepper Dressing. Sweet morsels of crab in a crunchy salad with a spicy buttermilk dressing that gets its kick from Tabasco! This post was made possible by Tabasco.

Sweet morsels of crab in a crunchy salad with a spicy dressing.

Returning from Avery Island was like waking up from a long dream. As I sat at the airport, waiting for my connection, I scrolled through the pictures on my phone, almost in wonder that I had actually visited such a magical place. It was the kind of place you only read about, dripping with trees that could tell stories, where the air clings to you in a close, almost familiar embrace.

By the time I landed in California, it took a while for me to return to normal. The air was dryer, the sun, brighter. But I was so ready to bring a bit of my adventures in Louisiana back into the kitchen.

Radicchio on a wooden cutting board.

Tabasco and other ingredients in a white bowl ready to stir together a buttermilk dressing.

Dungeness Crab Salad with Buttermilk Garlic Pepper Dressing

I began with some Dungeness crab. To me, there is nothing more quintessentially San Francisco than morsels of sweet crab. Over the years, I’ve had all manner of crab salads. I wanted to put a little Southern spin by making a Buttermilk Garlic Pepper Dressing, using Tabasco Red Pepper Sauce, and a new favorite of mine, Tabasco Garlic Pepper Sauce.

Dungeness Crab Salad with Buttermilk Garlic Pepper Sauce.

This spicy buttermilk dressing is tangy and bright. The Tabasco adds a lovely kick that goes so well with sweet crab, roasted kernels of corn, creamy avocado and crunchy radicchio. I like to think that both my friends in Louisiana and here in California would wholeheartedly approve of Dungeness Crab Salad with Spicy Buttermilk Garlic Pepper Dressing – and I suspect that wherever you may be, you will, too.

Dungeness Crab Salad in a white bowl garnished with radicchio, radishes, and sliced avocado.

Disclosure: This post was made possible by Tabasco. This recipe is the first in a series I am publishing as part of the TABASCO® Tastemakers program featuring the Tabasco Family of Flavors. Thank you for supporting brands that matter to me and help behind the scenes at Kitchen Confidante. All opinions in this post are, as always, my own.

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Dungeness Crab Salad with Buttermilk Garlic Pepper Dressing

A recipe for Dungeness Crab Salad with Buttermilk Garlic Pepper Dressing. Sweet morsels of crab in a crunchy salad with a spicy buttermilk dressing that gets its kick from Tabasco!
Course Dinner, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 353kcal

Ingredients

For the Salad:

  • 1 small head radicchio thinly sliced
  • 1 lb Dungeness crabmeat
  • 4 radishes thinly sliced
  • 2 ears corn roasted and kernels sliced off the cob
  • 2 avocados pits removed, peeled and sliced
  • 1 Fresno chili thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives
  • Buttermilk Garlic Pepper Dressing below

For the Buttermilk Garlic Pepper Dressing:

  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 garlic clove very finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons Tabasco Garlic Pepper Sauce*
  • 1 teaspoon Tabasco Red Pepper Sauce or more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt to taste

Instructions

  • Soak the sliced radicchio in an ice water bath for at least 15 minutes. This will help to tame any bitterness in the radicchio. Drain well.
  • Make the dressing by whisking together the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Greek yogurt, garlic and chives in a small bowl. Whisk in the buttermilk, Tabasco Garlic Pepper Sauce, Tabasco Red Pepper Sauce and salt. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding more Tabasco Red Pepper sauce if you want your dressing more spicy.
  • Go through the crab meat and make sure it is free of shells. Divide the crab meat into 4 bowls (about 1 cup each). Add the radicchio, radishes, roasted corn kernels, avocados, Fresno chills and chives to each bowl. Dress with the Buttermilk Garlic Pepper Dressing and serve immediately.

Notes

If you can't find Tabasco Garlic Pepper Sauce, simply substitute Tabasco Original Red Pepper Sauce.
Dressing adapted from Southern Buttermilk Salad Dressing, New York Times.

Nutrition

Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 1778mg | Potassium: 993mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 595IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see! Tag @kitchconfidante on Instagram and hashtag it #kitchenconfidante

Comments

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  1. Raquel

    I love a good peppery dressing, the more pepper the better. And I am a huge fan of classic ranch so this is a nice twist. 

    Reply
  2. Denise

    I really love the spicy buttermilk dressing along with crab.  Much more interesting than a traditional 1000 Island.  As Brian said, I can imagine this would be great with lobster too!  Summer salads at their best!

    Reply
  3. Tereza Opatril

    um wow that looks delicious! My husband use to be a commercial Dungeness crab fisherman, wish i woulda had this recipe then! 

    Reply
    • Liren Baker

      YES! Lobster would be incredible in this salad, Brian! My son has been begging for lobster, funny enough. I may have to give in and make this again :)

      Reply
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