Shrimp and Macaroni Salad

Shrimp and Macaroni Salad is always on the menu when my family has a party, and this is a recipe I’ve been making for years! You can make this with regular pasta, or use one of the high-fiber lower-carb pasta options that are now available.

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This Shrimp and Macaroni Salad recipe that’s a long-time favorite in my family is today’s Friday Favorites pick! This salad is something I used to make regularly for my father, who was a huge shrimp fan! And everyone in my huge extended family loves this salad too!

And now I’m excited to update this recipe with a lower-carb option! I always used lots of shrimp and not so much macaroni to make this salad lower in carbs. But now Kara and I have become big fans of Fiber Gourmet Light Pasta from Italy. And This pasta product has lots of fiber to give it about half the net carbs of regular pasta.

So I tried making my family’s favorite Shrimp and Macaroni Salad with Fiber Gourmet Light Elbows. I took it to a party at my sister Pam’s house, where it was a big hit. I don’t think anyone would have guessed I made the salad with lower-carb pasta if I hadn’t told them! And using the Fiber Gourmet pasta and lots of shrimp and celery in this salad reduces the carbs quite a bit.

If you like the idea of Shrimp and Macaroni Salad that’s a lot lower in carbs, I hope you try this with one of the lower-carb high-fiber pasta options I’m recommending in this post. And if your family also ends up loving this salad, I bet you’ll make it whenever the family gets together.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)

• Fiber Gourmet Light Elbows (affiliate link), Carbe Diem Elbows (affiliate link), or any macaroni of your choice
• thawed frozen precooked shrimp
• celery
• green onions
• salt and pepper
• mayo
• reduced shrimp “juice” (liquid saved when draining shrimp which has been boiled to concentrate the flavor)
• fresh-squeezed lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
• Celery Seed (affiliate link)

What higher-fiber lower-carb pastas do I recommend for this salad. 

Kara and I are huge fans of this salad made with Fiber Gourmet Light Elbows (affiliate link). But you can also get the same carb-lowering benefits with Carbe Diem Elbows (affiliate link). I have a slight preference for the Fiber Gourmet elbows because they’re smaller which I think gives a better texture to the salad. But either of those options will taste good in this recipe.

More About Fiber Gourmet Light Pasta:

The biggest drawback to Fiber Gourmet Light Pasta for many people will be the price, and I haven’t found it in any stores. The best price I’ve found online is at Amazon where you can buy a pack of 6 boxes and get it for $6.66 per box. (affiliate link). The pasta is less expensive on The Fiber Gourmet site, but the shipping is costly unless you purchase a lot of pasta at once. For me it’s such a treat to have “real” pasta without so many carbs that I don’t mind buying six boxes at a time! (If anyone finds it at a lower price I’d love to know where you find it.)

How to make Fiber Gourmet Light Pasta more affordable and reduce the carbs:

The Fiber Gourmet Light Pasta varieties are lower in carbs than other pasta made from wheat. And I like to make the carbs even lower by using this pasta in recipes with lots of other low-carb ingredients. So for this recipe, one cup of the light elbows makes six servings of salad. That makes the carb count much lower and makes the pasta much more affordable.

More about Carbe Diem Light Pasta:

Several shapes of Carbe Diem Pasta (affiliate link) are also sold at Amazon, and you also might find this at your favorite grocery store. It’s almost identical to Fiber Gourmet in the amount of fiber and net carbs, and usually a bit cheaper. Plus this comes in a 12 oz. box. I do like some of the Carbe Diem pasta very well, but for this salad I prefer the smaller size macaroni from Fiber Gourmet Elbows. You may or may not care about that!

What makes this Shrimp and Macaroni Salad so good?

Notice the name of the recipe is Shrimp and Macaroni Salad, because this salad has lots of shrimp and not too much macaroni. But I use another technique to make this a salad that’s loaded with shrimp flavor. When I drain the frozen shrimp I catch all the shrimp “juice,” simmer it briefly to reduce it and intensify the flavor, and add it to the mayo-based dressing. Please don’t skip that step, it’s a game-changer for this salad.

What if your frozen shrimp doesn’t release much juice?

Sometimes I drain the frozen shrimp and not much liquid is released. When that happens I use a tiny bit of Knorr Shrimp Bouillon (affiliate link) mixed with water to add to the shrimp juice before I reduce it.

How low in carbs is Shrimp and Macaroni Salad with high-fiber lower-carb pasta?

If you make this shrimp salad recipe with either Fiber Gourmet Light Elbows (affiliate link) or Carbe Diem Elbows (affiliate link) it’s will have about 12.7 net carbs per serving, with 12.2 grams of protein!

Want a lower-carb option for enjoying those shrimp salad flavors?

If the reduced-carb option for this favorite salad is still too much of a splurge on carbs for you, check out my idea for making the salad without macaroni and eating it in lettuce or cabbage cups!

How to make the Shrimp and Macaroni Salad:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. (These photos are twice the amount of the recipe, taken when I made a big batch of salad for a family gathering.)
2. I make this with large frozen cooked tail-on shrimp from Costco, thawed in the fridge overnight.
3. After you thaw them be sure to catch the “juice” when you drain the shrimp.
4. Put the shrimp “juice” in a small pan and cook until it’s slightly reduced. (This is a really small frying pan.) Don’t worry if the liquid isn’t clear; the small bits of shrimp add a lot of flavor to the dressing.
5. Cook the Fiber Gourmet Light Elbows (affiliate link), Carbe Diem Elbows (affiliate link), or other macaroni according to package directions and drain well.
6. Cut up the shrimp into bite-sized pieces, discarding tails.
7. Chop celery and thinly slice green onions.
8. Whisk together the mayo, concentrated shrimp “juice”, lemon juice, and Celery Seed (affiliate link) to make the dressing.
9. When the pasta is cool, mix it with the shrimp, chopped celery, and sliced green onions. 
10. Mix dressing into the salad and season with salt and pepper. You may not need all the dressing if you prefer your salads more dry.
11. Chill for a few hours to develop the flavors.
12. Shrimp and Macaroni Salad keeps in the refrigerator for a few days, but it probably won’t last that long!

See all the Denny Family Favorites Recipes:

You can use Denny Family Recipes to see all the family favorites I’ve shared!

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4.8 Stars (12 Reviews)

Yield: 6 servings

Shrimp and Macaroni Salad

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

This Shrimp and Macaroni Salad is such a favorite salad in my family, and it's always requested for any type of family get-together. And I've updated the recipe with the option to use lower-carb higher-fiber Fiber Gourmet Light Elbows or Carbe Diem Elbows, which makes a salad with only 12.7 net carbs per serving!

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients

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• 1 cup Fiber Gourmet Light Elbows or Carbe Diem Elbows (or other macaroni of your choice)
• 2 cups thawed frozen precooked shrimp, cut in 1/2″ pieces (save the juice when you drain the thawed shrimp)
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• salt and pepper to taste

Dressing Ingredients

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• 2/3 cup mayo
• 1 T reduced shrimp “juice” (Liquid saved when draining shrimp which has been boiled to concentrate the flavor)
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. whole celery seed

Instructions

1. Thaw shrimp overnight in refrigerator, keeping it in the bag so you can catch the “juice” when you open it. (In a pinch you can also thaw it inside the bag in a bowl of barely warm water.)
2. Drain shrimp well, reserving the liquid that accumulates in bag. (I dry shrimp with a paper towel if they’re quite wet.)
3. Put liquid drained from shrimp in small saucepan and simmer until reduced by at least half. (This will concentrate the shrimp flavor and evaporate the water. Watch carefully, this doesn't take long!)
4. Cook macaroni in large pot of salted, boiling water according to package directions, or until soft but still slightly chewy. Be careful not to overcook.
5. Drain macaroni and cool, but don’t rinse.
6. While macaroni cooks, dice shrimp (discarding the tails), celery, and green onions and put in bowl with a snap-on lid.
7. Mix dressing ingredients together.
8. When macaroni is cool, mix it into shrimp mixture in bowl, then gently fold in dressing. (You may not need all the dressing if you prefer your salads to be more dry.)
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
10. Shrimp and Macaroni Salad is best if chilled a few hours before serving. Will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.

Notes

I've made this with small “salad ” shrimp or larger medium shrimp, but I greatly prefer the flavor and texture of the larger shrimp. I cut each medium shrimp into about 4 pieces.

Nutritional information is for a salad made with Fiber Gourmet Light Elbows or Carbe Diem Elbows.

Recipe created by Kalyn. This has been on the menu for about 30 years now for Denny family parties.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 262Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 3.2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 15.4gCholesterol 112mgSodium 710mgCarbohydrates 29.1gFiber 16.4gSugar .7gProtein 12.2g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
I make this salad with Fiber Gourmet Light Elbows or Carbe Diem Elbows and use more shrimp and celery than macaroni. That makes it much lower in carbs than most salad recipes with shrimp and macaroni! However, it still might be something to make for a special occasion if you’re following a strict low-carb diet. This recipe is too high in fat for the original South Beach Diet, but you could use light mayo and whole grain pasta if you’re following South Beach. 

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Seafood Recipes or Salad Recipes to find more recipes like this! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe
This recipe for Shrimp and Macaroni Salad is dedicated to the memory of my wonderful father, and it’s something I made over and over for him during his life. It was first posted on the blog in 2007. It was updated with the option to use Fiber Gourmet Light Elbows in 2023. The recipe was last updated to include an option for Carb Diem Elbows in 2026.