Shrimp Salad with Avocado Ranch Dressing ("Fanny Baer Salad")

SHRIMP SALAD with AVOCADO RANCH DRESSING ("FANNY BAER SALAD")

5/15/2016

ONCE UPON A TIME...there was a wonderful seafood and steakhouse called "Fanny Baer's Restaurant", located in Sandusky, Ohio from 1980 to 1986. My sister was lucky enough to live nearby, and she told fabulous stories about meals here with her husband Wayne. Wayne was a nuclear welder and traveled a lot with his job, but when they were dating and later married, he would impress her with a fancy dinner at Fanny Baers - and by ordering not only shrimp cocktail, a fresh-cut steak, but also king crab legs and sometimes lobster - for a single meal! He was a tall, lanky guy and never had a weight problem - but we were always amazed at how much he could eat! And Fanny Baer's was one of his favorite restaurants.

I don't think I ever made it past the basket of fresh-baked warm rye and sourdough bread and house salad - "Fanny Baer's Salad". We loved it, we dreamed about it, and whenever we were in town we devoured it!

The dressing on the Fanny Baer Salad was TO DIE FOR - so incredibly fresh and flavorful! We would actually purchase containers of the homemade salad dressing from Fanny Baer's to carefully bring back home to Minnesota in a cooler to enjoy as long as we could make it last! And there was no sharing - this creamy, fresh dressing was liquid gold!

When the restaurant closed, we all cried - and my sister tried in vain to get the recipe for the famous Fanny Baer Salad Dressing.

Fresh Shrimp on Salad Greens

Mandarin Oranges added to the mix...

Topped with fresh Toasted Coconut!

For years we have tried to find the recipe, to no avail. One of my personal challenges has been to try and create the infamous Fanny Baer Salad. I finally tinkered around and created our own recipe, which is SPOT ON! This homemade Avocado Ranch Dressing is to die for - and exactly as I remember it!

But it is at its absolute finest when served with the Fanny Baer Salad - the best salad combo ever! Salad greens are topped with huge, fresh shrimp and delicate mandarin oranges, drizzled with this creamy homemade Avocado Ranch Dressing, and topped with fresh toasted coconut.

It's a crazy combination, but even Skipper, who doesn't care for coconut AT ALL, LOVED this salad! Good thing, because this wonderful fresh and flavorful salad is now part of our regular salad rotation!

Fanny Baer House Salad (Fresh Shrimp Salad with Avocado Ranch Dressing)

I can't begin to tell you how wonderful this salad is - you'll need to make it yourself and let me know what you think!

And to my sister Sue - this one is for you, with all my love!

FANNY BAER'S SHRIMP SALAD with CREAMY AVOCADO RANCH DRESSING

Don’t you hate it when your favorite restaurants close up and you can never enjoy your favorite foods again? This sweet and simple Fanny Baer’s Shrimp Salad with Avocado Ranch Dressing is a family favorite from Fanny Baer’s Restaurant, a wonderful seafood & steakhouse that was located in Sandusky, Ohio from 1980 to 1986. Fresh salad greens tossed with fresh shrimp, mandarin oranges and toasted coconut are drizzled with the BEST Avocado Ranch Dressing ever!

We used to buy the dressing from Fanny Baer’s and bring it back to Minneapolis to enjoy – it was that spectacular! For years we tried to find the recipe for the wonderful Avocado Ranch Salad Dressing – I tinkered around and created our own recipe years ago, which absolutely makes this fresh Shrimp Salad shine! This may be the best salad combo ever for a sunny summer day, and it’s one of the most popular recipes on my website.

Fresh Shrimp Salad with Avocado Ranch Dressing ("Fanny Baer Salad")

INGREDIENTS:
AVOCADO RANCH DRESSING:
2 large avocado, ripe
1 cup buttermilk
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. fresh dill
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
Juice from ½ lime
1 tsp. honey (optional)

FANNY BAER SALAD:
1 (10 oz.) package fresh salad mix (or 1 head fresh iceburg lettuce)
1 8 oz. bag bay shrimp
1-2 cans (15 oz. each) mandarin orange segments (chilled & drained well)
2/3 cup coconut (toasted)
Avocado Ranch Dressing

HOW I MAKE THIS:

PREPARE AVOCADO RANCH SALAD DRESSING: Scoop the flesh from the avocado into a food processor or blender.
Add ½ cup buttermilk, and all remaining ingredients; pulse until well blended.
Add remaining buttermilk ¼ cup at a time until dressing reaches your desired consistency. Add additional buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week.
PREPARE SALAD:
Layer salad greens on individual serving plates or single platter.
Layer shrimp over top of salad greens.
Scatter mandarin orange segments on top of salad.
Sprinkle with toasted coconut.
Drizzle with fresh Avocado Ranch Dressing; sprinkle with remaining toasted coconut and serve immediately.

YIELD: 4 salad servings, approximately 2 cups of Avocado Ranch Dressing

RECIPE NOTES:

TOASTING COCONUT: To toast coconut, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cover baking sheet with foil. Sprinkle fresh shredded coconut in pan, and bake in preheated oven until just starting to turn golden – turning with a spatula every few minutes or as necessary to keep coconut toasting evenly.
LOVE SHRIMP? You can replace the tiny bay shrimp with larger cocktail shrimp if you’d prefer! Just make sure to use shrimp that are fresh, cooked, deveined, rinsed & chilled.
OPTIONAL SALAD ADD-INS: You can add slivered almonds and seasoned croutons for extra crunch and flavor.

RECIPE VARIATIONS:

AVOCADO RANCH CHICKEN SALAD: Replace the shrimp with sliced chicken breast, and add 1 sliced fresh avocado, ½ cup diced red onion, ½ cup shredded carrots, ½ cup diced cucumbers and ¼ cup dried tart cherries or craisins; skip the mandarin orange segments and toasted coconut and top with Avocado Ranch Dressing.

SOUTHWEST CHICKEN SALAD WITH AVOCADO RANCH DRESSING: Replace the shrimp with grilled chicken breast chunks, 1 cup of sweet corn (fresh or canned), ½ cup black beans (drained and rinsed), sliced avocado and fresh cherry tomatoes; skip the mandarin orange segments and toasted coconut, and top with Avocado Ranch Dressing.

BLT PASTA SALAD WITH AVOCADO RANCH DRESSING: Add 2 cups of cooked rotini pasta to the salad greens, and add crumbled hickory-smoked bacon, fresh tomatoes. Skip the shrimp and toasted coconut, and top with Avocado Ranch Salad Dressing for a wonderful summertime treat!
GRILLED SALMON WITH AVOCADO RANCH SAUCE: Drizzle Avocado Ranch Salad Dressing on top of grilled salmon for a wonderful taste sensation!

AVOCADO RANCH DIP: Serve the Avocado Ranch Dressing as a flavorful dip with fresh vegetables – so flavorful and something different!

CREAMY AVOCADO RANCH DRESSING is also not only delicious with fresh cut vegetables and potato chips, it’s also a wonderful spread for sandwiches.

Original recipe published May 2016; revised and reposted April 2023.

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20 Comments

Laurie S

7/13/2016 04:14:48 pm

Thank you for sharing the Fanny Baer recipe's. Loved this place and also had our first date there. We also loved the Lobster Pie they served and just wondered if you have this recipe to share. Love your website and so glad I discovered it. Thanks so much, Laurie

Mama V link

7/13/2016 04:17:25 pm

Thanks Laurie! I think there were a lot of romantic moments at Fanny Baer's! I do have the recipe for the Lobster Pie, and will post for you soon - it is another GREAT recipe! Glad that you found my website, and hope that you enjoy the recipes!
Mama V

7/21/2016 02:30:05 pm

Hi Laurie!
I wanted to let you know that I just posted the Fanny Baer Lobster Pie Recipe today!

I made this Sunday night and my family went absolutely NUTS! Hope that you have a chance to make it for your honey as well!

Are there any other memories of Fanny Baer that you would like to share? We came from out of state to eat there a couple times each year, and it was ALWAYS fabulous! My sister used to live just a couple of blocks away from the restaurant and it was always busy!

Take care, and have a great summer!
Mama V

Ronald A. Lawrence, C.E.C. link

9/21/2021 06:54:49 pm

Thank you for sharing your nice story. Fanny Baer’s restaurant has a special spot in my heart. We was the chef that opened that restaurant and wrote the menu and some of the house drinks. I am so glad its name has survived this long. The name by the way was owner Jack Wolfe’s mother’s maiden name.

Becky Darida

12/10/2016 02:33:48 pm

Have thought of this place for decades. Dreamed of the salad. As a 10 year old the table side service of the salad really left an impression on me. I had a dream last nite and it took 6 hours on facebook for someone to know the name. Found vintage tshirts available . I will be going out in a snow storm for a few ingredients I don't have. Thank you for the recipes.

12/12/2016 03:55:13 pm

Hi Becky!
So glad that you found my site, and hope that this wonderful salad brings back great memories for you! It is to die for!
Happy holidays!
Mama V

Patricia Fultz

4/7/2023 06:37:53 am

I could never find the avocado dressing recipe on her page. Could you please send it to me? I've craved this salad for years. A restaurant in Huron (Ohio) called Angry Bull serves this but Fanny's was way better. Thank you in advance. My email: [email protected]

JoAnn M Detzel link

6/28/2017 04:34:52 pm

Fanny Baer Salad Dressing recipe, you don't say how to make it.. My family were boaters at CP we went there for years. I knew what the make up of the salad was but not the dressing, Can you tell me? I loved the Lobster Pie as well if you have that. We opened a restaurant in Avon Lake, (Just One More) and I want to have that salad. To get something like it you have to travel to angry bull in Huron as they have it. thanks again.

Mama V @ Snowflakes & Coffeecakes Cooking School link

6/29/2017 09:07:31 am

Hi Joann,

The recipe is listed on my site for "Avocado Ranch", which is the Fanny Baer Salad Dressing: you'll find it here:

http://www.snowflakesandcoffeecakes.com/home/avocado-ranch-dressing

Here is the recipe for Lobster Pie as well:
http://www.snowflakesandcoffeecakes.com/home/lobster-pie

You'll have to share info on your restaurant - we live in Strongsville and would love to check you out!

Have a great day,
Mama V

JOANN M DETZEL

2/23/2018 02:31:27 pm

Thank you so much. The salad was a hit on Valentines Day, and as I am typing the Lobster Pie is in the oven.

Christopher core

3/13/2018 04:12:30 pm

I was in a band that performed there(Seville) back then in 1981-1983 and will never forget the food the staff and all the fun we had there!!!!

Gary Parrigan

1/9/2019 08:03:49 am

I live in central Ohio so that given I was addicted to the house salad at Fanny Baer's. I have dined in 16 different countries all over the world and no other compares. Does anyone have the recipe for the dressing.

1/9/2019 08:40:17 am

Hi Gary,
I have to agree - Fanny Baer's Salad Dressing is the BEST ever! My recipe for the Avocado Ranch Salad Dressing is identical in flavor, at least as I can best remember it! Please give my recipe a try and let me know if you agree - many others have told me that it is spot on!
Mama V

4/7/2023 06:51:30 am

Could I get the recipe for the creamy avocado dressing to please. In Huron there is a restaurant (Angry Bull) that serves the salad but not as good as Fanny's as I remember it❣️

Karen

6/23/2019 09:02:11 pm

Thank you for the recipe! I went to FB's many many times, & I often recreate the salad for potlucks ( although I use Kraft Green Goddess dressing to substitute. Cannot wait to try your homemade one for July 4 picnic!). I generally use the small "salad" size shrimp, though...not that I am anti large succulent shrimp, but by using the small ones it ensures that you get a little nugget in almost every bite.

However, you are missing an ingredient! FB table-made house salads included smaller-sized seasoned croutons, as well. Another fabulous texture, which is what makes this salad so memorable.

Judy Rankine

6/28/2019 09:12:13 pm

I used to go to Fanny Baer's just for that salad and dressing. I was told that it was Green Goddess dressing but I never found any commercial Green Goddess dressing and never tried to make my own. I couldn't believe that they would tear that beautiful building down...remember the balcony area?

Denise

2/28/2020 01:18:05 pm

I actually worked there! The salad was to die for. The dressing was Hidden Valley Green Goddess, the kind that came in a packet if you can find it anywhere. We called it Creamy Avocado

Ron link

9/21/2021 06:59:15 pm

Hi Denise! I remember you. Hope you are well.

Ron

Ron Lawrence

9/21/2021 07:20:06 pm

I should have probably said, that I was the Chef that opened the restaurant:-) I remember you very well.

Don Phillips

5/18/2022 09:26:55 am

Loved that place. Used to drive from Toledo just to enjoy their meals. Would love to find their Seafood Au Gratin recipe.