sweet celery salad;
This sweet celery salad is all kinds of surprising but in the best ways! With crisp, fresh flavors and herbs, and a myriad of textures, topped with a tangy dressing that’s chock full of flavors, I hope you love this salad as much as me!
I started off a little skeptical—I wasn’t sure if the flavors would really marry or I’d like this sweet celery salad… It’s kind of a bright twist on a. Waldorf salad, and to be honest Waldorf salads always sounded odd to me. But then I ended up making two more batches the same week because it was so tasty! That’s a lot to say about a salad. So maybe I do need to try a more traditional Waldorf salad. After this sweet celery salad, I think I might even like it!
What I love about this sweet celery salad is the textures and bold flavors. There’s crunch from celery, there’s crisp from apples, there’s chewy from the dates, there’s snap from the toasted pecans.
The key is good fresh herbs to get bold flavors and make the celery salad taste fresh.
secret to success
And even though there are bold flavors, they somehow all stand up to each other and marry together so nothing is too overpowering. Celery often has a distinct flavor that dominates a dish, but I was surprised how it faded a bit in the sweet celery salad—in a good way. Probably in part due to the fresh herbs. The key is good fresh herbs to get bold flavors and make the celery salad taste fresh.
Fresh parsley for the salad itself and fresh dill for the dressing go a long way. When I’m chopping something like fresh parsley, I always think to myself, “This is definitely going to overpower the salad”. But then it always ends up nicely complementing the salad and keeps the salad smelling fresh throughout the week.
Don’t toss the salad in the dressing until just before serving. If you’re meal prepping or want the sweet celery salad to last, separate the greens into desired portions and then top with dressing right before you dive in.
secret to success
Another big tip to keep your celery salad (or any salad for that matter) fresh is to store the dressing separately. Don’t toss the salad in the dressing until just before serving. So if you’re serving a big salad for a family then by all means go ahead and marry the two up front. But if you’re meal-prepping for the week, then store the dressing separately and only add a spoonful or two to the portion you’re taking.
Another bonus tip: I actually prepare my salad and keep it in these aeration-friendly containers. Just a quick change in storage also extends the shelf life of cut and washed vegetables in my fridge. We use them all the time now to prepare cut vegetables and salads so they last even longer and we have no excuse not to eat our veggies!
Another way to help with freshness: use aerated containers to store your salad.
secret to success
Can we take a minute to talk about the dressing?! Chock full of Parmesan cheese, tangy lemon, just enough creaminess from some mayonnaise, plus lots and lots of fresh dill…this stuff would be amazing on just about anything. It’s great as a vegetable dip for additional veggies, or save up for next week to change up the salad.
This celery salad is so unique that adding this dressing on a more traditional salad (like lettuce + tomatoes + cucumbers) would still feel like a new salad. So, why not make a big batch?
Make extra dressing! Make next week’s meal prep easier and double the dressing recipe. Then just toss the same dressing on romaine with cherry tomatoes and croutons to make a quick twist on a Caesar salad.
secret to success
I recently discovered cosmic crisp apples, and they’re my new go-to favorite apple. So I used that in my sweet celery salad, but if you don’t have or can’t find those, honeycrisp may be easier to find. Both work great! I don’t bother to peel the apple. I like the flash of red for color, and by the time you chop it into matchsticks, there are probably 3 pieces without skin to one that does have it anyway.
When it comes to microgreens, pick your favorite! I’ve tried broccoli microgreens in this sweet celery salad, and if you’re new to microgreens, that’s where I’d start. But I’ve also tried a “micro spicy mix” combination pack of Mustard Greens, Bok Choy, And Arugula Microgreens, which worked nicely as well, though it had a slightly sharper flavor. I actually paired the latter with sunflower seeds instead of pecans as well for a little extra change-it-up variety.
secrets to success;
Want all the best tips and tricks to make this recipe a success? Check out the blog post above to find out more!
more recipes;
Looking for other fresh and healthful recipes? Look no further, these are some of my favorites!
- If you like this sweet celery salad, you’ll love this raspberry california salad. Such different flavors, but a lot of the same themes–sweetness from raspberry, crunchy candied nuts, and a tangy balsamic dressing this time! So refreshing!
- Another hearty, healthful salad that I make time and time again, avocado caprese salad is perfect for a weeknight with simple ingredients that comes together in minutes! Plus, who doesn’t love fresh mozzarella?
- Looking for something to pair alongside this sweet celery salad? Serve a simple steak with blue cheese sauce and maybe some blue cheese creamed spinach and you’ve got yourself an easy meal with multiple delicious and bold components.
sweet celery salad;
Ingredients
sweet celery salad;
- 1 bunch celery chopped
- 2 large honey crisp apple diced
- 1 large cucumber diced
- handful fresh parsley chopped fine
- 4 oz micro greens
- ½ cup pecans roasted and chopped
- 8-10 pitted medjul dates chopped (optional)
dill parmesan dressing;
- 1 cup parmesan shaved
- ½ bunch freshly chopped dill
- 2 large lemons juiced
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 clove garlic minced
Instructions
sweet celery salad;
- If needed, roast the pecans for 5-10 minutes at 350°F taking care not to burn them. Remove when they smell nutty and toasty and allow to cool.
- Chop the bunch of celery from one stalk. I prefer roughly ½-inch pieces, but dealers choice. Add to a large bowl.
- Dice cucumber into ½-inch pieces and add to the large bowl with celery.
- Slice apple, skin-on, into 1-inch matchsticks, and add to the bowl.
- Take one large handful of parsley leaves and chop them up finely. Add to the bowl with the other ingredients.
- Chop the pecans and add to the bowl. Optionally chop medjool dates and add to the bowl as well.
- Add 4oz microgreens and gently use tongs or large spoons to toss the ingredients together evenly.
dill parmesan dressing;
- In a medium container, separate from the salad, mix all ingredients together.
- Add 1 cup of fresh-shaved or grated parmesan to a medium container. (If using pre-grated, I prefer the powdered kind found in the deli section.)
- Take ½ of a bunch of dill and strip and discard the stems. Roughly chop the dill leaves and add to the container.
- Add the remaining ingredients: juice from 2 large lemons, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp olive oil, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, 1 minced clove of garlic. Stir everything together evenly.
- Store dressing separately from salad, and pour over when ready to serve, tossing together to evenly coat all the greens.
