Celery Salad With Apples and Blue Cheese

By Alexa Weibel

Published November 19, 2019

  • An overhead image of salad in a blue bowl, with sliced celery and celery leaves, sliced apples, chopped pecans and pieces of blue cheese. There is a fork in the bowl
    Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
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Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(1,698)
Comments
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Celery is perhaps at its best in salad: Its flavor is at its brightest and its crunch is unapologetically assertive. Celery root complements the chopped stalks, apples add sweetness and blue cheese — celery’s classic cohort — provides punch. Flavorful enough to stand on its own, this salad isn’t so striking that it doesn’t play well with others. Celery salad makes a welcome addition to the Thanksgiving table, particularly since the crunchy salad ingredients are strong enough to stay sturdy if refrigerated overnight.

Featured in: Celery Is Ready for a Starring Role

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

  • 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • ¼ cup finely chopped shallot

  • 4 teaspoons coarse mustard

  • 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest, plus 4 teaspoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 head celery, trimmed, stalks peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal, leaves reserved

  • 2 tart red apples, such as Pink Lady

  • 1 small celery root (about 12 ounces)

  • 1 packed cup fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish

  • ½ cup coarsely chopped roasted, salted almonds

  • 1 cup crumbled bold, creamy but firm blue cheese (4 to 5 ounces)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

15 grams carbs; 12 milligrams cholesterol; 238 calories; 10 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 18 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 372 milligrams sodium; 7 grams protein; 7 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the vinaigrette: In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, shallot, mustard, lemon zest and juice, and sugar; season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the sliced celery and toss to coat.

  2. Step 2

    Core the apples, then slice them lengthwise into very thin wedges using a knife or mandoline. Add to the sliced celery and toss to coat. Peel or slice off the outer skin and layers of the celery root until no brown skin remains. Cut the celery root in half lengthwise, then slice into very thin half-moons using a knife or a mandoline. Add to the celery and apple mixture and toss to coat. (The salad will hold up fairly well refrigerated for 1 to 2 hours — or even overnight — from this point.)

  3. Step 3

    Just before serving, add the parsley, almonds and half the cheese, and toss to combine; season to taste with salt and pepper.

  4. Step 4

    Transfer to a shallow serving bowl or platter; top with the remaining cheese, the reserved celery leaves and fresh parsley leaves. Serve immediately.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,698 user ratings
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Comments

elizabeth

i substituted fennel bulb for the celery root and use only 1/2 t. sugar. i think the fennel adds a nice zing.

Marty

I liked this a lot, as did my guests. Would make again but with some changes. 1. Less celery root. Got the smallest I could find, but it still dominated the salad; use half as much next time, and use the mandoline; even thin slices of raw celery root require a lot of chewing; ribbons or slivers would be better. 2. three apples instead of two. 3. more lemon zest. 4. hand-chopping almonds is hard and messy; use food processor next time.

Karen

Tart, crisp, crunchy; the perfect antidote to rich, creamy holiday food. I am making it for the third time in 4 weeks. Added pomegranate seeds for additional color and pop of flavor.

Dollie J

Wow. Unexpected combination of flavors. My new favorite for sure. You can easily spin this off with other flavors although the key parts are apple, celery and blue cheese. I used monk fruit instead of sugar.

Ella

Made with red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice, upped the dressing a little and had over lettuce. Excellent!

Meinmunich

Made for the husband who had cravings for celeries. Delicious even without the blue cheese.

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