Description
A refreshing and simple celery apple salad featuring crisp celery, juicy honeycrisp apples, and shaved gruyere cheese, all tossed in a bright and tangy lemon vinaigrette. Perfect as a light side dish or snack, this salad combines fresh textures and vibrant flavors for an easy no-cook recipe.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 1 large bunch celery
- 2 medium apples (I used honeycrisp)
- 1/2 cup gruyere cheese, shaved
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Lemon Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the lemon vinaigrette: In a small bowl or jar with a lid, combine olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk or shake vigorously until the dressing is fully emulsified. Set aside.
- Prepare the celery: Trim off any brown or damaged ends from the celery stalks. Slice the celery thinly into bite-sized pieces. If the celery leaves look fresh and attractive, chop them finely to use as garnish and reduce waste.
- Shave the gruyere cheese: Using a vegetable peeler, shave the block of gruyere cheese into thin, delicate slices for a nice texture and flavor distribution in the salad.
- Prep the apples: Core the apples and slice them thinly. Then cut those slices into bite-sized pieces to match the size of the celery and cheese for balanced bites.
- Toss the salad: In a large salad bowl, combine the chopped celery, apple pieces, shaved gruyere, and celery greens. Whisk the dressing one more time and pour it over the salad. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed and toss thoroughly to coat all ingredients evenly. Serve immediately for the freshest taste.
Notes
- Use honeycrisp or another crisp apple variety for the best texture and sweetness.
- Shaving the gruyere cheese instead of cubing it helps the cheese integrate better throughout the salad.
- This salad is best enjoyed fresh as the apples and celery can lose crispness over time.
- You can adjust the sweetness of the dressing by varying the maple syrup quantity to taste.
- For a nuttier flavor, consider adding toasted walnuts or pecans as a topping.
