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This celery salad makes wholesome veggies craveable! With layers of texture and flavor, it’s the perfect side for lunch, dinner, or anything in between.
With crunchy greens, creamy avocado, rich feta cheese, and hearty chickpeas, all tossed in a zesty dill dressing, this celery chopped salad is the perfect side for any meal.
You can even customize it, so feel free to make the most of what’s available in your fridge or pantry!
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Ever had a salad so good you didn’t want to share? You could say you’re making bacon ranch pasta salad and spicy Korean cucumber salad for guests, but let’s be real. You’ll surely be hovering by the bowl!
Why You’ll Love This Celery Salad Recipe
- Featuring a mix of crunchy veggies and creamy extras brought together by a zesty dill dressing, this celery salad with chickpeas is actually solid enough on its own!
- This refreshing celery salad is easy to customize with whatever add-ins or swaps you have on hand.
- Main dish falling flat? This 10-minute celery salad adds the crunch, freshness, and flavor to pull it all together.
Ingredients
Salad:
Romaine lettuce – Some cucumber celery salad recipes skip the lettuce, but you might appreciate how it softens the vegetal flavor of the celery.
Cucumbers – With their mild flavor and reduced water content, Persian cucumbers are ideal for salads.
Celery – Read on to learn how to keep your celery crunchy and avoid those stringy bits!
Chickpeas – We’ll add chickpeas to this celery salad to bulk it up.
Feta cheese crumbles – You can use other types of cheese, but feta really suits this crisp and vibrant salad.
Avocado – To balance all the crunch!
Dressing:
Dill – Adds an aromatic note to the salad dressing.
Lemon juice – Fresh is best for the lemon vinaigrette.
Garlic and shallot – They give our dill dressing that extra punch it needs.
Dijon mustard – Adds another layer of flavor. It’ll also help keep the vinegar and oil from separating!
Red wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper – Classic vinaigrette ingredients. You can also customize your dressing with more fresh herbs or spices. I think red pepper flakes will play well with the fresh flavor of this salad.
Ingredient Additions & Substitutions For Celery Salad with Chickpeas
Red Onion
You can substitute shallot with red onion. If raw onions taste too intense for you, soak them in the dressing for at least 10 minutes before use.
Parmesan Cheese
Instead of feta crumbles, try shredded Parmesan! Its umami flavor works great with the slight bitterness of celery.
Fruits
Fresh, herby, and zippy, this celery salad just needs something sweet to round it out! Add in some chopped fresh apples, Medjool dates, or dried figs for the perfect finishing touch.
Tips For Making This Recipe
Use the Entire Celery Stalk
Rinse the bunch of celery, trim the ends of the stalks, and use the rest for this salad. Yes, including the celery leaves!
Avoid Stringy Celery
Those stringy bits on celery can ruin the texture of the celery salad. The solution? Just use a vegetable peeler to scrape off the exterior of the stalks before slicing.
Keep Your Celery Fresh
To keep celery crisp, separate the stalks one to two days after purchasing your bunch. Wash, trim the ends, then store them in cold water in an airtight container in the fridge.
Celery Salad Recipe FAQs
How to perk celery back up?
Revive your wilted celery with an ice bath! Submerge it in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes, drain, and pat dry.
Can you put raw celery in a salad?
Of course! All the celery needs for this salad before slicing is a good wash.
What does celery salad pair well with?
Light and crisp, this celery salad pairs perfectly with hearty mains, such as prime rib roast and red sauce pasta dishes like spaghetti and meatballs.
Can celery salad be made ahead?
Of course! You can cut the veggies and blend the vinaigrette the night before. Just store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge.
How long does celery salad last in the fridge?
This celery salad will last up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
More Delicious Salad Recipes
- Spicy Kani Salad
- Asian Cucumber Salad
- Hot Girl Summer Salad
- Strawberry Jello Salad
- Snicker Apple Salad
I found this recipe for Apple and Celery Salad that I HAVE to try!
Yay! You have made it this far, and I am so glad! Hey – If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below.
Celery Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 3 cucumbers, diced
- 1 bunch celery, thinly sliced
- 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/3 cup feta cheese crumbles (plus extra for garnish)
- 1 avocado, cubed
For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small shallot, peeled and chopped
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Blend all the dressing ingredients until smooth. Set aside.
- Add all the salad ingredients to a bowl.
- Pour the dill dressing over the salad ingredients and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Serve with more crumbled feta cheese on top, and you're done!
Notes
- Rinse the bunch of celery, trim the ends of the stalks, and use the rest for this salad. Yes, including the celery leaves!
- Those stringy bits on celery can ruin the texture of the celery salad. The solution? Just use a vegetable peeler to scrape off the exterior of the stalks before slicing.
- To keep celery crisp, separate the stalks one to two days after purchasing your bunch. Wash, trim the ends, then store them in cold water in an airtight container in the fridge.
Nutrition
PIN FOR LATER!
