Fantastically crunchy Celery Salad with Dates and Walnuts has pops of sweetness and creaminess. This easy celery salad is truly a keeper!
While celery used to be one of my least-loved vegetables, we've absolutely fallen in love with this salad and I can't wait to share it with you!
Quick Look: Celery Salad
⏲️Ready In: 10 Minutes
🍽Servings: 4
🥗Nutrition: 115 Calories
🥘Main Ingredients: Celery, Dates, Walnuts, Shallot, Parsley, Lemon juice, Olive oil, Feta cheese
📋Dietary Notes: Gluten free, Grain free
⭐Why You'll Love It: Crunchy and easy with lots of flavors and texture in every bite, this celery salad makes a fantastic gluten free side dish.
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Crisp and fresh, this celery salad has become a huge hit in our house.
Reminiscent of lettuce-free favorites like Tangy Cucumber Salad with Chives or Thai Cabbage Salad with Peanut Dressing, celery salad gets its flavor from mix-ins and a simple bright dressing.
Give it a try - I wouldn't be surprised if this crunchy celery-based salad becomes a favorite of yours, too!
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Key Ingredients
Celery: Crisp, medium-sized stalks work best for this recipe. You can trim the leaves, which can be bitter, or leave them in for simplicity.
Dates: I like using diglet noor dates for this salad, but you can use whatever you can get your hands on! If you have them, Medjool dates work quite well, too.
Walnuts: The toasty crunch of walnuts adds a whole new level to this salad! Make sure you use toasted walnuts; this salad isn't the same without that toasty flavor.
To toast walnuts, stir in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes or spread on a sheet pan and roast in a 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes.
Feta cheese: Crumbled feta adds creaminess and a little saltiness. I like using a creamier sheep's milk feta, but any feta works!
Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice makes the perfect base for a bright, easy dressing.
Champagne vinegar: I've tried a few kinds of vinegar for this celery salad dressing, and my favorite was champagne vinegar. If you can't find it, substitute white wine vinegar or Prosecco wine vinegar. We want a vinegar that's crisp and light; regular vinegar won't do!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Celery Salad
Step 1: Chop up the celery into ½" slices.
Step 2: Combine the lemon juice, champagne vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Step 3: Add the celery, shallot, parsley, walnuts, dates, and feta cheese to a large bowl.
Step 4: Pour dressing inand toss to coat.
Variations and Substitutions
Omit or swap cheese - For dairy free, you can omit the feta. While I much prefer this salad with cheese, my lactose-sensitive spouse prefers it without. Otherwise, feel free to swap with a crumbly bleu cheese!
Swap the dates - I've tried versions of this salad with dried apricots, prunes, and raisins. Prunes and raisins work great, but the apricots were overpowered by everything else, so they're the only one I wouldn't recommend!
Use a different nut - Toasted pecans or hazelnuts work great for this celery salad, although my husband and I both agreed that walnuts were best.
Top Tips from Chelsea
Any dates will do, but keep in mind that Medjool dates tend to be bigger and softer than smaller deglet noor dates, which have a firmer texture and hold up better in the salad.
Toast the walnuts. I typically purchase nuts raw, so I always toast them before using to enhance that nutty flavor! It's one of my top tips for enhanced baking, too - see Gluten Free White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies.
Keeps for up to a week in a sealed container in the fridge, but it's best the first couple days. Celery holds up pretty well and will maintain a decent level of crunchiness as the week goes on!
Celery Salad FAQs
Celery leaves can be a little bitter, but frankly I don't think it makes a big difference in most salads! I typically leave them in for this celery salad recipe to keep things simple and quick.
This salad makes a great side dish for grilled or roasted meats like Grilled Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs or Balsamic Smoked Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri! Since this celery salad keeps its crispness well, too, it's a great salad for summer potlucks and gatherings.
If possible, always use crisp and fresh celery for this celery salad, as it'll give you the best results. If you can't avoid it, though, plunge the celery into ice-cold water for 5-10 minutes and that should help perk up limp celery.
More gluten free salad recipes
Did you try this Celery Salad recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and rating or tag me on Instagram - I appreciate your feedback.
📖 Recipe
Celery Salad with Dates & Walnuts
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Chopped
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Fantastically crunchy Celery Salad with Dates and Walnuts has pops of sweetness and creaminess to make an unforgetting salad that keeps well in the fridge. This easy celery salad is truly a keeper!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar (see Notes)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 6-8 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 6 fresh Deglet noor dates, pitted and chopped
- 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup walnuts, toasted
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Prepare dressing. Combine lemon juice, champagne vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl and whisk until creamy and emulsified.
- Assemble salad. Add celery, shallot, dates, walnuts, parsley, and feta cheese to a medium bowl. Drizzle in dressing and toss to coat.
Notes
- To toast the walnuts: Either spread them out on a sheet pan and pop in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes OR add them to a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes until fragrant.
- Can't find champagne vinegar? Substitute white wine vinegar or Prosecco wine vinegar. We want a vinegar that's crisp and light; regular vinegar won't do!
- No cheese on hand? Feel free to omit the feta. I do think this celery salad is better overall with feta cheese, but I've frequently made it without for my lactose-sensitive spouse.
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