Easy Celery Leaf Salad with Parmesan
Here's a refreshing, crisp idea...an Easy Celery Leaf Salad with Parmesan with crunchy toasted hazelnuts and a lemon mustard vinaigrette, this salad is recipe is a keeper!
Why You'll Love this Recipe
If you've ever wondered what to do with the rest of the bunch of celery you bought for that pot of minestrone, then read on, folks, I've got a delicious solution - Easy Celery Leaf Salad with Parmesan.
Here's a few good reasons to make it!
Celery is totally under-rated as a main salad ingredient. As a matter of fact it's a unique and refreshing vegetable side dish for BBQ, roasted meats, fish or chicken
Once the stringy outer layer of the celery is removed, celery is a joy to eat. Really!
With the rich, earthy flavor of toasted hazelnuts, generous shavings of Parmesan cheese and a tangy vinaigrette, who knows? Maybe celery will become your new favorite vegetable.
No more celery waste! This is a huge celery breakthrough, don't you think?
This is a partial list of ingredients. For the full list and directions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Celery: Organic, please.
Hazelnuts: Toasted and lightly salted.
Parsley: Italian flat leaf, always and forever and ever.
Parmesan Cheese: Buy it in a wedge, then use a vegetable peeler to shave into long, thin pieces.
Fresh Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice is best for the flavorful vinaigrette.
Olive Oil: Extra Virgin is what we'll use.
Dijon Mustard: Any Dijon mustard works.
Salt & Pepper: Freshly ground pepper and flake sea salt to boost flavor.
Celery can be stringy, chewy and get stuck in your teeth. This is not good. :)
Wash and dry the whole celery, cut the base off the bottom, then trim the stalks off individually, peel and slice.
Get rid of the tough, fibrous exterior by using a vegetable peeler and taking off one thin strip at a time. Just position the vegetable peeler at the base of the stalk, and pull up lightly on the peeler up the length of the celery to remove.
To slice the celery for this salad, cut the peeled stalks into approximate 1/4" slices on the diagonal using a sharp knife.
This is easy once you get the hang of it.
Clean, trim and slice the celery, including some of the leafy inside greens from the center of the bunch.
Lightly crush the hazelnuts with the bottom of a heavy jar or meat mallet.
Shave the Parmesan cheese to make about 1/4 cup.
Chop the Italian Parsley.
Make the vinaigrette, toss it with the salad, and let it sit for 15 minutes to combine the flavors.
Toss gently and serve!
Reserve some of the leafy pieces of celery from the middle of the bunch to chop and add to the salad bowl. The leaves have a lot of great flavor, and look pretty on the plate, too.
Can I make this salad in advance?
Yes! It can be prepped in advance for sure. Keep the ingredients separated until ready to serve, otherwise the nuts will get soggy!
How do I store this salad?
Just put the salad in a bowl with an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Can I add to this salad to make it more substantial?
Yes! Add any protein that you'd like - shredded or grilled chicken, shrimp or tofu.
Easy Celery Leaf Salad with Parmesan
A refreshing, delicious way to use up extra celery in the fridge!
Course: Side Dish
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients
▢ 4 stalks Celery, tough exteriors removed, sliced thinly at an angle See recipe notes
▢ 2 tbsp Celery leaves See recipe notes
▢ ¼ cup Hazelnuts, toasted, lightly chopped or crushed See recipe notes
▢ ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shaved thinly See recipe notes
▢ 2 tbsp Italian Parsley, roughly chopped Plus more for garnish
▢ FOR THE VINAIGRETTE
▢ 2 tbsp Olive Oil
▢ 1 tbsp Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
▢ 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
▢ ½ tsp Freshly Ground Pepper
▢ ½ tsp Flaky Sea Salt
▢ ⅓ tsp Honey
Instructions
Use a medium-sized bowl to compile this salad.
Remove the tough, stringy exteriors of the celery leaves with a vegetable peeler, add to the bowl
Chop enough of the leafy celery leaves from the center of the celery bunch for about two tablespoons, add to the bowl
Lightly crush the hazelnuts lightly with the bottom of heavy jar or a meat mallet, add to the bowl (unless making in advance, in which case, add just before serving)
Shave the Parmesan cheese, add to the bowl
Chop the Italian Parsley, add to the bowl
FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:
Add the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, pepper, salt and honey to a small jar and shake very well until combined.
Alternatively, put all the vinaigrette ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
TO SERVE:
Add the vinaigrette together with the salad ingredients and lightly toss to combine.
Let the whole mixture sit together in the bowl for 15 minutes, then lightly toss again and serve.
Notes
You can buy Oven Roasted and Unsalted Oregon Hazelnuts at Trader Joe’s.
Lightly crush the hazelnuts with a jar or heavy-bottomed glass or meat mallet.
For the Parmesan cheese, use a vegetable peeler and lightly shave into thin strips to make a quarter cup.
Reserve some of the leafy pieces of celery from the middle of the bunch to chop and add to the salad bowl. The leaves have a lot of great flavor, and look pretty on the plate, too.
This refreshing salad is super compatible with any protein cooked on a grill, as well as roasted meats or baked fish, and it stays fresh in the fridge overnight – just add the hazelnuts just before serving.