Apple Celery Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
Quick and easy celery apple salad recipe brings crunch and color to the table with its refreshing flavor. Crisp apples, snappy celery, tart cranberries, and warm toasted pecans are tossed with a bright Maple Dijon vinaigrette. The sweet and savory balance makes this celery apple salad great on its own or next to your go-to entrées.
Why This Salad Shines
- Big crunch, fresh flavor, simple ingredients
- Ready in minutes, no fancy tools
- Sweet, tangy, and nutty in every bite
- Meal prep friendly for busy weeks
- Easy to scale for parties and holidays
Here’s What You Will Need
Ingredient List
For the dressing:
- Dijon mustard
- Real maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
- Red wine vinegar
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
For the Salad:
- Pecans, roughly chopped, divided
- Celery stalks (preferably organic), sliced
- Celery leaves (from stalks), roughly chopped
- Apple, chopped
- Dried cranberries
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, shaved
How to Make Apple Celery Salad
- Prepare: Make the vinaigrette and toast the almonds in a medium skillet.
- Chop the apples, celery and chop celery leaves.
- Place the celery, celery leaves, apple, toasted nuts and dried cranberries int a large mixing bowl.
- Add the dressing and serve.
Tips
- Toss the chopped apple with a few teaspoons of fresh lemon juice right after cutting the apples to keep them from turning brown.
- If the dressing tastes too sweet, balance it with Dijon mustard. If it’s too sharp, whisk in a drizzle of maple syrup.
- Shake the dressing ingredients in a jar for quicker and smoother blending.
How to Store the Salad
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For the best texture, keep the dressing on teh side and add just before serving. This will prevent sogginess in the salad. Be sure to coat the chopped apples with lemon juice before mixing to keep the apples from browning.
Grab your Free copy
Salad Dressing Cheat Sheet
Make homemade dressing anytime with this cheat sheet!
Recipe FAQs
Pink Lady, Fuji, Jazz and Honeycrisp hold their shape, taste bright and do not brown quickly and are good choices to use in salads.
Pack the dressing, cheese, and nuts separately. Toss right before eating.
More Salad Recipes to Enoy
Apple and Celery Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Salad Dressing
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons Real maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons Red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
Salad Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Pecans Roughly chopped, divided
- 6 large Celery stalks Sliced
- Celery leaves from stalks Chopped
- 1 large Apple Choped
- 1/4 cup Dried cranberries
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a jar or small bowl and whisk or shake to combine; set aside.
- Add chopped pecans to a skillet and heat for a few minutes to toast them.
- Place the chopped celery, apples, celery leaves, cranberries and 3 tablespoons pecans to a large salad bowl. Drizzle with the dressing.
- Serve garnished with remaining pecans and shaved parmesan.
