Description
A fresh and crunchy Simple Celery Apple Salad with Lemon Dressing that combines crisp celery and sweet honeycrisp apples with shaved Gruyere cheese, all tossed in a zesty lemon vinaigrette. This light and flavorful salad is perfect for a quick, nutritious snack or a refreshing side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 1 large bunch celery
- 2 medium apples (honeycrisp recommended)
- 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
- Prepare the lemon vinaigrette: Add all dressing ingredients—olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper—to a small bowl or jar with a lid. Whisk or shake well to thoroughly combine, then set aside.
- Prep the celery: Trim off any brown or broken ends from the celery stalks. Slice the celery into thin, bite-sized pieces. Chop the celery leaves finely if they look fresh and nice to use as garnish, reducing waste and adding flavor.
- Shave the Gruyere cheese: Using a standard vegetable peeler, shave the block of Gruyere cheese into thin slices for an elegant, easy-to-eat texture.
- Prepare the apples: Core and thinly slice the apples into manageable slices. Then cut those slices further into bite-sized pieces suitable for the salad.
- Toss the salad: In a large salad bowl, combine the chopped celery, apple pieces, shaved Gruyere, and celery greens. Whisk the dressing once more to re-emulsify, then pour it over the salad. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed, and toss everything gently but thoroughly to ensure even coating. Serve immediately for best freshness and flavor.
Notes
- Use fresh, crisp celery and sweet, firm apples like Honeycrisp for the best texture and flavor contrast.
- Gruyere cheese can be swapped with other semi-hard cheeses like Emmental or Comté if preferred.
- The salad is best enjoyed immediately as celery can lose its crunch when dressed for too long.
- For a vegan version, omit the cheese or substitute with a plant-based cheese alternative.
- Adjust maple syrup quantity in dressing to taste for desired sweetness.