Recipe: Celery Salad with Apples, Pecans, Raisins & A Dijon Blue Cheese Dressing
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Sometimes a simple salad is all you need, especially when it has the right mix of textures and flavors. I had leftover apple, red onion, and blue cheese from my roasted Brussels sprouts salad and wanted to make something fast, fresh, and light. This salad came together in minutes, no cooking—just chopping, mixing, and tossing. It’s crisp, a little tangy, a little sweet, and makes for the perfect light lunch, side dish, or healthy snack.
Like I always say, be creative. If you have another ingredient you love, add it in. I always eyeball a recipe and tweak it as I go, and I highly recommend doing the same. Taste as you mix, adjust where needed, and make it your own.
For prep, I used my Epicurean cutting board from Sur la Table (super durable and easy to clean, also on Amazon) and my Birchwood Miyabi Kaizen knives to get everything prepped in under five minutes.
What’s in This Salad?
Celery – Crisp, refreshing, and the perfect crunch base
Julienned Apples – Adds a fresh sweetness and a little tartness
Red Onion – A sharp bite that balances the flavors
Raisins – Naturally sweet and chewy for a little contrast
Chopped Pecans – Buttery and nutty for added texture
Blue Cheese Dressing – Creamy, tangy, and slightly sweet
Chopped Celery & Apple Salad with Raisins, Pecans, and Blue Cheese Dressing
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 1
Salad Ingredients
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- ¼ apple, julienne cut
- A small amount of red onion, diced (adjust to taste)
- 2-3 tbsp unsweetened raisins (These give the perfect balance of sweetness in between all the tangy flavors)
- 2-3 tbsp chopped pecans
- ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1-2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup (I had maple syrup on hand and loved the balance it added)
- ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt to taste (I used truffle salt for extra flavor)
- Cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop the celery, julienne the apple, dice the red onion, and measure out the raisins and pecans.
- In a small bowl, mash the blue cheese and mix in the olive oil, salt, peppper, dijon mustard and maple syrup until combined.
- Add all the prepped ingredients to the dressing and toss well to ensure everything is evenly coated.
- Plate your salad on your favorite tableware—I love using porcelain because it makes even a simple meal feel special.
Tips & Ideas
Use a crisp apple like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith for the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness.
For extra crunch, toast the pecans lightly in a dry pan before adding them.
Make it heartier by adding grilled chicken or baked tofu.
If you love a stronger blue cheese flavor, add extra crumbles on top before serving.
You can use walnuts if you don’t like or have pecans
