Shaved Celery and Fennel Salad
maryvelasquez
Photo by James Ransom
- Serves
- 4
I eat some version of this salad every day for lunch, but this is the version that I make for special occasions. When possible, I get celery for this recipe from the farmer's market. It's thinner, greener and leafier than your average grocery store celery, with an intense celery flavor. I'm addicted. The toasted celery seeds and hazelnuts work well with the cool vegetables. I add slices of blue cheese or avocado slices to the salad for my lunch or serve it as is as a side to roast chicken or fish.
Ingredients
Shaved Celery and Fennel Salad
- 1 bulb fennel
- 4 stalks celery (at least one per person) with some of the leaves
- 6 large radishes
- 1 head butter lettuce
- 1/3 cup whole toasted hazelnuts
- 1 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
Shallot-Sherry Vinaigrette
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1/4 cup good olive oil
- 2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1 teaspoon mustard, dijon, whole grain, any kind really
- salt, to taste
Featured Video
This salad is great for winter or spring entertaining. Use a mandoline to get a very thin slice for the celery, radishes and fennel. The toasted spices and hazlenuts with the sherry-shallot vinaigrette create a spicy flavor you've never had with any other salad! I like a combination of both Dijon and grain mustard in the vinaigrette.
Directions
Instructions
- Step 1
Core the fennel bulb and trim the celery stalks and radishes. Slice the fennel, celery and radishes as thinly as you like. I use the 1 mm blade of the food processor when cooking for a crowd.
- Step 2
Gently pull the lettuce up into bite-sized pieces and add to a shallow bowl with the fennel, celery and radishes.
- Step 3
Heat a small skillet until very hot. Add the celery seed and peppercorns and remove from heat. Toss the ingredients a little; they should be toasty and fragrant.
- Step 4
Using a mortar and pestle, crush the celery seeds, peppercorns and coarse salt until grainy and well combined. Add the hazelnuts and crush lightly, just until they break into halves.
- Step 5
Combine the chopped shallot, sherry vinegar, olive oil and mustard in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add salt to taste.
- Step 6
Drizzle the shallot-sherry vinaigrette over the salad and toss. Season the salad with the toasted celery-seed peppercorn salt and hazelnuts. You won't need all of it. Taste to correct. Enjoy!