This version, lightly adapted from one in “Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook” by Sohla El Waylly, pops with flavor and crunch supplied by grapes, toasted walnuts, and blue cheese. It’s a sturdy alternative to flimsy lettuce salads and a great way to use up a half-bunch of celery before it dies in the crisper. It easily accommodates leftover bits of rotisserie chicken, boiled shrimp, hard-boiled egg, or other proteins to make it a nutrition-packed meal in itself. Serves 4. – Susan Puckett Ingredients Dressing:
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon mild honey
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus more, to taste
- Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
Salad:
- 8 medium celery stalks (leaves plucked and reserved)
- 1 small sweet, crisp apple, such as Gala or Fuji
- 1 cup seedless grapes
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped, toasted walnuts
- ¼ cup coarsely crumbled blue cheese
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mustard, honey, olive oil, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Make the salad: Thinly slice the celery crosswise on the diagonal. Core and thinly slice the apple. Cut the grapes in half. Add the celery, apple slices, and grape halves to the bowl of dressing and toss to combine. Taste and add more lemon juice, salt, and pepper if desired.
- Divide among serving plates, along with some of the dressing in the bowl. Top with blue cheese, nuts, and celery leaves, and serve. Leftovers may be stored for a day in a covered container in the refrigerator.
— Susan Puckett is an Atlanta-based food writer and cookbook author.