I don't know about you, but this time of year makes me want to eat a lot of salads. I try to have at least one or two a day. It's a nice way to get lots of vegetables into my diet. I'm also a fan of raw vegetables, so salads work for me. I try to look for produce that is seasonal and as local as possible to get the best flavours.
By spring, I'm totally ready for some new, lighter salad combinations after months of hearty greens and root vegetables. Celery, I feel is an unsung ingredient. It's most often used in combination with carrots, onions, etc., but is so good on it's own or as part of a veggie crudités platter. I like the crunchiness and almost nut-like flavour of celery that increases in intensity as you eat the stalks closest to the centre, or the heart. And don't even think about throwing away the leaves. Keep them and add them to salads or use for a garnish.
Celery is also incredibly nutritious. It's high in fibre, helps protect against inflammation in the digestive tract, contains vitamins such as A, C & K and holds antioxidant properties. Also, it's very low in calories, so get munching!
To complement the crunch and gentle nuttiness of the celery in this recipe, combine the soft, sweetness of dates. I spend a lot of time in Palm Springs and have visited a number of date farms. After taste-testing many different kinds of dates, Medjool are my absolute favourite. Medjool dates are plumper and have more meat to them, making them perfect for salads and to use in cooking.
I hope you try this spring salad and love it as much as I do!
Enjoy!
Krista
Best Ever Celery Date Salad
Ingredients
8 celery stalks sliced on the bias into 1 inch pieces (keep the leaves & add them to the salad too - they have amazing flavour!)
8 dates pitted, halved and then chopped (I used Medjool)
2 tablespoons of chopped almonds
1/4 teaspoon aleppo pepper, or ancho chile powder
2 tablespoons lemon juice (juice of about 1 lemon)
Zest of one lemon
2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, depending on how much dressing you want
Flaky sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to finish
Parmesan cheese, a few wide shavings to top salad
Method
Slice celery and place on a serving plate. Add chopped dates and pistachios to celery mixture. In a small bowl, whisk dressing together: lemon juice, zest, olive oil and aleppo pepper. Drizzle dressing as needed on top of celery mixture. Top with flaky salt, pepper and parmesan cheese shavings.
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