Sweet & Savory Celery Salad

Crunchy, chewy, sweet, and savory - this salad is a year-round staple in our house. Gone are the days of the sad little garden salad lazily thrown together as an afterthought on the menu. This recipe is so easy to make and absolutely DELICIOUS! It has all the flavors and textures.

Something to know: I love love LOVE salad. I don’t eat salad just because it’s healthy or low carb or a better alternative or this or that. That's all great and I love eating healthy because it makes me feel so good, but I choose a yummy salad from the menu because it's a personal fav. I love the creativity that comes with building a salad, and I enjoy that every single bite is going to be a little bit different. There are limitless options for flavors, textures, and keeping things interesting. You can eat a different salad literally at every meal, every single day of your life, and that’s the kind of variety I’m down with.

There are a few things I love about this Sweet & Savory Celery Salad in particular. Like I always say, I crave different flavors and textures in my food -- a little crunchy and toasty here, a little chewy and sweet there. You get my drift. I go crazy for is a sweet and salty touch on my salads. The combo of chewy sweet dates, crispy crunchy salty celery, savory toasted nuts, and some spice from the onion and chili flakes makes this one of my absolute favssss. The cilantro and celery leaves add a herbaceous flavor into the mix, too.

I can't say enough. It’s just SO good!!! I make it all the time -- I’m actually eating it right now. I hope you try this simple and delicious recipe out and love it just as much!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 4-6 Servings

Ingredients

½ cup raw nuts, toasted and then roughly chopped (my favs: pistachios, walnuts, pecans)

½ teaspoon olive oil

Flaky salt

12 celery stalks, cut into angled bite-size pieces

Any leaves from the celery bunch

½ cup dates, pitted and sliced vertically into thin strips

1 cup thinly sliced red or sweet onion (or half of each!)

½ cup roughly chopped cilantro

½ teaspoon chili flakes (more or less depending on your heat preference)

Flaky salt to taste

*Dressing suggestions: I squeeze some fresh lemon juice and drizzle some olive oil over this salad, but you can also use balsamic vinegar or your fav homemade or bottled dressing. Whatever you like!

Directions

Toast the Nuts:

1. Bring a sauté pan to medium heat. Add the nuts, olive oil, and a little sprinkle of flaky salt.

2. Toast for 5-6 minutes, tossing a few times so the nuts toast evenly and to avoid burning them.

3. Transfer nuts to a cutting board and allow to cool for 2 minutes. Then chop roughly. Place aside.

Build the Salad:

1. Add celery, dates, onion, and cilantro to a bowl and toss.

2. Sprinkle the nuts on top and lightly stir in. This will coat the salad very lightly with that toasty flavor.

3. Sprinkle with chili flakes and flaky salt to taste.

4. Dress, toss, (dressing suggestions above), and enjoy!