Bright Shaved Vegan Celery Salad

Tangy, sweet, crunchy and bright, this vegan celery salad takes celery from the side of the plate and makes it the star of the show. The celery is crisp with it’s light, herbal flavor. It’s dressed with a miso lemon dressing with the perfect balance of salty and sweet, and just enough sour that you might feel it in your jaw. Simple and flavorful, this shaved celery salad makes the perfect spring or summer side.

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All About Celery

It’s surprising to me that after 8 years of writing recipes, this is the first one I’ve written featuring celery. And celery is actually one of my favorite vegetables. But I think that too often we think of celery as only belonging on plates of hummus and raw vegetables, or perhaps getting slathered with peanut butter and raisins. But with it’s delightful crunch and light, herby flavor, celery deserves a larger part of our plate.

Celery is the stalk of the plant, so can be a little stringy when you bite it. To avoid that stringiness, I recommend chopping your celery into pieces along the diagonal. Celery can be eaten raw, and is also excellent in soups and sautés. I have honestly never tried roasted celery, but have found some recipes for it. I’ll give it a shot in the near future, but I suspect roasted celery will not be the peak preparation. Sometimes celery comes with the leaves still attached- those leaves are perfectly edible. They can be eaten in salads, or dried as an herb. They are great for adding to soups of pots of beans for their fresh flavor.

Celery bunches that are a light green in color will be more tender with a milder flavor. More darkly colored celery will likely be a little more fibrous with a more intense flavor. Fresh celery should easily snap- as it ages it will wilt and bend rather than snap. To keep fresh, store in a loosely in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge. If your crisper drawer has the ability to control humidity, celery does best when a little more damp.

Nutritionally, celery is low in calories and high in fiber and water content. Celery contains several antioxidants, vitamins A, C, and K, as well as a good amount of potassium, folate, and calcium.

Looking for Single Star Salads? Try one of these!

(these are salad recipes focused on a single main vegetable instead of a mix of them)

• Vegan Spicy Korean Radish Salad
• Curry Leaf Indian Carrot Salad
• Massaged Chard Salad
• Simple Wilted Cucumber Salad Recipe
• Green Bean Salad with Truffle Oil
• Vegan Miso Napa Cabbage Slaw
• Seaside Vegan Beet Salad
• Smashed Vegan Cucumber Salad
• Indian-Spiced Vegan Warm Pumpkin Salad
• Rainbow Slaw: Swiss Chard Stem Recipe

Vegan Celery Salad Tips and Tricks

• The most important bit about this recipe is how you cut your celery. For the best bite, make your slices thin and cut on the bias (diagonally). A mandolin works perfectly for even, thin slices, but you can also get it done with a good, sharp knife and a little bit of time.
• If your celery comes with leaves, don’t throw them out- throw them in! Finely chopped, celery leaves add a little textural variation to this recipe.
• I like to combine my salad dressing ingredients in the bowl before adding the vegetables- you can easily mix the ingredients together (making sure you have no clumps of miso paste), before adding the celery on top and tossing well. That way there is one less dish to clean.
• We used Vidalia onions in our salad for a delicate, sweet onion flavor. For a bit more pop (both in color and in flavor), you could use red onions or shallots.
• This salad tastes good right away, but it’s best after being left to sit (refrigerated) for a few hours. It’s a great one to make up the day before.

Bright Shaved Vegan Celery Salad

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