Parmesan Celery Salad Recipe


We're getting ready for an excursion to the beach. It seems to be the popular thing to do around here. Every conversation is a rotation of "we're going to... just came back from...the beach." And yet I'm feeling lukewarm or perhaps even cold to the idea. My mind is on San Francisco, New York, Portland and Boston, and if I thought bigger, Paris, London and Tokyo, places that more likely inspire excitement than relaxation. We'll put this workaholic to the R&R test this week as iPhones, iPads and Macbooks get tucked away. Will the absence of noise drive me bonkers? Will I be so tormented by the calm that I surreptitiously pull out a pile of accounting books to avoid the gentle rocking of the ocean? I certainly hope not but there is a part of me that wonders: how did this California girl not inherit the beach bum gene? Odd.
While I dig around for that beach bum gene, I present you with a light summer salad composed of crisp thin slices of celery, beans integrated with sweet currants, crunchy slices of toasted almonds and a splash of sunny lemon Parmesan dressing. It's a simple salad that calls for very few ingredients but is surprisingly good and satisfying.

Parmesan Celery Salad Recipe
From 101 Cookbooks
Ingredients
  • 8 large celery stalks, stripped of strings 
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 
  • 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for topping 
  • 1 1/2 cups / 10 oz / 285 g cooked cannellini or garbanzo beans, heated (home-cooked is recommended)
  • 3 tablespoons currants (or golden raisins) 
  • 1/2 cup / 1 1/2 oz / 40 g sliced almonds, deeply toasted 
  • sea salt
  • freshly chopped herbs (or herb flowers), or reserved celery leaves 
Method
Slice the celery stalks quite thinly - 1/8-inch or so. Then, in a small bowl, make a paste with the olive oil, lemon juice, and Parmesan. Set aside. In a large bowl toss the heated beans with the olive-Parmesan mixture. When well combined, add the celery, currants, and most of the almonds. Toss once more. Taste and add a bit of salt if needed. Serve in a bowl or platter topped with herb flowers and/or celery leaves.
Serves 4-6.

23 comments:

  1. Love a good celery salad! I need this now!

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  2. This salad look nice and delicious!

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  3. This salad is right up my alley, plus I have got all the ingredients handy save for the cheese; you made me smile, had no idea you were not into the beach and bumming. Driven hey?

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  4. Beans are great salads for picnics or the beach and you don't have to worry about mayonnaise. Love the Parmesan that you've included. I seem to forget about it when I make bean salads. Thanks for the reminder.
    Sam

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  5. What a fresh option for a salad - the crispness and clean flavor of celery is summer all the way!

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  6. sounds absolutely perfect!Have a good day...

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  7. Unusual salad--I so rarely make something with celery as the featured ingredient. It sounds delicious. Once you make your escape, you'll be relieved to have tucked technology away and just enjoy being by the ocean. have fun!

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  8. Christine, this salad comes in handy, I am trying to eat less carbs and so I am on a watch for delicious, wholesome salads. I love the mixture of raisins, almonds and Parmesan.

    Have an awesome weekend :)

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  9. My husband loves celery more than I do but we all love salads like this. And why do I never think to add either raisins or slivered almonds? This is one great salad! Enjoy your family time!

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  10. I'll send some beach bum energy your way. I have plenty. The salad looks perfect for a beach picnic. Have a great time.

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  11. I need a few light salads to shed a few pounds, so thank you for posting this. Enjoy the peace and quiet and keep the electronic devices under lock and key. Enjoy! :-)

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  12. great salad and i like your destinations have fun at the beach though

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  13. I'm not really a beach person either, unless I'm lying in a hammock underneath a shady tree. It's too hot out, the water too cold, and there's too much sand! What kind of teenager am I...?

    This parmesan celery salad looks amazing. I love how you've got the sweet, salty, sour, crunchy, cheesy thing going on with the currants, and sea salt, and lemon juice, and parmesan.

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  14. looks so crisp and yummy and healthy. thanks for the recipe!!

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  15. You know, I just got some old-fashioned celery (greener and smaller from Union SQ) and would love to try it in this salad... I don't use celery as a focal point enough... always as an addition.
    Do you know that they only used to eat the tops of the celery and tossed the stems? Go figure.

    Great , beautiful dish

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  16. I think I love the idea of the beach more than actually being at the beach. Although, having my toes in sand and a book in my hands isn't a bad thing at all. And, this salad would make a great lunch at the beach!

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  17. So nice to see celery used, its always so refreshing!

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  18. This seems like such a wonderful salad full of texture and eye appeal.

    I hope you enjoyed the beach. As a child I loved the beach, as a young adult not so much, but now that I'm a mom of two I can appreciate any opportunity to relax.

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  19. What a lovely fresh salad! Looks like a lot of great textures.

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  20. I was born in Michigan, but definitely am a beach bum!
    Would love to take a container of this crisp salad and a good book to the beach.

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  21. I do hope you are relaxing and enjoying the beach! I have a hard time turning off all the things I need to do in my brain also and finding that freedom to just sit.

    What a lovely salad. I love the crunch of celery and leave it to Heidi Swanson to make a healthy and delicious salad from it.

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  22. Celery is under appreciated. This salad looks terrific.
    LL

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