Festive Celery, Cauliflower & Apple Salad ♥

Festive Celery, Cauliflower and Apple Salad, another simple, fresh & healthy salad ♥ AVeggieVenture.com
graphic button small size size 10 Today's simple, healthy salad recipe: Just celery, apple and cauliflower tossed with toasted nuts, dried fruit and a lemony vinaigrette. The freshness and crunch are so appreciated during the usual rich foods served during the holidays but it's also one of my favorite salads to throw together for supper at the last minute, especially during apple season or when a fresh bunch of celery is especially pretty. Seasonal but also a Year-Round Kitchen Staple. Easy Weeknight Supper. Low Carb. Low Fat. Weight Watchers Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real. Naturally Gluten Free. graphic button small size size 10

For some reason, my annual cookie swap created an unusual level of angst: I couldn't decide what to bake. I couldn't decide what to serve.

So absolutely everything was decided and prepared at the very last second and when my friends started to arrive at ten o'clock on Saturday, the floor wasn't swept (oh well), the Christmas carols weren't programmed (oh dear) ... and even the simple planned salad wasn't gonna happen.

I recruited my friend Ann to pour the champagne while I improvised a quick salad, skipping the greens and spending just a few minutes chop-chopping. Voila! There it was, a great winter salad that I will definitely make again.

The salad's vinaigrette was a great way to showcase some fancy new bottles of "artisanal extra virgin olive oil". The packaging is spectacular! The bottles are tall and slender, like the graceful fingers of a pianist. The wood box's top slides into place through grooves on the side; my packrat nephew is going to love finding it in his Christmas stocking! And the bottles are protected by piles of zig zags of thin-cut brown paper, like crinkly fries for shipping. I was recently lucky to share a promotional offer from the company (no longer in business, sorry) with a handful of friends and we were ALL impressed, truly. At the cookie swap, we poured small pools of the a "fragrant and fruity" vintage from Greece onto our plates and dipped our fingers. Oh my ... olive oil like I've never before experienced! Olive oil for a Christmas gift? It's going on the list!

But back to the salad. For a brunch, consider erring toward fruit, for a supper, toward celery and cauliflower. I added toasted/salted walnuts and dried tart cherries – from Trader Joe's, just gorgeous, I like them better than dried cranberries these days. You could easily slip in some feta cheese.

RECIPE for FESTIVE CELERY, CAULIFLOWER & APPLE SALAD

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 10 minutes
Serves as many as needed

SALAD
Celery (green parts, preferably), chopped small, maybe on an angle
Apple (any color, green would be especially pretty), chopped small
Few pieces raw cauliflower, chopped small
Toasted walnuts, chopped
Dried tart cherries, chopped

VINAIGRETTE
(enough for about 3 cups/6 servings, I think)
Juice of a lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon good mustard
1 teaspoon honey or to taste (for vegan, use agave)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Chop the salad ingredients. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients. Toss together no more than 30 minutes before serving.

MAKE-AHEAD This is a great last-minute salad but it can be started ahead of time. Chop the celery and cauliflower, refrigerate until ready to serve. Chop the nuts and cherries, set aside until ready to serve. Mix the Vinaigrette but keep separate, preferably at room temperature so the olive oil doesn't clump up. Up to 30 minutes ahead of serving, chop the apple, then toss with the remaining Salad ingredients and the Vinaigrette.

ALANNA'S TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES
SERVING SIZE Allow about a half cup per serving, if you're "plating" the salad, you may want more/less depending on what else is on the menu and especially on the serving plate.
RED CABBAGE? Good eyes! The photo shows bits of very thinly sliced red cabbage, it made for pretty presentation!



A Veggie Venture - Printer Friendly Recipe Graphic



Still Hungry?



QUICK! QUICK! MORE RECIPES WITH THESE INGREDIENTS

celery apples cauliflower nuts

MORE FAVORITE CELERY SALAD RECIPES

~ Celery Salad with Dates & Walnuts ~
~ Celery & Chickpea Salad ~
~ Watermelon & Celery Salad with Honey-Lime Vinaigrette ~
~ more celery recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture

SEASONAL EATING: THIS SAME WEEK ACROSS THE YEARS

(ha! so few! who's excited about vegetables the week before Christmas?!)

Festive Celery, Cauliflower and Apple Salad Turkey Florentine Pumpkin Fruitcake My Best & Favorite Sweet Potato Recipes

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the
famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

© Copyright Kitchen Parade 2006 & 2018


Alanna Kellogg
Alanna Kellogg

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

Comments

  1. Isn't that olive oil divine? I also received a promotional box of it, and I was very impressed. I used the "green and grassy" variety to make a simple pasta aglio e oglio, and it was a real treat. What a great gift for food lovers!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Celery, apple and cauliflower are so lovely together. Salad looks great.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I could make that for lunch tomorrow, I've got al the ingredients (I love when that happens).

    What a good idea!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Susan ~ I'm looking forward to tasting the others, yes!

    Tanna ~ The cauliflower was a last-minute addition but it completely worked.

    Mimi ~ Me too! It's a great lunch salad, yes!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love the olive oil!

    Merry Christmas Alanna!!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe, whether a current recipe or a long-ago favorite. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. ~ Alanna