The Best Crunchy Celery Salad with Creamy Pecan Dressing
Make this surprisingly addictive celery salad. It is a quick, no-cook recipe that delivers amazing crunch and fresh flavor, perfect as a healthy side dish or light lunch.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 5 min
- Total Time: 15 min
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped and toasted
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the celery by slicing the stalks thinly across the grain. Place the sliced celery in a large bowl.
- Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 to 5 minutes until fragrant. Watch them closely to prevent burning. Let them cool slightly.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and sugar until smooth. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.
- Add the toasted pecans and dried cranberries to the bowl with the celery.
- Pour the dressing over the celery mixture. Toss gently until all ingredients are evenly coated.
- Chill the salad for at least 15 minutes before serving to let the flavors combine and maintain maximum crunch.
Notes
- For a Mediterranean twist, add 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese and a tablespoon of fresh parsley.
- If you prefer a lighter dressing, substitute half of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt.
- This salad works well served as a quick no cook salad or as an appetizer.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 180
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 15
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 11
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 3
- Cholesterol: 9