Celery Salad with lentils, dates and almonds – a delicious make-ahead salad that keeps for several days in the fridge, perfect for midweek lunches or gatherings. Keep it vegan or add shaved pecorino!
I’ve had a bit of a celery fetish happening lately! Here it is the star of the salad paired with lentils and dates and crunchy almonds. Shaved pecorino adds a delicious depth but if going vegan, feel free to leave it out. The nice thing is you can make a batch to have on hand during the busy week, because it actually tastes great, if not better, a couple of days later! I thought my husband would snub this but he wholeheartedly gobbled it up. Always the true test. 🙂
Celery is so underrated! I love its crunchy salty texture and here in this salad it becomes the backbone for the other delicious ingredients.
This recipe was in inspired by an old classic over at Bon Appetit that I fiddled with by adding the lentils and toasted cumin seeds.
The salty celery, the sweet dates, the toasted crunch almonds and the subtle spice all work together well.
Give it a whirl and see what you think!
On the homefront: We are driving up the Pacific Coast soaking up the salty sea air. It’s been rainy, sunny, misty, windy – each day a surprise. Even though the forecast has called for rain for most of our trip, I’ve been amazed at the glimmers of light in between all the clouds. The blue patches of sky that show up unexpectedly.
One dazzling morning we woke up to a rainbow, end to end over the great blue sparkling ocean, filling us with such amazement. The forecast never predicted that, nor will it ever.
Wherever this finds you, whatever the weather, find the amazement.
So easy, so tasty! Who knew Celery Salad could taste this good?
xoxo
More recipes you may like:
Handmade Ceramic Serving Dish available at Bowl and Pitcher!
Celery Salad with Lentils, Dates and Almonds
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: salad, vegan adaptable
- Method: tossed
- Cuisine: moroccan
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked, cold lentils ( 3/4 cup dry)
- 6–8 celery stalks, thinly sliced at a diagonal, save the leaves ( 4 cups sliced)
- 8 Medjool dates, finely chopped
- 3 green onions, sliced at a diagonal
- 1/2 cup toasted slivered ( or macrona) almonds
- 1/4 cup shaved pecorino (or parmesan) cheese ( optional, but tasty)
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2–3 teaspoons honey or maple
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted, crushed (or use ground cumin)
- salt and pepper to taste
- aleppo chili flakes, to taste (or regular chili flakes)
Instructions
To cook lentils, place 3/4 cup dry lentils in a medium pot filled with 3 cups of salted water. Bring to a boil, cover, simmer on low until tender, 20-25 minutes. ( Small lentils will cook faster, check after 15 minutes). Drain, cool.
Place salad ingredients in a serving bowl. Add dressing ingredients, tossing gently and well to combine.
Taste. Adjust salt, sweetness and spice level to your liking. Give the salad a little time for flavors to meld ( 10-15 minutes) and re-taste, adjusting.
Notes
If making ahead, be sure to taste again, right before serving- the lentils have a tendency to soak up the salt, so you may need to add more if serving the next day.
Lentils: Any whole lentil will work- I prefer smaller lentils like French Green Lentils or Black Caviar Lentils, but even standard brown lentils are fine here. Dont use split lentils.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 339
- Sugar: 26.4 g
- Sodium: 114.2 mg
- Fat: 14.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 10.1 g
- Cholesterol: 2.4 mg
This is such a well rounded delicious recipe it is going to be one of my go to dishes for any time of year.
Great to hear Robert!
Delicious, I eat it all the time!
Great to hear!