Creamy Apple Salad with Celery and Fennel
- PREP 10min
- TOTAL 10min
Who said you need lettuce to make a salad? This easy apple salad with celery and fennel is crisp, fresh, creamy, and delicious. Serve this on the side or as a bed for grilled or roasted meats or to keep it vegetarian, try topping with roasted root vegetables or squash. We love using a crisp apple like Granny Smith, Fiji, or Honeycrisp. Taste the apples you are using first, if it seems on the tart side, consider adjusting the dressing with a little more honey or maple syrup.
You Will Need
Apple Salad
2 medium apples, cored and thinly sliced
3 stalks celery, peeled and sliced, see notes
1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
1 scallion or 4 chives, chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup pecans, hazelnuts or walnuts, lightly toasted, see notes
Salad Dressing
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons crème fraîche or substitute sour cream, mayonnaise or plain yogurt, see notes
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Directions
In a large salad bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, and honey or maple syrup until blended. Gradually add the oil, whisking constantly, until the dressing looks well blended and creamy.
Whisk in the crème fraîche, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh ground black pepper. Taste, and then adjust with additional salt, vinegar or sweetener.
Add the sliced apples, celery, fennel, scallions or chives, dill, and the nuts. Toss well.
If you have any fennel fronds — the wispy tops of the fennel stalk that look similar to dill — scatter a few over the salad, and then serve.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Peeling celery is optional, but will remove the tough, sometimes stringy outer surface. Use a vegetable peeler to peel each stalk until the outer layer is smooth.
- Substituting crème fraîche — It tastes like a creamy slightly less tangy sour cream. Mayo, sour cream, and plain yogurt will work in its place. When substituting with sour cream or yogurt, you may need to increase the honey or maple syrup slightly to balance the extra tartness.
- To toast the nuts, spread the nuts out in an even layer on a sheet pan, and slide them them into a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven. Toast 6 to 8 minutes or until they smell toasty, shaking the pan halfway during cooking.
- Optional add-ins: Try tossing in some chopped kale or spinach, add extra punch and creaminess with cheese (blue cheese or goat cheese is perfect), or try crumbling in some cooked bacon or pancetta.
- Nutrition Facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
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