Creamy Celery Root Salad with Apple

A fresh and light celery root salad is the perfect winter side dish. Crisp apple and raw grated celery root tossed in a light, creamy dressing is delicious, simple, and quick. 

Celery root (also known as celeriac) is that unappreciated vegetable my family has fallen in love with lately. I recently made it into a creamy celery root soup, just one of many ways to cook it, but it’s also really good in its raw, pure form.  

When sliced or grated it has a fantastic crisp flavor, similar to celery but with that subtle root veggie nuttiness we all love. This celery root salad is a perfect example of how easy it is to enjoy that way.  

I combined it with a creamy, tangy dressing and shredded apple to create a coleslaw-like salad. It delivers a light and clean flavor as a sandwich or taco topping, or can be eaten as a side with those hearty meals we all cook in the winter.  

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Most of the ingredients are pantry staples you probably have.
• The whole recipe takes just 15 minutes to prepare.
• Highlights two winter ingredients to create a bright and fresh dish on cold days.
• Goes well with pulled pork, roasted beef or chicken, tacos and much more!

Ingredients

You might be curious about what celery root is, I was! To put it simply, it’s a root from the same family as the traditional green stalks of celery. But we don’t eat the stalks from this plant, just the brown, knobby root. Inside is a white, crisp flesh that tastes clean and mild.  

It’s the star of this dish, but to make the recipe perfect, here’s everything you’ll need.  

• Celery Root – you’ll need about 1.5 pounds worth to get the 3 grated cups we want.
• Apple – I used a red, sweet apple, but any crisp variety you have will work.
• White Wine Vinegar – if you don’t have this, apple cider, red wine, champagne, or rice wine vinegar are all options.
• Plain yogurt – you can also use sour cream if you prefer.
• Dijon mustard – it’s hard to replace the tang of dijon, but yellow mustard or a stone ground type will do if that’s what you have.
• Parsley – finely chop it to add a touch of herbaceousness to the dressing.
• Salt & Pepper – season the dressing to taste with both.

Preparing, Serving & Storing  

Recipes like this don’t need much instruction. You simply grate the celery root and apple, combine all the remaining ingredients for the dressing and season it to taste. Then toss the salad and dressing together and serve.

The light dressing is tangy so you can serve it like coleslaw on the side of ribs, braised meats, or curries. Or layer your turkey burgers and shrimp tacos with a scoop for a crunchy texture and bright flavor.  

Like most slaw recipes, the flavor will improve over a day or two.  It’s a great idea to make it in the morning for dinner, so the flavors have time to meld together. Once mixed, store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. It might lose some texture after that.  

However you choose to enjoy it, I hope this celeriac salad inspires you to pick up those gnarled brown root veggies and try out more celery root recipes. They’re inexpensive, and a great way to deliver flavor and nutrition to different meals easily.  

Don’t forget to check out my other grated winter salad recipes for more inspiration while you’re here!  

• Red Cabbage Apple Salad
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts Pomegranate Salad
• Apple Walnut Fennel Salad