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Celery Salad

by Elizabeth Swoish
5 from 9 votes
Time: 10 minutes
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This one bowl Celery Salad is the best way to put your celery to good use. It’s loaded with crunchy celery, sweet cranberries, toasted pecans, and is coated in a rich and creamy dressing.

It’s a great side dish to all your favorite meals, or take it to your next potluck for an unexpected salad. I guarantee you will turn the celery haters in your life into celery lovers too!

A big bowl of Celery Salad and a spoon ready for serving. More chopped pecans, dried cranberries, and a bottle of red wine vinegar in the background.

I have turned multiple celery haters into celery lovers with this simple salad. Some say its the dressing, others say it’s the bright cranberry and toasty pecans, but really it’s all in the celery. So whether you have lots of celery hanging out in the refrigerator or you have some about to go bad, this salad is a great way to use 8 or more stalks.

Celery is by nature a crunchy, fibrous, and sometimes bitter vegetable. Most people find hard to eat, but I have a few secrets for you. One, if you cut celery on the diagonal it severs the fibers in just the right way that tenderizes the exterior. Two, the red wine vinegar in the dressing mellows out the bitter by making the water within the celery more sweet in flavor.

If you like this, then you will love my English Pea Salad. It’s also full of veggies and coated in a creamy dressing.

Celery Salad with red wine vinegar, more toasted pecans, and dried cranberries on the side. Serving spoons ready to scoop.

Celery Salad Ingredients

Below are all the ingredients you will need to make this celery salad recipe. I have included important notes and potential substitutions.

  • Celery: Be sure to wash, trim both ends of the celery stalks, and chop them on the diagonal into 1/4 inch pieces.
  • Dried Cranberries: Adds a sweet note to the salad, raisins or dried cherries taste great as well.
  • Pecans: Unsalted pecans that are lightly toasted taste best. You will also want to chop them into small, bite sized pieces. Feel free to use raw pecans if you don’t want to use toasted pecans, or spice things up with Cinnamon Candied Pecans.
  • Sour Cream: The base to our dressing. You can also use plain Greek yogurt to lighten things up.
  • Mayonnaise: Adds a richness to the dressing. Feel free to use your favorite brand, I use my homemade Avocado Oil Mayonnaise.
  • Dijon Mustard: This is for seasoning and flavor without adding a ton of other ingredients.
  • Red Wine Vinegar: Has a fruity tanginess that compliments the other ingredients in this salad. In a pinch you could substitute it for apple cider vinegar, but I do not recommend any other substitutions because it changes the flavor in the dressing a bit too much.
  • Salt and Black Pepper: Basic seasoning every salad needs. You can either follow my measurements or season the salad to your taste preferences.
Ingredients. Celery, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, mayonnaise, sour cream, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, salt, and black pepper.

How to Make Celery Salad

Here’s a quick overview of how to make this salad, so you can see how easy it is to make.

1. MAKE THE DRESSING AND ADD THE ADD-INS. In a large bowl, stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, salt and black pepper. Add the chopped celery, dried cranberries, and toasted pecans to the dressing.

2. TOSS TOGETHER AND REFRIGERATE. Toss the add-ins and dressing together until everything is well coated and evenly distributed. Throw your salad in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving. This helps the flavors build and marry together. It also slightly softens the celery and allows it to absorb some of the dressing.

Find the complete recipe instructions with measurements below.

Step 1. Combine dressing in a medium sized bowl and add chopped celery, dried cranberries, and toasted pecans.
Step 2. Combine salad until everything is well coated. Top with more toasted pecans and dried cranberries.

What to Serve With This Celery Salad

I love to serve this light and bright salad anywhere I’d serve a fresh garden salad. It pairs really well with my whole Herb Roasted Chicken, Pulled Pork Sliders, and these Cod Fish Sliders. But it’s also great with other pork, chicken, and fish dishes.

You can also eat it as a stand alone snack or lunch like I do. I have also added this to a blend of spinach and arugula to make a hearty leafy green salad.

Make Ahead and Storing Information

This Celery Salad is great for making ahead of time because it actually tastes better the longer it refrigerates. You can make it and store covered in the refrigerator up to 2 days before you plan on serving it. It is also great for portioning out and meal prepping up to 4 days out.

Any leftover salad should be stored in an airtight container and in the refrigerator. Freezing is not recommended. It is best to eat within 4 days, and don’t forget to give your salad a good toss before you plan on eating or serving it.

Creamy Salad with celery, toasted pecans, and dried cranberries. Large serving spoons on the side ready for scooping.

3 Helpful Recipe Tips

This Celery Salad is so easy to make, but here are a few tips to make it even better.

1. CHOP YOUR CELERY ON THE DIAGONAL. This may seem like a “style” choice for a prettier salad, but there is more to it. Cutting celery on the diagonal avoids a stringy texture. It also reduces bitterness because of how the celery fibers are severed.

2. DON’T SKIP THE REFRIGERATOR TIME. This is essential for building flavor in the celery salad. It also allows some time for the celery to slightly soften and soak up some of the dressing.

3. PRESENTATION IS EVERYTHING. I like to add additional toasted pecans, dried cranberries, and black pepper to make the top look pretty for serving. I do this right before serving and after I have refrigerated and tossed the salad.

A big bowl salad and a spoon ready for serving. Creamy dressing coated celery, toasted pecans, and dried cranberries.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

My celery is kind of soft, can I still use it?

Yes, if some of your celery has lost it’s snap and crunch it’s no problem. Celery naturally becomes soft from the moisture level in our refrigerators, but it will not negatively impact the salad.

More Salad Recipes You Might Like

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Enjoy Entirely, Elizabeth
A big bowl of creamy celery salad with dried cranberries and toasted pecans ready to eat.

Celery Salad

Turn the celery haters in your life into celery lovers. This simple Celery Salad with cranberries and pecans is crunchy, light, and so creamy. A great way to use leftover celery in a delicious way.
5 from 9 votes
Print
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Author Elizabeth Swoish
Course Salad, Side Dish
Servings 6 (1/4 cup servings)
Calories 87 kcal

INGREDIENTS
 
 

  • 8 ribs celery - thoroughly washed, chopped into 1/2" pieces
  • ⅓ cup dried cranberries
  • ⅓ cup pecans - roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise - or homemade Avocado Oil Mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
 

  • Heat chopped pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they are golden brown and begin to smell toasted. Stir frequently to prevent the nuts from burning.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, salt, and black pepper.
  • Add celery, dried cranberries, and toasted chopped pecans.
  • Toss the salad and dressing together until everything is well coated and combined.
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours. Lightly toss prior to serving.
    OPTIONAL: Top the salad with more dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and black pepper for presentation.

RECIPE NOTES

Storing Information:

  • Refrigerated, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days.
  • Freezing this Celery Salad is not recommended.

Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

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Did you try this recipe?Please take a minute to leave a rating and comment below. My community of readers appreciate it and I do too!
By Elizabeth Swoish on February 22nd, 2024
Elizabeth Swoish holding a camera up to her eye taking a photo.

About Elizabeth Swoish

Elizabeth Swoish is the founder and CEO of Entirely Elizabeth. She is a self-taught foodie and mocktail enthusiast with a business degree in data analytics. Read Elizabeth's journey or connect on your favorite social media channels.

20 thoughts on “Celery Salad”

  2. 5 stars
    This salad was the BEST!!! My husband had to recently switch to a renal/kidney friendly “diet” and ALL the ingredients were kidney friendly. I will make this again!! The only thing I did was substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream and it tasted wonderful.

    Reply

  4. Can’t wait to try, but I have a question. I have pickled red onions to use what dobyou think about using them? I thought of them because of the red wine vinegar in them. What do you think?

    Reply

    • Hi Lori,
      I think pickled red onions would be fabulous. The little bit of vinegar and sweet pairs well with the flavors in this salad.
      Give it a try and let us know!
      ~Elizabeth

    • 5 stars
      Elizabeth, this turned out wonderful!!! I did add 1tbsp of chopped pickled red onions. I only did half of the red wine vinegar because of the pickled onions. I didn’t have cranberries so used cherries. I didn’t have pecans so used pistachios and sunflower seeds. Otherwise I tried to stuck to recipe. I love the flavor and crispy celery. Thanks for sharing!!

  5. 5 stars
    Love this as is. I also tried it with adding a chopped green onion, chopped jalapeño, chopped fresh cranberries, and garlic pepper…very tasty!

    Reply

  6. 5 stars
    I’ve made this salad twice and both times for myself and a good friend. She and her hubby requested it again, because they love it. Your version is savory, which I enjoy. The second time I added diced onion, a few more Craisins and nuts, and a little bit of sweetener. Celery Salad has the crunchy texture I love with the pop of sweetness from the Craisins. It will be part of my regular recipes and I think it will be a hit at the next potluck, too!

    Reply

    • Hi Pat,
      I corrected the tip. I have added finely diced red onion which is why I wrote that.
      I decided to leave the red onion out when writing this recipe for you all because they can be overpowering.
      ~Elizabeth

  8. It sounds delicious. I have a question though, if I may? Under your 3 recipe tips, you add that refrigerator gives it time to soften the celery and the onion, but I didn’t see any onion in the ingredients. I love red and green onion. Have you tried it with either, because I would be OK to add it and play around with it a bit.? Either way, it sounds delicious and I love celery, and agree with you that it is way underrated. It’s a great recipe because I always use 2 or 3 stalks out of a whole bunch and I’m heartbroken when I have to throw it away because it gets soggy. Can’t wait to try it! Thank you for sharing this!

    Reply

    • Hi Christine,
      I am so sorry about that! I have added red onion in the past which is why I wrote it.
      I decided to leave it out when publishing this recipe for you all because they can be overpowering and if you don’t like red onion it can spoil the whole salad.
      Thank you for the compliment on the recipe, this one is a favorite! … And feel free to add red onion, just make sure it’s finely diced and you don’t add too much.
      ~Elizabeth

    • Hi Gerry,
      I am not sure because I have not tested this with store-bought dressings.
      I know you do not like sour cream, so you could leave it out and add a splash of milk. Or if you like plain Greek yogurt that is a good substitute as well.
      ~Elizabeth

  10. 5 stars
    I loved this salad for the crunch, creaminess, and savory with a touch of sweetness. I eat keto/carnivore, so this worked perfectly as a keto salad. One serving doesn’t have enough dried cranberries to throw me off plan and it gives me the crunch that I crave. It was a bit watery the next day as mentioned, so I drained off the liquid and added a bit more mayo and sour cream. It’s so quick and easy to make and next time I might add a bit of a sugar-free alternative for a sweeter taste. This a great recipe for a potluck, too!

    Reply

  11. 5 stars
    My husband ,who hates celery, loved this !! I was shocked! He thought it was delicious and wants me to make it again. It made him think of apple salad, which he loves. So thanks for a great recipe I will make again❤️

    Reply

  12. 5 stars
    This is delicious, I just bought in the salad dressing section a 3oz bag of dried cranberries mixed with honey roasted chopped pecans, cheaper and easier! Flavors and cruch is delicious, will make again! Oh and cut celery on a diagonal, good tip

    Reply

    • Hi Rebecca,
      Yes, of course! I recommend sunflower seeds or roasted chickpeas. You want something fatty and a little salty to add to the creamy, sweet, savory flavors.
      Hope this helps!
      ~Elizabeth

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