My Mother-In-Law’s Apple Celery Salad

Welcome to another week of awesome deliciousness 😋. Ok, this may sound a bit cheesy, but sometimes writing the first sentence of a new blog post is truly the hardest!! This week, I have an awesome, super juicy, delicious, and crunchy salad for you – a spin on one of my all-time favorites – my mother-in-law’s Apple Celery Salad.

Please do not get discouraged when you hear the word “celery” and “salad” mixed together. I promise you this recipe will more than surprise you. Both in terms of flavor, as well as uniqueness. It tastes amazing – but it is not something I have come across in a similar form taste-wise. And admittedly, my mother-in-law’s Apple Celery Salad was also what originally changed my affinity to celery.

In my husband’s family, this salad is usually served as a course on Christmas Eve. It is so good, that in fact, we asked for it to be served at our wedding. Whereas we still try and serve it on Christmas Eve, we also eat it year-round now because… well if it is delicious and tastes good – so why not 😉?! Originally, this recipe is made with mayonnaise, but I changed it to an “Avonaise” (self-titled for Avocado-naise) to make it a bit more nutrient-dense and also accessible for all dietary requirements. In addition, you can pair this beauty with any kind of protein – meat or fish, as well as eggs or some seared tempeh. Similar to last week’s recipe Roasted Red Pepper Soup – the world is your oyster on this one 😇!

Why is my Mother-In-Law’s Apple Celery Salad good for you?

Apple

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away… well there is a lot of truth to that one! Apples are high in Vitamin C, K, and Potassium. They are an excellent source of phytonutrients, antioxidants, as well as a fiber called “pectin”. Pectin slows down how fast food moves through our digestive tract. This, in turn, allows our blood sugar levels to remain stable, especially directly after food consumption. Apples are also awesome for our gut health. Recent research indicates, that polyphenols found in apples are able to travel almost unharmed all the way through the lower intestine. It is there that they are able to positively influence our gut microbiome. In addition, apples are awesome for our cardiovascular health. When consuming apples daily, it has shown to decrease oxidized “bad” cholesterol levels and may also decrease “bad” cholesterol levels overall. By the way – in order to receive the full benefits of this antioxidant superstar – be sure to consume both the flesh, as well as the peel.

Celery

Crunchy, tangy, and – I find – rather satisfying. Celery can be a great addition to your diet! It is high in Vitamin C, but also has a lot of other antioxidants (you can learn more in The Science Behind Antioxidants), amongst others beta carotene, and flavonoids. Celery has some awesome anti-inflammatory benefits, which appear to be particularly strong in the digestive tract itself. It is believed that most of Celery’s anti-inflammatory benefits come from phytonutrients that are part of the phenolic antioxidant category. Given its amazing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, scientists are also looking into Celery’s ability to protect against cardiovascular diseases. Reducing oxidative stress (which is largely done on a diet rich in antioxidants) and inflammation in the cardiovascular system appears promising but further studies involving humans need to be conducted here. What we do know is that Celery loses a lot of its antioxidant power when being in the fridge longer than 5 – 7 days. It is also recommended to chop it up fresh before using in order to reap the maximum amount of nutrients.

Avocado

I have not raved about this amazing superfood in a while! Avocado is rich in vitamin K, C, and E as well as potassium and folate. Avocados are anti-inflammatory and super high in monounsaturated fats, which is great for your heart health. They have also shown to decrease oxidative stress and “bad” cholesterol levels, which further supports your heart health. Most of Avocado’s phytonutrients are actually in the places you would not anticipate them – near the peel and in the pit. This does not mean that you are not getting any benefits from eating the pulp – but it does mean that you should try and scrape as close to the peel as possible 😉. A recent study has shown that carotenoids (another important antioxidant for our health), are absorbed a lot better when eaten with Avocado. This is mainly because they need a fat source for optimal conversation in the body. So avocado-up buttercup 🥰.

My Mother-In-Law’s Apple Celery Salad

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Ann Robejsek Course: MainCuisine: CzechDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

My mother-in-law’s Apple Celery Salad is one of those healthy, delicious recipes you will not get enough of! Serve alongside your favorite protein and enjoy!

Ingredients

• For the salad

• 1 large red onion

• 1 bunch celery stalks

• 2 2 medium-sized apples

• 2 glasses of pickled celery (ca. 380 gr. net weight)

• 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley

• 1 cup 1 (about 100 gr.) pecans or walnuts

• For the “Avonaise”

• 1 Avocado

• ½ cup (120 ml.) pickled celery juice

• ½ lemon, juiced (ca. 2 tbsp)

• 2 tsp 2 mustard

• 1 tsp 1 salt

• Pepper to taste

How to

• For the salad
• Prepare the salad ingredients by peeling and finely cutting the red onion. Wash and chop the bunch of celery, and parsley. Finely cut both, and add everything to a bowl. Drain the pickled celery (keep the juice for the sauce!) and also add along to the bowl. Wash and de-seed the apples. Then finely grate along into the bowl. Finally, roughly chop the pecans or walnuts, and (you guessed it) add it along
• For the “Avonaise”
• Add the avocado, pickled celery juice, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper to a blender and blend on high until super smooth
• Pour onto the chopped up salad ingredients and mix well. Decorate with more parsley and pecans/walnuts. Serve as a side or alongside your favorite protein and ENJOY!!