Apple Celery Salad

An easy vegan chopped salad with apples, celery, pecans, and cranberries

This Apple Celery Salad brings together crisp celery, sweet-tart apples, chopped walnuts and dried cranberries in a fresh apple cider vinaigrette. It is the kind of salad that looks beautiful on the table but is simple to pull together, making it a strong choice for brunches, lunch gatherings, or a make-ahead side for the week. Every bite has a good mix of crunch, sweetness, and sharpness, and the 9 x 13-in. size makes it especially useful when you need a salad that feels generous and shareable.

Serves 10 to 12

Ingredients

For the salad

• 3 large bunches celery, thinly sliced (about 12 cups / 1 lb. 10 oz. / 740 g)

• 5 medium red apples, diced (about 7 cups / 2 lbs. / 900 g)

• 1 1/2 cups (6 oz. / 170 g) pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped

• 1 cup (5 oz. / 140 g) dried cranberries, roughly chopped if large

For the dressing

• 1/2 cup (120 ml.) extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup (60 ml.) apple cider vinegar

• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• 2 tbsp. maple syrup

• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp. fine sea salt

• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Optional

Add 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced (about 5 cups / 340 g) to the salad

Directions

1. Add the celery, apples, pecans, and dried cranberries to a very large bowl.

2. In a medium bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper until smooth and well combined.

3. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated.

4. Transfer the salad to a 9 x 13-in. casserole dish. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or so to let the flavors combine.

Kitchen Notes

Keep the celery slices fairly chunky, dice the apples small, use chopped pecans rather than halves.