Servings:4

This salad is for the celery lover, as it uses the root, heart, and leaves. It’s a study in contrasts and colors, with textural crunch from the sliced celery heart and matchstick-cut root playing against the delicate tender leaves. The soft green of celery is layered with the darker tones of plucked whole parsley leaves. Look in a specialty food store or gourmet grocer for Moscatel vinegar, which has a delicate, mildly acidic flavor that complements celery root. Sherry vinegar or white balsamic vinegar is an acceptable substitute.

This recipe is excerpted fromRoots: The Definitive Compendium. Read ourreview.

Ingredients

For the dressing

3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 Tbs. Moscatel vinegar
1/2 tsp. kosher or fine sea salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup golden raisins

For the salad

1 medium celery root, about 12 oz., trimmed, peeled, and cut into matchsticks
3/4 cup thinly sliced celery heart (lightest green, innermost ribs only)
1/2 cup lightly packed celery leaves
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Preparation

To make the dressing

To make the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add the raisins and set aside for at least 15 minutes to allow the raisins to plump.

To make the salad

In a large bowl, combine the celery root, celery heart, celery leaves, and parsley and toss to mix. Whisk together the dressing briefly, then pour just enough over the salad to coat the ingredients lightly and toss well. You may not need all of the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Set the salad aside at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld before serving.