Ina Garten Celery Salad

Ina Garten Celery Salad is a crisp American-style lunch that centers on crunchy greens and creamy feta. Fresh cucumbers, buttery avocados, and protein-rich chickpeas are tossed in a vibrant dill and lemon dressing for a satisfying, garden-fresh meal.

If you do nothing else, wait to toss this until the very second you’re ready to eat. That’s the difference between a salad that’s snappy and bright and a soggy pile of wilted lettuce that’s lost its life. I’ve found that the salt in the dressing starts pulling the water out of the cucumbers and celery almost immediately, which waters down that punchy flavor if it sits for more than ten minutes.

The fresh dill is doing more work than you’d think here. Without it, the dressing is just a standard vinaigrette, but that big cup of herbs gives it a grassy, cooling depth that matches the crunch of the stalks. I didn’t expect the shallot to matter that much, but blending it directly into the oil makes the dressing thick enough to actually stick to the chickpeas. It’s my favorite way to eat a big bowl of greens without feeling like I’m missing out on a real dinner.

Ina Garten Celery Salad Ingredients

For the Salad:

• 1 head romaine lettuce, finely sliced
• 2 Persian cucumbers, cut into small dice
• 1 bunch celery, cut into small dice
• 15 ounces (425g) canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup (75g) feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 ripe avocados, diced

For the Dressing:

• 1 cup (30g) fresh dill, packed
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small shallot
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 cup (240ml) olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

How To Make Ina Garten Celery Salad

• 1. Prepare the base: Slice the romaine lettuce into thin ribbons and dice the cucumbers, celery, and avocados into even pieces. Put them into your largest salad bowl along with the drained chickpeas and the crumbled feta cheese.
• 2. Blend the dressing: Throw the fresh dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, shallot, mustard, red wine vinegar, and olive oil into a blender. Pulse on high until the herbs are tiny specks and the liquid looks creamy and bright green.
• 3. Season the greens: Sprinkle a generous pinch of salt and a few turns of the pepper grinder over the vegetables before you add any liquid. Doing this now ensures the seasoning hits the actual food instead of just floating on top of the oil.
• 4. Combine and toss: Pour the green dressing over the bowl and use two large spoons to lift and turn the ingredients until everything is coated. Work quickly so you don’t bruise the avocado pieces or make the lettuce go limp.

If you aren’t serving the whole bowl at once, only dress the portion you’re about to eat. Keeping the dressing on the side in a jar is the only way to make sure the leftovers don’t turn into a watery mess by the next morning.

Recipe Tips

• Dice everything to the same size: Try to make the cucumber and celery pieces about the size of a chickpea. When the vegetables are uniform, you get a little bit of every flavor and texture in every single forkful rather than just a big mouthful of lettuce.
• Use Persian cucumbers specifically:These have thin skins and almost no seeds, which means they stay much crispier than the large garden varieties. If you can only find the standard thick-skinned kind, peel them first and scoop out the watery middle with a spoon.
• Don’t skimp on the dill: It looks like a huge amount of herbs when you measure it out, but the blender will shrink it down significantly. That concentrated herb flavor is what balances out the salty feta and the sour lemon.
• Pick heavy avocados: Look for fruit that gives slightly when you press the top but doesn’t feel mushy. If they’re too soft, they’ll turn into a grey paste when you toss the salad, making the whole bowl look muddy instead of fresh.
• Wash and dry the romaine thoroughly: Use a salad spinner if you have one to get every drop of water off the leaves. If the lettuce is even slightly damp, the oil-based dressing won’t be able to grab onto the surface and will just slide to the bottom of the bowl.
• Let the dressing sit: If you have ten minutes, make the vinaigrette first and let it hang out on the counter while you chop the vegetables. This gives the raw garlic and shallot time to mellow out in the acid so they don’t taste quite so sharp.

What To Serve With Ina Garten Celery Salad

A thick slice of crusty sourdough or some warm pita bread is great for scooping up the chickpeas that fall to the bottom. The bread helps soak up the extra lemon dressing which is way too good to leave behind.

If you want to turn this into a bigger meal, grilled chicken or a piece of seared salmon fits right on top. The cold, crunchy greens are a nice change of pace from hot proteins, and the feta adds enough salt that you don’t need much extra seasoning.

Storing & Reheating Tips

• Fridge: Keep the chopped vegetables and the blended dressing in two separate airtight containers. The dry veggies will stay good for about 2 days, while the dressing lasts for 4 days before the herbs start to lose their bright color.
• Freeze: Don’t try to freeze this salad. The lettuce, cucumbers, and avocado all have very high water content and will turn into a mushy, brown soup once they thaw out.
• Reheat: You shouldn’t reheat this dish at all. It’s meant to be eaten ice-cold from the fridge to keep the celery and cucumbers snapping and the avocado firm.

Ina Garten Celery Salad Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 of 4):

• Calories: 480 kcal
• Protein: 11g
• Fat: 36g
• Carbohydrates: 32g
• Sugar: 6g
• Sodium: 540mg

FAQs

Can I make Ina Garten Celery Salad the night before?

You can chop the celery, cucumbers, and lettuce ahead of time, but don’t add the avocado or the dressing until the last minute. The avocado will turn brown and the lettuce will lose its crunch if they sit in the fridge overnight.

What’s a good swap for feta cheese?

If you don’t like the tang of feta, goat cheese is a great alternative that stays creamy. You could also use small pearls of fresh mozzarella, though you’ll need to add a bit more salt to the dressing since mozzarella is much milder.

How do I stop the avocado from browning in the bowl?

The lemon juice in the dressing helps a lot, but you can also toss the avocado chunks in a little extra citrus before adding them to the greens. This creates a barrier against the air and keeps them looking bright for an hour or two.

Can I use dried dill instead of fresh?

No, the fresh dill is the main flavor of the dressing and provides the bulk of the sauce. Dried herbs are much more concentrated and won’t give you that vibrant green color or the fresh, grassy taste that makes this salad special.

Is there a way to make the chickpeas tastier?

Yes, you can roast the chickpeas in a pan with a little olive oil and salt for 5 minutes before adding them. This gives them a slightly firm skin that stands up better to the heavy dressing than the soft ones straight from the can.

Try More Recipes:

• Ina Garten Cranberry Muffins
• Ina Garten Coffee Cake Blueberry Muffins Recipe
• Ina Garten Pear Tart