Celery Salad with Gorgonzola Dolce, Creamy White Balsamic Vinaigrette and Walnuts

Total Time
25 Mins
Serves
6
Meal
Dinner Lunch
Course
Appetizers

Total Time

Prep Time
25 Mins
Cook Time
0 Mins
Total Time
25 Mins

Nutrition

Calories
400 cal
Total Fat
22 g
Polyunsaturated Fat
6 g
Cholesterol
44 mg
Sodium
323 mg
Carbohydrates
42 g
Dietary Fiber
5 g
Protein
8 g

Ingredients

Celery salad

  • 1 head celery (about 12 stalks), separated into stalks, washed
  • Salt and pepper
  • 5-6 ounces Gorgonzola Dolce cheese, cut into about 24 small pieces or cubes
  • 12–14 Medjool dates, pitted, cut in bite-sized pieces
  • Reserved celery leaves
  • 1/2 cup California walnut shavings, or California walnuts, finely chopped*

Creamy white balsamic vinaigrette

  • 1 teaspoon orange marmalade
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • Salt and pepper

*Note: A micro plane grater is useful for producing walnut shavings, as is a rotary grater with a slicing blade. Otherwise, use finely chopped walnuts.

Preparation

  1. Remove and set aside about 1/2 cup, more or less, of celery leaves from the tops of the stalks. To prepare the celery salad, use a vegetable peeler to peel the rounded side of the larger, outside stalks to remove any stringy fibers. Slice the celery very thinly and put it in a large bowl (you will have 5–6 cups of sliced celery). Season with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and toss to combine. Refrigerate the celery as you are not assembling the salad right away. In the meantime, prepare the Vinaigrette.
  2. To prepare the vinaigrette, place the marmalade and mustard in a bowl and mash them together with the back of a spoon. Whisk in the vinegar. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to form a smooth emulsion. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it stands in soft peaks. Add the vinegar mixture to the cream and fold together until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  3. To assemble the salad, drain and discard any accumulated juices from the celery. Add the dressing and stir to coat the celery evenly. Divide among six salad plates. Garnish each plate with about four pieces of cheese, several pieces of date and a few celery leaves. Sprinkle shaved or finely chopped walnuts over each salad.