Apple & Celery Salad With Toasted Nuts

An original salad, light, refreshing, flavorful, crunchy and easy to make! Celery can easily be substitute with fennel and apple can be substitute with pears.

Ingredients

• 4 celery stalks (or 1/2 fennel bulb)

• 1 apple (or 1 pear)

• 1 spring onion (finely diced)

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar

• 2 tbsp walnut oil or olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon wholegrain or Dijon mustard

• 1/2 teaspoon honey (optional)

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or hazelnuts (toasted)

• 100 g cheese (cubed; blue cheese, goat cheese or cheddar) (optional)

• 1 tbsp fresh chopped herb to decorate (dill, parsley, chives)

Directions

1. Put the spring onion in a medium bowl and add the vinegar, salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Cut the celery into very thin slices, using a mandolin if you have one. Set the apple on a cutting board and cut as close to the core as possible, slicing a large segment off the side. Rotate and cut off another side, as close to the core as possible. Continue cutting in this fashion until you have 4 big pieces and a square-shaped core.

3. Dispose of the core and place the flat side of each apple piece against the cutting board. Cut into thin slices. Then turn that stack of sliced apple on its side and cut into matchsticks.

4. Add the oil, mustard and honey to the bowl with the shallots and stir to combine. When everything is well incorporated, add the celery and apple. Fold all of the ingredients together, coating evenly with the vinaigrette. Sprinkle the nuts over the top , add the herbs if using and serve immediately. Can be refrigerated with a slash of lemon up to 1 hour prior serving.

Recipe & picture from https://www.foodrepublic.com/recipes/apple-celery-salad-with-toasted-hazelnuts-recipe