Celery Salad with Parmigiano-Reggiano + Walnuts
A three-ingredient celery salad with parmigiano-reggiano and walnuts.
On each trip to Bologna.
There’s a special place we go to when we land.
Like, straight off the plane.
It is always our first meal.
It’s a small and unassuming place.
That’s tucked away and off the beaten path.
Trattoria Mariposa has practically no online presence.
And it packed nearly every minute it is open.
I spend most of my days in the states daydreaming about my next meal there. They serve typical Bolognese food like tagliatelle alla bolognese, tortellini en brodo, lasagna verde, dry Lambrusco, parmigiano-reggiano and mortadella. It is my heaven on earth.
The second meal we have in Bologna is always a family dinner at Chris’s zia’s house. It usually consists of several courses and lots of wine. Starting with a simple salad. Then a bowl of tortellini en brodo {yes gf for me}. Next grilled, seasonal vegetables. And a cozy bowl of risotto or polenta to finish.
This past trip, our meal started with a celery salad with parmigiano-reggiano and walnuts. It was tossed heavily in olive oil and sprinkled generously with salt and pepper. It was crunchy and basic but anything but boring. Celery kept popping up everywhere we went. And it was at all of the winter markets. And even though I’ve always been a big celery fan, it captured my heart all over again.
Celery has a lot of natural umami, and while I’m typically not a fan of nuts in my salads, the walnuts balance out flavors beautifully. If you aren’t into nuts, or are allergic, raw pumpkin seeds could work. One thing you can’t really skip here though, is the cheese.
So a word about Parmigiano-Reggiano. A hard, salty unpasteurized cow’s milk cheese exclusively from the Emilia-Romanga region of Italy. The word, Parmesan is often used generically for various simulations of this cheese. And you can use Parmigiano-Reggiano, Parmesan or Pecorino Romano interchangeably in this recipe. Whatever you find or prefer is okay with me.
If you love celery as much as me, here are some of my favorite celery recipes from the archives.
Celery Salad with Black Pepper Turmeric Vinaigrette
Savory Apple Salad with Celery + Peanuts
Cream of Celery Soup with Olive Oil + Watercress
Celery Salad with Parmigiano-Reggiano + Walnuts
While I think this celery salad is best served right after it is mixed, you could make this ahead of time. Store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
MACROS PER SERVING: 2 grams net carbs, 18 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein
Ingredients
- 3 cups celery, diced small
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved {see notes}
- 1/3 cup raw walnuts, chopped {see notes)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- sea salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Directions
Toss all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and combine well.
Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
Recipe Notes
Parmigiano-Reggiano is a hard, salty unpasteurized cow's milk cheese exclusively from the Emilia-Romanga region of Italy. The word, Parmesan is often used generically for various simulations of this cheese. You can use Parmigiano-Reggiano, Parmesan or Pecorino Romano interchangeably in this recipe.
If you are allergic to walnuts, raw pumpkin seeds would be a good alternative.
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