Celery Chopped Salad with Dates, Feta and Nuts (Vegetarian, Gluten-Free)

5 from 22 votes
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The very first Hungry Lady Salad of 2023! This will make you rethink celery.
I’ve been making variations of this salad for years, usually when I don’t have salad greens on hand but crave that fresh, bright flavor that only a salad can bring. And before you question the usability of the celery you forgot in the back of your refrigerator, I have a hack for you! If your celery is a little wilted, simply place it in a bowl of ice water to heighten the crispiness, then drain on a tea towel before continuing. You can thank me later.

Watch Me Make My Celery Chopped Salad with Dates, Feta and Nuts

If you’re in need of some more healthy and delicious salads, be sure to follow me on Facebook, or see my full Hungry Lady Salad series (and so many other delicious recipes!) over on Pinterest.

How To Make My Celery Chopped Salad with Dates, Feta and Nuts

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Step 1. Seperate the celery stalks and leaves. Slice the stalks thinly on a bias and roughly chop the leaves.  

Step 2. To toast the nuts, warm them in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and toasted, about 2-4 minutes. 

Step 3. Place sliced celery stalks and leaves in a medium sized bowl.  

Step 4. Add the chopped nuts, dates, feta cheese, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. Season generously with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. 

Step 5. Enjoy!

What Else Can I Use?

  • Queso fresco is a great substitute for feta, as is parmesan
  • Pecans or walnuts are my preference here, almonds are good too.
  • If you’re nut-free, try using toasted sunflower seeds
  • With the meaty dates, cheese, and nuts I find this a satisfying light lunch on its own, though you could throw in some leftover rotisserie chicken as well.

This Celery Chopped Salad with Dates, Feta and Nuts is special because:

It’s fast, easy and incredibly filling

It’s gluten-free and vegetarian

You can make the salad ahead of time – just leave the nuts off until you’re ready to serve to preserve their crunch!

It’s a great way to use up celery, or improvise when you don’t have traditional salad greens on hand.

Chopped Hungry Lady Salads

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The Famous La Scala Chopped Salad

Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Dressing (Vegetarian, Gluten-Free)

Lentil Chopped Salad with Honey Walnut Dressing (Vegetarian, Gluten-Free)

Tuscan Kale Chopped Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing (Vegetarian, Gluten-Free)

If you make my Celery Chopped Salad with Dates Feta and Nuts, and I hope you do, please leave me a comment here and rate the recipe. Your feedback means a lot to me! You can also post to Instagram and tag me so I can share your creations!

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5 from 22 votes

Celery Chopped Salad with Dates, Feta and Nuts (Vegetarian, Gluten-Free)

A Hungry Lady Salad that will have you rethinking Celery.
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

  • 10 Stalks of Celery
  • ½ cup Walnuts or Pecans, coarsely chopped
  • 6 Medjool Dates, pitted and roughly chopped
  • ½ cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
  • 1 Shallot, sliced thin
  • Juice from 1 Lemon
  • 1 Tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
  • ¼ cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
  • Kosher Salt
  • Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Instructions 

  • Separate the leaves from the stalks of the celery. Slice the stalks thinly on a bias and roughly chop the leaves.
  • If your celery is a little wilted, place it in a bowl of ice water to heighten the crispiness, then drain on a tea towel before continuing.
  • To toast the nuts, warm them in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and toasted, about 2-4 minutes. 
  • Note: If you are making this salad ahead, store the nuts separately and mix in just before serving to maintain their crunch.
  • Place sliced celery stalks and leaves in a medium sized bowl.
  • Add the chopped nuts, dates, feta cheese, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. Season generously with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
  • Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 150mg | Potassium: 251mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 133IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Course: Lunch, Salad
Servings: 6
Calories: 247
Keyword: Celery, chopped salad, Hungry Lady Salads, lunch salads
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49 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Love love love these salads. This is the third hungry girl salad I have done and I love them all. This one came together super easy and has so much fresh flavor and crunch. Huge fan of these recipes, so much love from me to you.

  2. I searched through your notes and didn’t see your usual “how long can I store this in the fridge”. I’ve meal prepped this for my lunches for the week. Should I pour oil and vinegar as I go or would it all keep for 5 days?? (minus the nuts)?

    1. I would keep the nuts seperate to preserve their crunch but the celery will hold up to the dressing being added in from day 1! It should keep well for up to 5 days but mine never quite makes it that long…
      Let me know how you find it, Kerri!
      Kat.

      1. Definitely left out the nuts to add each day. So delicious. I didn’t want to bother with the cutting of dates so substituted sultana raisins and used lemon infused olive oil. Delicious!!! The crunch is so satisfying and kicks celery up 10 notches.

  3. 5 stars
    This is my third hungry girl salad I have put together. This one is so crunchy and fresh, and tons of flavor. These salads are everything… I have done the kale and sweet potato as well as the kale salad with tahini dressing. I could eat them all day! This one came together the easiest for sure.

    Love these recipes so so much.

    1. I’m so glad you loved it, Sarah! A great one to add to the rotation and a true classic in my HLS series 😉
      Enjoy,
      Kat.

  4. 5 stars
    This salad is immensely good. My partner and I have never been the biggest fans of celery but it adds the perfect crunch and we both loved it. The flavours and textures of each ingredient go so well – this is a total show stopper in my opinion! I can’t say I’ve ever craved salads for dinner until I found your recipes Kat, and I’m so grateful. Everyone should try this!

  5. 5 stars
    I don’t particularly like celery but something about this recipe made me want to try it anyway – absolutely delicious!! Especially on the second day when the celery flavor mellows and it’s even better. Thank you Kathleen for your beautiful recipes, presentation and inspiration to try new things 🙂

    1. This absolutely made my day Becca, it’s a treat to hear that I lived up to my promise to make you rethink celery 😉
      Enjoy,
      Kat.

  6. 5 stars
    A colleague made this for lunch. I was dreading it soooo bad because I don’t like raw celery. It was AMAZING!!! We all three loved it!

    1. I’m so glad you all loved it, Michele!
      I know celery isn’t everyone’s first choice but this salad is a real keeper.
      Enjoy,
      Kat.

  7. Hi! This looks awesome! Yet, I’m not a date fan. Would dried cherries or other dried fruit be a good substitute? If so what dried fruit would you suggest?

    1. You could absolutely substitute another dried fruit – I think dried cherries would be a great option, Chrystin!
      Let me know how you find it.
      Enjoy,
      Kat

  8. This salad is so good! Bright, crunchy, sweet and savory! I added chickpeas to make it a little more filling and still vegetarian. They worked perfectly!

    1. Chickpeas sound like a delicious addition!
      I’m over the moon that you loved this one, Christin.
      Enjoy,
      Kat

  9. If I don’t have white wine vinegar, is ACV an appropriate substitute? Or should I just run the errand to get the WWV?