This delicious maple roasted celery root salad is full of flavour and goodness. The combination of sweet maple celery root, sour apple and crunchy pecans makes for a tasty, light and refreshing dish perfect to serve on its own or along chicken or turkey dishes.
Roasted celery root salad with apple and pecans owes its existence to a knobbly, grey and sad looking vegetable not many people buy or attempts to cook with. Celery root (or celeriac)! I like a challenge so I bought it. As it turns out, this underdog of the vegetable world (currently in season) has more flavour than we’d expect. ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ springs to mind. It’s a delicious ingredient for autumnal salad.
How to make roasted celery root salad
Start with preparing the celery root. Peel the celery root and cut into matchsticks. Combine the maple syrup with 1 tablespoon of the oil and pour over the celery root. Season and spread on top of a baking tray lined with parchment paper in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes.
Roasting brings loads of flavour out of this unremarkable vegetable and I’ve used this method in celery root dip as well as root vegetable nests (this latter recipe is also spiralized).
Whilst the celeriac is in the oven prepare the remaining ingredients.
Toast the pecans and combine the rest of the oil with the lemon juice. Spread the arugula on top of a large plate, add the roasted celery root (warm or cold), apple wedges and pecans. Drizzle over the simple dressing, season to taste and enjoy!
Top tips
I recommend using a sour rather than sweet tasting apple in order to tone down the sweetness of the celery root.
Cut the apple just before assembling the salad as it is prone to discoloration. You can also sprinkle the apple with a little lemon juice to prevent it getting brown.
The roasted celery root can be added into the salad either warm or cold. If you decide to serve it cold you can prepare the celery root ahead and once cooled refrigerate, covered, for up to a day.
What to serve with simple celery root salad
This salad is perfect on its own but I think it’s also delicious served with crispy cornflake chicken nuggets and Moroccan spiced crispy chicken leg quarters.
KEEP IN TOUCH!
If you’ve made this maple roasted celery root salad I’d love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
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Check out also this collection of 15+ easy vegan salads for even more salad inspiration!
Roasted Celery Root Salad with Apple & Pecans
Ingredients
- ½ large celery root celeriac
- 1 granny smith apple or another sour variety
- ½ cup pecans lightly toasted
- 2 handfuls arugula leaves
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon olive/vegetable oil plus 2 more for the dressing
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 F/ 230 C/ gas mark 8. You will need a medium baking tray.
- Peel the celery root and cut into matchsticks. In a large bowl combine the maple syrup with 1 tablespoon of oil, add the celery root and season. Stir thoroughly until all the pieces are evenly coated in the maple mixture. Tip onto the baking tray lined with parchment paper and spread evenly in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Whilst the celery root is roasting prepare the other salad ingredients. Combine the remaining oil with the lemon juice and set aside. Core the apple and cut into thin wedges (or cubes).
- To assemble the salad place the arugula, apple pieces, pecans and roasted celery root (hot or cold) in a bowl or on top of a large plate, season to taste, drizzle over the oil/lemon juice mixture and serve.
Hi, I am Monika, welcome to Everyday Healthy Recipes! This blog is all about creatively simple recipes with a healthy twist, old classics with a modern take, and an occasional Polish dish thrown into the mix - all easy to make, healthy and delicious, perfect for everyday cooking. 
What a beautiful and delicious salad:)
Thank you:)
I love celeriac! It’s a shame it’s not appreciated as much as it could be. At the moment I’ve got some homemade coldslaw in the fridge that I’ve made with it! Your salad would be another lovely way of eating it.
Celeriac makes a great addition to salads so I am sure your slaw is delicious:)
it just looks so tasty and healthy and colourful. Perfect for me now the holidays are almost at an end , and I need to lose some cake and ice cream weight lol x
Thank you Jenny, it really is hard to avoid fattening food when the kids are off school (personal experience!)
I love the look of this salad so fresh and tasty looking. I love love love Celeriac but have never heard it called Celery root before and Im not so keen on celery. So having read that what is in the salad I now definitely going to make it.
Thanks for linking up to this weeks #CookBlogShare
Thank you Jacqui, celery root is the American name for celeriac. You are one of few people I know who actually love celeriac:)
Just awesome…looks so fresh and healthy. I have to get some celery root now!
Thank you, Zeba! Celery root is so underrated.