Today I thought I’d bring you one of those dishes out of my memory banks. It’s a rustic Italian Celery Heart Salad of the utmost simplicity. It’s the kind of salad that would be served to you after a large full meal, somewhere in the hot southern boot heel of Italy. It’s crisp and tart. It’s so brightly refreshing that it will make you forget just how much of that rich pasta you actually ate.
It’s not the most refined salad Italy has ever produced, and that is a large part of it’s charm.
I must have eaten quite a bit of this Celery Heart Salad in a past life because it comes together so naturally for me, and it feels as familiar as an old boot. There’s a part of me that swears I invented it, and an even larger part of me that remembers discovering it somewhere charming. Yet I don’t think I have eaten this salad too many times outside of my own home (at least in this life).
So when I decided to present this Celery Heart Salad here I did a quick internet check to see if there was anything similar out there. Well it turns out that almost everyone with the slightest interest in Italian food has a version of this salad. I found recipes from Giada De Laurentiis, Lidia Bastianch– the list goes on. Even the New York Times featured one salad eerily similar to mine. Which tells me I must have been pretty popular in my past life.
It’s funny that I found so many recipes for this Celery Heart Salad however, because it’s the classic no recipe needed sort of salad. That’s because it’s so darn simple. Both in preparation and in the humble nature of the 3 or 4 ingredients that are featured in it.
Wine Pairing
Val de Mer Crémant de Bourgogne Non-Dosé NV
Price $28
Pairs well with appetizers, Asian dishes, egg dishes, fish, oysters, sushi.
Most of the time I make this Celery Heart Salad with crimini mushrooms, which is really just another name for young portabello mushrooms (which are often cleverly called baby bellas in the grocery store). But I’ve made it with plain old white button mushrooms, porcini, as well as shitake mushrooms. I even have an “artsy” minamilist leaning version of this salad from a couple years ago that featured baby celery shoots.
The mushrooms are an important part of this simple salad, but the really interesting aspect (to me) comes from the celery. Celery doesn’t get a whole lotta love. Usually it gets pushed around the salad bowl in search of prettier pickins. Celery is the food equivalent of a church lady chaperon at a high school dance. She always seems to be there lurking, but not really invited. To fully appreciate the celery in this salad I suggest you use only the very small stalks from the heart of the celery– as well as lots of the young pale colored leaves.
The celery heart adds a crunchy, herbal dimension to this salad that you may not have known was missing in your life. As I said this salad comes together easily, you merely toss together the celery with shaved Pecorino Romano and thinly sliced mushrooms. It’s finished with a rich and tart mixture of lemon juice and very good olive oil. Which may sound as plain Jane as that chaperon I mentioned, but there’s something surprisingly complex about the combination tart and savory flavors. It’s the crisp against the luscious, and the nutty, salty nature of the cheese against the sweet herbal quality of celery. It’s all at once foreign and familiar. Well familiar, that is– if you knew me in a past life. GREG
serves 4
Ingredients
- ½ pound crimini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 10 pale inner celery stalks with their leaves from a couple bunches if necessary
- 1 lemon juiced
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup very good olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- pecorino romano, to taste
- coarsely ground black pepper
Directions
Put the sliced mushrooms into a large bowl. Pick of all the leaves from the celery and add those to the same bowl. Thinly slice the remaining celery stalks on a diagonal 1/8″ thick. Add then to the bowl and toss to combine.
Whisk together the lemon juice, zest, olive oil and salt until well combined.
Pour the dressing over the celery and mushroom mixture, tossing to coat. Shave large thin sections of cheese on top of the salad with a vegetable peeler. Topping it all with a good helping of coarse black pepper.
I’ve always been fond of celery, the tender heart being my very favorite part.
I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a salad that shone such a spotlight on celery! It sounds like a great combination, with the vastly different textures and flavors of celery and mushrooms.
You know, I’ve felt shame about the fact that some of the simplest vegetables are my favorites-think iceberg lettuce, plain white button mushrooms…but then every vegetable gets it’s glory day. Like cauliflower, which seems to be trending right now. So bring on the celery! I’m there.
I love criminis and love that you didn’t slather them in a ton of oil, butter, garlic, sautee them, change them, etc. The flavor is just there and raw and that’s my fave way! What a pretty salad, Greg!
Let’s all go to Italia…Hey, I never heard not to eat raw mushrooms. Making this salad tonight to go with our pot roast.
I made this exact same salad for a dinner party Friday night! And am going to be featuring it on my blog in a week or two. Great minds, yes? I first saw this salad in one of Greg Smith’s books years ago. And have loved it ever since. BTW, I eat raw mushrooms all the time, too. I guess one could have have problems, I suppose, but it’s gotta be rare. Otherwise we’d be hearing about it.
I am a huge fan of Italian cuisine. And how nice to see a light salad on the table! I must confess, I am one of those who pick and sorts around the celery. But the light greens look lovely. And I enjoy raw mushrooms as well. A little lemony dressing, a grating of cheese and some cracked pepper are perfect! I think I’ll be committing this one to memory, too! : )
This sounds so simple yet so tasty! And I’ve been eating raw mushrooms for 39 years. Wow. I’ve never heard it was a bad thing. And it’s always a standard at salad bars. Interesting to read link provided by Tacowalker above, especially after eating them for so many years. something to think about, I guess. Thanks for the recipe!!
The heel of the boot in Italy — that’s where my people are from! No wonder this recipe sounds very comforting and familiar. Looks delicious!
I have always been told to never eat raw mushrooms, even from the store. Your thoughts on this?
I eat raw mushrooms all the time. If there is obvious dirt I wipe it away with a soft cloth. GREG
I wipe away the dirt too, but I have read too many articles like the following that make me worry.
http://www.mykoweb.com/articles/EatingRawMushrooms.html
http://www.prevention.com/health/health-experts/ask-dr-weil-it-true-you-should-never-eat-mushrooms-raw
However, the lemon juice in this recipe might negate the effects, as a ceveche would do. In the end, to each his own, eat what you like. The major concern would be foraged mushrooms, which you should NEVER eat raw, unless you don’t need your kidneys. I might dry sear the mushrooms for this recipe, because it looks very tasty. I know many people who eat the store bought ones raw and don’t care. Just curious in your thoughts.
I can only say I’ve never had even a hint of an issue eating raw mushrooms. GREG
Oh what I would do to be in the southern boot heel of Italy right now. Eating this salad. Perfect. 🙂
Wow, what a mind reader! I just bought celery hearts and crimini mushrooms yesterday and wondered what I was going to do with all that celery! This is my kinda nonrecipe!