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5 from 1 vote

Fennel-Celery Salad with Walnuts and Blue Cheese

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: blue cheese, celery, fennel, figs, gluten free, red wine vinegar, shallots, sherry vinegar, walnuts, whole grain mustard
Servings: 4 people
Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Equipment

  • Mandoline Slicer, optional

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts save a few for garnishing the salad
  • 1 small shallot halved lengthwise, one half thinly sliced and other half finely minced, divided
  • 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar divided
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt freshly ground pepper
  • 3 dried Turkish figs or Medjool dates coarsely chopped
  • 1 large fennel bulb or 3 small bulbs See NOTES below for detailed preparation instructions.
  • 3-4 celery stalks cleaned, both ends trimmed, very thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbled

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil or parchment until golden brown, 5–8 minutes (set a timer for 5 mins and evaluate). Let walnuts cool and then set aside until ready to use.
  • Combine minced shallots, mustard, sugar, and 1/4 cup vinegar in a resealable jar. Add oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover and shake to emulsify; set vinaigrette aside.
  • Place chopped figs (or dates), sliced shallots and remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar in a bowl. Let marinate for a minimum of 30 mins or as long as four hours.
  • Just before serving, toss fennel, celery, blue cheese, and toasted walnuts in a large bowl. Drain figs and shallots and add to bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss thoroughly to coat using a large spoon or tongs. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  • Transfer salad to a large bowl or platter and garnish with fennel fronds, extra toasted walnut pieces, and freshly ground black pepper.

Make Ahead Instructions

  • Vinaigrette can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
  • Figs/Dates and shallots can be soaked up to 4 hours ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside on the counter to let sit at room temperature.
  • Fennel and celery can be sliced 4 hours ahead. Cover them with a damp paper towel and refrigerate.

Notes

Fennel prep:  First step is to cut off tops of the fennel, reserve fennel fronds for garnish. Next, cut bulbs in half vertically removing any outer damaged leaves. Then place bulb flat-side down on the cutting board and thinly slice across the bulb.
If you have a mandoline, it's a great tool to use to thinly slice the fennel and celery. While I do have a mandoline, I chose to thinly slice the fennel and celery by hand.
Many blue cheese varieties contain small traces gluten. If blue cheese upsets your stomach or causes you any reactions try Rosenborg, BelGioso, Dutch Farms, Litehouse, Organic Valley, or Rogue Creamery. They all produce versions of blue cheese not fermented in gluten-based spores. 
I used medjool dates instead of figs because that's what I had in the house.
If walnuts aren't your favorite, try toasted hazelnuts, macadamia nuts or pecans.