German Celery Root Salad

German celery root salad is a perfect balance of earthy and nutty celery roots, tossed in a simple tangy dressing. It’s a light and healthy side dish to complement any meal.

German celery root salad

I had a chance to live in Germany for 2 years and explore different European cuisines. I love how they use such a wide variety of seasonal produce to create their meals. Before, I would never even guess how to use Celeriac. Traveling has for sure opened up for me so many new horizons in cooking.

Another famous European celery salad to try is French celery remoulade. It is made with raw celeriac, and it is super crunchy and refreshing.

On the other hand, German celeriac salad is made with steamed root, making it slightly sweeter with a softer texture. Similar to carrots, celery root becomes sweeter after cooking.

With just one main ingredient and a dressing made with olive oil, honey, and apple cider vinegar, this celery salad is a great way to add some variety to your meals.

In addition, celery root is a highly nutritious vegetable. It is low in calories and high in dietary fiber, a good source of Vitamins C, and K. Additionally, it contains antioxidants and minerals, such as Potassium, Magnesium, and Phosphorus.

Ingredients

Below are the list of the ingredients to make the salad and the dressing. You can find the quantities in the recipe card at the very end of this post.

Celery root (known as Celeriac): you can find this root in a produce aisle at many local grocery stores. This type if celery plant is grown specifically for its root. Celeriac root is a round root with brown bumpy skin.

Olive oil: extra virgin olive oil is the best one to use for any salad dressing. But you can also use sunflower oil instead. 

Apple Cider Vinegar: I am sure that in Germany they use distilled white vinegar. I like apple cider better because it has quite a few health benefits and it has a nice flavor. You can use one or another. Also, lemon juice can be used in place of vinegar. For more flavor, white wine vinegar can be added as well.

Honey: you will need some kind of sweetener to make the dressing. Honey or sugar works well.

Salt: salt is added to the pot of water and some to the dressing.

Pepper: freshly ground white or black pepper. You can also add red pepper for a more spicy taste.

How to make the salad

This very easy recipe requires only a few steps and some time to marinate the salad before serving. Below, is the step-by-step direction with images of how to make this salad. You can find the ingredients’ quantities in the recipe card below.

Step 1. Rinse the celery root and peel it. First, cut off both tops. Stabilize the root on the cutting board. Then, use a sharp chef’s knife to slice off the skin in strips following the shape of the root. Rinse the root again to get rid of any peels or dirt.

Step 2. Cut the root in half. Now, slice it into ¼-1/2 inch half circles. Stack them up and cut them into smaller pieces as shown below. You can also cube or julienne the celery root. Does not matter how you cut it, just make sure the pieces are bite-size.

Step 3. In a large pot, add water and about ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Carefully, add sliced celery to the boiling salted water. Cook on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes. Just until you can pierce through the slice with a fork. Use a colander to drain the water. Then, put the cooked celery back into the warm pot. Another option is to use a slotted spoon to remove the celery from the water into a large bowl, pour out the water, and then return the celery to the pot.

Step 4. While the vegetable is cooking, let’s make the dressing. In a small bowl, add olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and some pepper. Whisk it well. Give a taste and add adjust if needed.

Step 5: add the dressing to warm celery. Stir the salad gently, cover, and let it cool down at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes.

Step 6: Transfer the celery salad into a serving bowl or airtight container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. The celery root will marinate and absorb all the dressing flavors. Season with more pepper for serving.

Tips

• Rinse the celery root twice, before and after peeling.
• You can store peeled and cut celery roots in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Peeled celery roots oxidize quickly, so squeeze some lemon juice on top to prevent it from browning.
• For best results, let it marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Serving

German celery salad is great as a side dish to go with a variety of main dishes: grilled chicken, meatloaf, and casseroles.

You can also turn this salad into a light lunch by topping it with glazed salmon, grilled shrimp, or tofu.

Make ahead

This salad tastes even better the next day. You can refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Other light salads you may like

• Kale salad 
• Lettuce, cucumber, tomato salad
• Classic Caesar salad

Recipe