Celery & Smoked Blue Cheese Salad

After our guests went home after a recent visit, I found I had a little leftover smoked blue cheese. I was surprised, because it was very popular. It was went over well in this salad too.

What with one thing and another this has some strong flavours going on, and portions are a bit smaller then usual because of that. It would go well with steak and baked potatoes, or maybe a rotisserie chicken. There's always the medley of salads, and if you wanted it have even more oomph you could add some chopped nuts - walnuts come to mind.

6 servings
20 minutes prep time

Make the Dressing:
the juice of 1/2 large lemon
3 tablespoons hazelnut or walnut oil
a pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon hot paprika (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

Squeeze the lemon juice and put it in a small bowl or jam jar, removing the seeds first. Add the remaining ingredients and stir or shake together.

Make the Salad:
1/2 cup (1/2 onion) finely chopped sweet onion
4 to 5 inner stalks of celery
1 small carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
60 grams smoked blue cheese

Peel and chop the onion, salt it, and leave it in a strainer to drain for about 10 minutes.

You want the lightest, most tender inner stalks of celery, with their leaves. Wash, trim (keeping those leaves) and thinly slice it. Put it in a salad bowl - there should be about 4 cups when sliced.

Peel and grate the carrot. Wash, dry, trim, and finely chop the parsley. Add them to the celery. Rinse and drain the onion well, and add it. Crumble the blue cheese and add it.

Toss the salad with the dressing, and serve.





Last year at this time I made Cheesy Corn & Poblano Chile Pudding. 

Posted in: Ontario Food