Food Recipes Salads Vegetable Salad Celery Salad with Pine Nuts, Arugula, Feta, and Pita Be the first to rate & review! This salad stars an unlikely hero named celery and it’s everything you need to keep fresh and cool all summer long. By Liz Mervosh Liz Mervosh Elizabeth Mervosh is a recipe tester and developer for Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in Birmingham, Alabama. She creates and fine-tunes recipes for brands including Southern Living, Real Simple, Food & Wine, People, and EatingWell. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on August 24, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate Print Share Photo: Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox Total Time: 50 mins Servings: 4 serving Let’s face it: Celery isn’t the most exciting vegetable in the world. At least not alone. However, this recipe, an ode to fattoush, a Levantine salad traditionally made of mixed greens, vegetables, and pita, sliced celery gives this salad an anchoring earthy flavor accented by an herbaceous and lively dressing made from a few common kitchen acids like lemon juice and red wine vinegar. Combined with crunchy homemade pita chips, buttery pine nuts, and a creamy feta spread, you’ll walk away with a refreshing bite and a new perspective on the green stalk. Frequently asked questions How do I store celery? To store a celery stalk in the refrigerator, wrap it in aluminum foil and keep it in the refrigerator. If you find yourself with leftover celery that’s been cut, place your celery pieces in a jar or other container and pour water to cover the pieces. Whenever you are ready to use them again, remove them from the water and rinse them. Be sure the change the water in the container every other day. Can I make celery salad ahead of time? The feta spread can be made ahead of time and can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Is feta cheese goat cheese? Feta cheese is not goat cheese. In most cases, feta is made only from sheep's milk, but it can also contain up to 30% goat's milk. Feta has a distinct sharp, tangy, and salty flavor while goat cheese has a milder tartness rounded out by buttery notes. What wine do I pair with celery salad? This celery salad is a riff on a crunchy cucumber, onion, and pine nut salad served at the wine bar, layering pita chips, crisp slivers of celery, and creamy, tangy feta cheese. Pair it with a fruit-forward Israeli Sauvignon Blanc, such as the zippy, bright Yarden Sauvignon Blanc. Note from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen It is best to make the dressing just before serving as the acidity from lemon juice and vinegar in the dressing will cause the salad greens to lose their vibrant color. Ingredients 2 (6-inch) pita rounds, split in half and cut into 1-inch pieces 1/2 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 teaspoon ground sumac, plus more for garnish 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup) 1/2 cup plain whole-milk strained (Greek-style) yogurt 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems (from 1 small bunch) 1/2 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (from 1 small bunch) 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 cups arugula 4 medium celery stalks, peeled and very thinly sliced on an angle (about 1 1/3 cups) 1 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb (from 1 small fennel bulb) 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts Directions Preheat oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add pita to prepared baking sheet, and drizzle with 2 1/2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with sumac and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and toss until evenly coated. Bake in preheated oven until pita is light golden in spots, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring halfway through bake time. Remove pita from oven, and set aside until ready to use. (Pita chips will continue to crisp as they cool.) Meanwhile, combine crumbled feta, yogurt, and 2 tablespoons oil in a blender; process on low speed, gradually increasing speed to medium, until mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside until ready to serve. Wipe blender clean. Add cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 6 tablespoons oil to blender; process on low speed, gradually increasing speed to medium-high, until dressing is smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside. Gently toss together arugula, celery, fennel, pine nuts, 1 cup pita chips, 2 tablespoons cilantro-parsley dressing, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl until coated. Divide and spread reserved feta mixture evenly over 4 plates. Top each plate with celery salad, and spoon remaining dressing evenly over salad. Top with remaining pita chips, and garnish with additional sumac. Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, September 2023 Rate It Print