Céleri Rémoulade, French Celery Root Salad
Céleri rémoulade is a fixture of the French bistro and the charcuterie counter, a cold salad of raw celery root cut into fine threads and bound in a mustard-heavy dressing. The traditional binder is a mustard mayonnaise, all egg yolk and oil; swapping in plain plant yogurt loosened with Dijon keeps it creamy and tangy while turning it into something light. Celery root, or celeriac, is the ugliest and cheapest thing in the vegetable aisle, and this is the dish that shows why it deserves better: raw and dressed, it tastes like celery crossed with a fresh, nutty apple. The salad improves as it sits, so make it ahead. Serve it as a starter, as part of a spread of cold vegetable salads, or piled next to a grain bowl.
Ingredients
- 1 Celery root, about 1.5 lb, peeled and julienned
- 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup Plain plant yogurt
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice, fresh
- 3 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
Method
- Peel the celery root well, cutting away the whole knobby, rooty outside, then cut it into fine matchsticks with a knife, mandoline, or the grater blade of a food processor. The finer you cut it the more it softens in the dressing, and thin, even matchsticks are what give the salad its classic tangle.
- Toss the julienned celery root with the lemon juice right away, before anything else. Celery root browns the moment it is cut, and the acid both keeps it pale and starts to soften its raw crunch into something closer to tender.
- Whisk the mustard into the plant yogurt until smooth. Dijon is doing the real seasoning here, its sharp heat standing in for salt, while the yogurt gives the creamy body that a mustard mayonnaise would in the classic version.
- Fold the dressing through the celery root until every strand is coated, then grind in the black pepper. Let it sit at least 15 minutes, or an hour, so the root drinks in the dressing and mellows; freshly cut, it is harsh, but rested, it turns silky.
- Stir the parsley through just before serving. It keeps well for two days in the fridge, softening further, so it is a good thing to make ahead for a plate of cold starters.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 75 calories, 3 g protein, 4 g fiber, 85 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
