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Fennel Olive Celery Salad

If you love the simple, vegetable-forward salads that have made New York’s Via Carota so popular, this one is for you. Inspired by that same rustic Italian approach to salad—where a handful of really good ingredients are allowed to shine—this version combines crisp fennel and celery with buttery Castelvetrano olives and thinly sliced red onion.
Everything gets tossed in a simple lemon and extra-virgin olive oil dressing. The result is crunchy, bright, briny and incredibly fresh. It’s the kind of salad that proves you don’t need a long ingredient list—or even lettuce—to make vegetables exciting.
Fennel brings a subtle sweetness and hint of anise, celery adds serious crunch, and Castelvetrano olives provide a mild, buttery saltiness that balances the acidity of fresh lemon. Serve it alongside grilled fish or chicken, add white beans for a more substantial plant-forward lunch, or put it on the table as part of an Italian-inspired spread.
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: gluten free, high fiber
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 165kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 large fennel bulb trimmed and very thinly sliced
  • 4 large celery stalks thinly sliced on the diagonal
  • ¾ cup pitted Castelvetrano olives halved or roughly torn
  • ¼ small red onion very thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt plus more to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fennel fronds or celery leaves optional

Instructions

  • Prep the vegetables. Remove the stalks from the fennel bulb, reserving some of the fronds if you'd like to use them as a garnish. Cut the bulb in half, remove the tough core and slice the fennel as thinly as possible. A mandoline works especially well here.
  • Build the salad. Add the fennel to a large bowl along with the sliced celery, Castelvetrano olives and red onion.
  • Make the lemon dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and several grinds of black pepper.
  • Toss. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well so everything is lightly coated.
  • Let the flavors mingle. Allow the salad to sit for about 5–10 minutes before serving. This takes a little of the sharpness out of the onion while allowing the fennel and celery to absorb the lemony dressing without losing their crunch.
  • Finish and serve. Taste and adjust with additional lemon, salt or pepper if needed. Scatter fennel fronds or celery leaves over the top and serve.

Notes

Approximate Nutrition Per Serving

Calories: 165
Protein: 2 g
Total Carbohydrate: 11 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Total Sugars: 4 g
Total Fat: 14 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Sodium: ~350 mg*
*The sodium content can vary considerably depending on the brand of Castelvetrano olives and whether they are rinsed before using.