Best Celery Root Salad
This Celery Root Salad is creamy, crisp, and surprisingly hearty, with grated celeriac, tender chicken, mushrooms, and ham tossed in a simple mayonnaise dressing. It’s an easy make-ahead salad that works well for lunch, dinner, or a cold side dish.
If you’re looking for more easy sides to serve with everyday meals, browse my Side Dish Recipes collection for salads, vegetables, potatoes, and other simple favorites.
What makes this salad especially good is the contrast of textures: crisp grated celery root, tender mushrooms, juicy chicken, and savory ham. A little time in the refrigerator helps the flavors settle together and makes the salad even better served chilled.
If you enjoy fresh, flavorful salads like this one, try my Caprese Salad, this creamy Creamy Cucumber Salad, or my savory Mushroom Salad. They’re all easy options for lunch, dinner, or serving alongside a main dish.
Why You’ll Love This
The grated celery root gives this salad a fresh, crisp bite, while the chicken, ham, and mushrooms make it hearty enough to feel like a full meal. The creamy dressing ties everything together without covering up the different textures.
It’s also a great make-ahead salad because the flavors improve after a little time in the refrigerator. Serve it chilled for lunch, dinner, or as a substantial side dish.
What You’ll Need for Celery Root Salad
Celery root gives the salad its crisp texture and mild, slightly nutty flavor. Chicken thighs, ham, and mushrooms make it hearty, while fresh parsley adds freshness and color. The dressing stays simple with mayonnaise, a little Dijon mustard if you like, plus salt and black pepper.
When choosing celery root, look for one that feels firm and heavy for its size. The outside may look rough, but once peeled, the white flesh is crisp and easy to grate.
How to Make Celery Root Salad
This salad comes together in a few simple stages: cook and cool the mushrooms, grate the celery root, sear the chicken, chop the ham, then toss everything with parsley and the creamy dressing before chilling.
Cook the mushrooms. Chop the mushrooms and add them to a saucepan with 1 teaspoon of salt and the bay leaves. Boil for about 5 minutes, then drain well, discard the bay leaves, and let the mushrooms cool completely.
Prepare the celery root. Peel the celery root, then grate it using the large holes of a box grater. Keep the strands fairly coarse so they stay crisp and give the salad good texture.
Chop the ham. Cut the ham into small, bite-size pieces so it mixes evenly through the salad.
Cook the chicken. Season the chicken thighs with salt and black pepper, then sear them in a skillet over medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes per side, until golden and fully cooked. Let them cool slightly, then chop into bite-size pieces.
Mix and chill. In a large bowl, combine the grated celery root, cooled mushrooms, ham, chicken, and chopped parsley. Add the mayonnaise, then season with salt and black pepper to taste. Toss gently until everything is evenly coated, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Serve chilled. Give the salad a gentle stir before serving, then taste and adjust the salt and black pepper if needed.
Pro Tips
- Grate the celery root fairly coarse. This helps it stay crisp and gives the salad better texture after chilling.
- Cool the mushrooms completely. Adding them while warm can thin the mayonnaise dressing and soften the celery root.
- Let the chicken cool before mixing. This keeps the salad fresh and prevents the dressing from becoming warm or oily.
- Chill before serving. Give the salad at least 2 hours in the refrigerator so the flavors have time to come together.
- Taste again after chilling. Cold salads often need a small final adjustment of salt, black pepper, or mayonnaise before serving.
Variations and Substitutions
- Use chicken breast instead of thighs. Cook it just until done, then let it cool before chopping so the meat stays tender.
- Skip the ham. The salad will still be hearty with chicken and mushrooms, just a little lighter.
- Make the dressing tangier. Add a little more Dijon mustard if you prefer a sharper, more savory flavor.
- Add extra herbs. Fresh dill works especially well with celery root, mushrooms, and the creamy dressing.
- Adjust the creaminess. Start with slightly less mayonnaise and add more after chilling if the salad needs it.
What to Serve with Celery Root Salad
This creamy celery root salad works well alongside roasted chicken, pork, grilled meats, or simple potato dishes. Because the salad is already hearty with chicken, ham, and mushrooms, it can also be served on its own as a light lunch with crusty bread.
For a lighter meal, pair it with fresh vegetables or a simple green salad to balance the creamy dressing.
Storage and Make-Ahead
Store Celery Root Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Give it a gentle stir before serving, since the dressing may thicken slightly as it chills.
If the salad seems a little dry after sitting, stir in a small spoonful of mayonnaise to bring back the creamy texture. This salad is especially good made a few hours ahead, which gives the flavors time to come together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is celeriac the same as celery root?
Yes. Celeriac and celery root are two names for the same vegetable. It has a rough exterior and crisp white flesh with a mild, slightly nutty flavor.
Do I need to cook the celery root for this salad?
No. The celery root is peeled and grated raw, which gives the salad its fresh, crisp texture.
How long should Celery Root Salad chill before serving?
For the best flavor, refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours before serving. This gives the dressing and other ingredients time to come together.
How long does Celery Root Salad keep in the refrigerator?
Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Give it a gentle stir before serving and add a little mayonnaise if the dressing has thickened.
Celery Root Salad
Ingredients
- 7 oz. (200 g) celery root, peeled and coarsely grated
- 1 lb. (450 g) mushrooms, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 10.5 oz. (300 g) ham, cut into bite-size pieces
- 3 chicken thighs
- 3 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 2 tsp. salt divided
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp. fresh parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Add the chopped mushrooms to a saucepan with 1 teaspoon of salt and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes, until tender. Drain well, discard the bay leaves, and let the mushrooms cool completely.
- Peel the celery root and grate it using the large holes of a box grater. Place the grated celery root in a large mixing bowl.
- Cut the ham into small, bite-size pieces and add it to the bowl.
- Season the chicken thighs with some of the remaining salt and black pepper. Sear in a skillet over medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes per side, until golden and fully cooked.
- Let the chicken cool slightly, then cut it into bite-size pieces.
- Add the chicken, cooled mushrooms, and chopped parsley to the bowl with the celery root and ham.
- Add the mayonnaise and season with the remaining salt and black pepper to taste. Toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Stir gently before serving and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Notes
- Grate the celery root fairly coarse so it keeps its crisp texture after chilling.
- Let the mushrooms and chicken cool before mixing them with the mayonnaise.
- Chill the salad for at least 2 hours so the flavors have time to come together.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- If the salad seems a little dry after chilling, stir in a small spoonful of mayonnaise before serving.
