Discover the legendary Hotel Citadel Celery Salad — a fresh, crunchy, herb-packed dish with toasted nuts, dried fruit, and a honey-lemon dressing that makes celery the star of the show. This easy, crowd-pleasing salad is about to change everything you thought you knew about celery.
I first tasted something like this at a fancy hotel brunch and spent the next three weeks trying to recreate it at home — because apparently that’s just what I do now. The Hotel Citadel Celery Salad is proof that celery deserves way more credit than being a sad snack tray filler. It’s crunchy, herby, a little sweet, a little nutty, and honestly kind of addictive.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Hotel Citadel Celery Salad
Let’s be real: celery is usually the vegetable everyone ignores. But this salad? It’s a total glow-up. The crisp celery gets tossed with fresh parsley, cilantro, shallots, toasted nuts, and dried fruit, then doused in a bright honey-lemon dressing that ties everything together beautifully.
It’s the kind of salad that works for everything — a weeknight side, a potluck showstopper, or a light lunch you’ll genuinely look forward to. Think of it as the cooler, more interesting cousin of your average creamy celery salad, but without any heaviness at all.
The best part? It comes together in about ten minutes flat. No cooking required, no fancy equipment, no stress. Just chop, toss, dress, done.
If you love fresh, herby dishes like these Tea Party Cucumber Sandwiches, you’re going to absolutely adore this one.
Hotel Citadel Celery Salad
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Small bowl or jar
- Whisk
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 bunches celery chopped
- 2 large shallots diced
- 1 bunch fresh parsley diced
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro diced
- 1 handful toasted sunflower seeds
- 1 handful chopped pistachios
- 1 handful toasted sliced almonds
- ½ cup dried blueberries or cranberries
Dressing
- 2 large lemons juiced
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup honey
Instructions
- Add the chopped celery, diced shallots, parsley, and cilantro to a large mixing bowl. Toss in the toasted sunflower seeds, pistachios, sliced almonds, and dried blueberries or cranberries.
- In a small bowl or jar, combine the lemon juice, avocado oil (or olive oil), salt, pepper, garlic powder, and honey. Whisk together until smooth and emulsified.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything together well until every piece of celery is coated. Let the salad rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
Notes
Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this gorgeous Hotel Citadel Celery Salad. It’s a surprisingly short list that delivers a ton of flavor.
| Category | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| Produce | 2 bunches of celery, chopped |
| Produce | 2 large shallots, diced |
| Fresh Herbs | 1 bunch fresh parsley, diced |
| Fresh Herbs | 1 bunch fresh cilantro, diced |
| Nuts & Seeds | Handful toasted sunflower seeds |
| Nuts & Seeds | Handful chopped pistachios |
| Nuts & Seeds | Handful toasted sliced almonds |
| Dried Fruit | ½ cup dried blueberries or cranberries |
| Dressing | 2 large lemons, juiced |
| Dressing | ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil |
| Dressing | 1½ teaspoon salt |
| Dressing | 1 teaspoon pepper |
| Dressing | 1 teaspoon garlic powder |
| Dressing | ¼ cup honey |
A note on the nuts: toasting them yourself makes a real difference. Just toss them in a dry pan over medium heat for a couple of minutes until fragrant — you’ll immediately notice how much more flavor they bring. And for the dried fruit, both blueberries and cranberries work great, but cranberries give it a slightly tarter punch if that’s your thing.
How to Make Hotel Citadel Celery Salad
This is wonderfully, almost suspiciously simple. Here’s how it goes.
Step 1: Prep Your Salad Base
Add your chopped celery, diced shallots, parsley, and cilantro to a large mixing bowl. Don’t be shy with the herbs — they’re a huge part of what makes this salad sing. The smell alone at this point is already amazing: bright, grassy, and fresh.
Toss in your toasted sunflower seeds, pistachios, sliced almonds, and dried blueberries or cranberries. The combination of textures here is genuinely one of the best things about this dish — crunchy, chewy, crisp all at once.
Tip: Chop your celery on the smaller side so you get a good mix of everything in each bite.
Step 2: Make the Honey-Lemon Dressing
In a small bowl or jar, combine the lemon juice, avocado oil (or olive oil), salt, pepper, garlic powder, and honey. Whisk it all together until it’s smooth and emulsified. Give it a taste — it should be bright and tangy with just a gentle sweetness from the honey.
Personal note: I always lean toward avocado oil here because it has a lighter flavor that lets the lemon and honey really shine. But olive oil is equally delicious and works perfectly.
Step 3: Dress and Toss
Pour the dressing over your salad and toss everything together well. Make sure every piece of celery gets coated in that gorgeous, glossy dressing. The honey will make everything glisten, and the lemon will brighten up the whole bowl.
Let it sit for five minutes before serving if you can wait. The flavors meld together and the celery softens just slightly — in the best way possible.
“This is the part where you’ll steal a forkful straight from the bowl. No judgment whatsoever.”
Expert Tips, Variations & Troubleshooting
Tips for the Best Results
Use fresh lemon juice, not the bottled stuff. The difference in flavor is pretty dramatic, and since the dressing is simple, fresh lemon is really the star here. One good squeeze from two large lemons should give you plenty.
Chop everything roughly the same size. Uniform chopping means every bite has a little bit of everything — celery, herb, nut, and fruit — which is exactly what you want.
Don’t skip the resting time. Even just five minutes after dressing the salad lets the celery absorb some of that honey-lemon magic. It’s worth it.
Variations to Try
If you want to make it a heartier meal, add some crumbled feta or goat cheese on top. The creaminess is a nod to a classic creamy celery salad, but lighter and fresher. You could also throw in some thinly sliced apple or pear for extra sweetness and crunch.
Want to make it a full dinner? Add grilled chicken or shrimp. This salad actually pairs beautifully with something like a perfectly cooked Lobster Tail if you’re going all-in on a fancy night at home.
For a nut-free version, skip the pistachios and almonds and double up on the sunflower seeds — they’re technically a seed, so they’re safe for most nut allergies.
Troubleshooting
Salad too tart? Add an extra drizzle of honey to balance it out.
Dressing not emulsifying? Whisk more vigorously, or give it a shake in a sealed jar.
Celery too bitter? Soaking the chopped celery in ice water for ten minutes before assembling the salad can mellow out any bitterness. This also makes it extra crispy.
Storage Instructions
This salad stores really well, which makes it a great make-ahead option.
| Storage Method | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator (undressed) | Up to 3 days | Store dressing separately |
| Refrigerator (dressed) | Up to 2 days | Celery softens slightly but stays tasty |
| Freezer | Not recommended | Texture won’t hold up |
Reheating
This salad is meant to be served cold or at room temperature, so no reheating needed! If it’s been refrigerated, just pull it out about ten minutes before serving to take the chill off.
No-Waste Kitchen Ideas
Got leftover celery tops? Don’t toss them — they’re actually edible and add a slightly more intense celery flavor. Chop them up and toss them right into the salad.
If you have extra dressing, it doubles beautifully as a dip for veggies or a drizzle over roasted chicken. And leftover salad that’s gotten a little soggy? Blend it into a bright, herby gazpacho-style soup. It sounds weird but trust me, it works.
Nutritional Information
Per serving (approximate, based on 6 servings):
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~210 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 22g |
| Protein | 4g |
| Fat | 13g |
| Fiber | 3g |
| Sugar | 14g |
| Sodium | 480mg |
Note: Nutritional values are estimates and will vary based on specific ingredients and portion sizes.
Hotel Citadel Celery Salad FAQs
Can I make Hotel Citadel Celery Salad ahead of time?
Yes, absolutely! This is actually one of those salads that gets better as it sits. If you’re making it for a party or meal prep, prep all the salad ingredients and dressing separately and combine them an hour or so before serving. That way the celery stays crisp and everything stays fresh.
Is this a cooked celery recipe or a raw celery recipe?
It’s a raw celery recipe, which is part of what makes it so quick and easy. If you’re curious about cooked celery recipes, celery actually transforms beautifully when braised or roasted — but for this salad, raw is the way to go for maximum crunch.
Can I substitute the honey to make it vegan?
Definitely! Swap the honey for maple syrup or agave nectar in equal amounts. The flavor changes slightly — maple gives it a more earthy, warm sweetness — but it’s equally delicious and makes the whole salad completely plant-based.
What can I serve alongside this salad?
This salad goes with almost everything. It’s wonderful alongside a Berry French Toast Casserole for a brunch spread, or next to something indulgent like Chocolate Fondue for a fun dinner party grazing table. It also works perfectly as a light standalone lunch.
Let’s Wrap This Up
The Hotel Citadel Celery Salad is one of those recipes that genuinely surprises people — in the best possible way. Nobody expects to show up to a party and be the most obsessed with the celery salad, and yet, here we are.
It’s fresh, crunchy, herby, sweet, and savory all at once. It’s easy enough for a Tuesday night and impressive enough for a dinner party. And it’s proof that sometimes the most overlooked ingredient — humble, quietly cool celery — just needed the right recipe to shine.
Give it a try, and I really think you’ll love it! If you make it, leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out — did you go with blueberries or cranberries? Did you add feta? I want to know everything.
And if you loved it, please share this recipe on Pinterest — it truly helps more people discover just how good celery can be.
