I made this Mediterranean Celery Olive Salad on a total whim one afternoon when I had way too much celery staring me down from the fridge — and honestly? It became one of my most-requested dishes. It’s got that punchy, briny olive flavor you love from classic Mediterranean olive salad recipes, but with a surprising sweetness from dried apricots and dates that makes it completely addictive.
If you’ve been sleeping on celery as a salad star, this is your wake-up call. Let’s get into it.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Mediterranean Celery Olive Salad
This is one of those salads that somehow tastes even better the next day. The celery stays wonderfully crisp, the olives bring that deep, salty punch, and the lemon dressing pulls everything together into a bright, tangy bowl of goodness. It’s a genuinely healthy olive dish that doesn’t taste like a compromise — it tastes like you actually tried.
No cooking, no fancy equipment, no stress. Just a big bowl, a whisk, and about 15 minutes of your time. The hardest part is waiting the hour for it to chill — and trust me, that wait is 100% worth it.
Mediterranean Celery Olive Salad
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- small bowl
- Whisk
- Cutting board
- Chef’s knife
- Citrus zester
- citrus juicer
Ingredients
The Crunch Base
- 4 cups celery sliced
- 2 cups baby arugula packed, roughly chopped
The Olive Magic
- 1 cup olives sliced/chopped, pimentos included, drained
- ⅓ cup black olives minced into a fine mixture, canned
Fresh Herbs & Seasoning
- ½ cup flat parsley packed, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning can substitute Greek seasoning
- 1 tsp coarse ground pepper
Sweet Additions
- ½ cup dried apricots chopped
- ½ cup Dole Sunshine dates chopped
The Dressing
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large lemon juice and zest
Instructions
- Grab your largest mixing bowl and add the sliced celery, both types of olives (including all pimento-stuffed pieces), roughly chopped baby arugula, chopped flat parsley, and fresh thyme leaves. Add the Italian seasoning, coarse ground pepper, chopped dried apricots, and chopped dates.
- Toss and blend all ingredients together thoroughly until evenly combined. Take your time here — you want every ingredient well acquainted before the dressing joins the party.
- In a small bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil with the fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. Whisk together well until the dressing looks glossy and fully combined, about 30 seconds.
- Drizzle the lemon dressing over the celery-olive mixture. Toss and blend well until every ingredient is evenly coated in the dressing.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. This chilling time allows the flavors to meld together beautifully. Overnight chilling produces an even more flavorful result. Give it a final toss before serving.
Notes
Ingredients for Mediterranean Celery Olive Salad
Here’s everything you’ll need. I’ve grouped them so it’s easy to shop and prep without losing your mind mid-recipe.
| Group | Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Crunch Base | Celery, sliced | 4 cups |
| The Crunch Base | Baby arugula, roughly chopped (packed) | 2 cups |
| The Olive Magic | Olives, sliced/chopped (pimentos included), drained | 1 cup |
| The Olive Magic | Black olives, minced into a fine mixture (canned) | ⅓ cup |
| Fresh Herbs | Flat parsley, chopped (packed) | ½ cup |
| Fresh Herbs | Fresh thyme leaves | 1 tablespoon |
| Fresh Herbs | Italian seasoning (or Greek seasoning) | 2 teaspoons |
| Sweet Additions | Dried apricots, chopped | ½ cup |
| Sweet Additions | Dole Sunshine dates, chopped | ½ cup |
| The Dressing | Extra virgin olive oil | ⅓ cup |
| The Dressing | Large lemon, juice and zest | 1 whole |
| Seasoning | Coarse ground pepper | 1 teaspoon |
Pro tip: Drain your olives really well before adding them. Extra liquid = watery dressing = sad salad. We don’t do sad salads here.
How to Make Mediterranean Celery Olive Salad
Good news: this comes together ridiculously fast. The only thing that takes time is letting it chill — which you can do while you kick back and relax. Here’s how it all goes down.
Step 1: Build Your Salad Base
Grab your largest mixing bowl — seriously, go bigger than you think you need. Add the sliced celery, both types of olives (including all those gorgeous pimento-stuffed pieces), the roughly chopped baby arugula, parsley, and fresh thyme leaves. Toss in the Italian seasoning, coarse ground pepper, chopped dried apricots, and dates.
Give everything a really good toss with your hands or a big spoon. You want every ingredient getting acquainted — the peppery arugula brushing up against the sweet dates, the briny olives mingling with that fresh parsley. It already smells incredible at this point.
“Don’t skimp on the tossing — this is where the flavors start to meet each other. Think of it as a little pre-party before the dressing shows up.”
Step 2: Whisk the Lemon Dressing
In a small bowl, combine your extra virgin olive oil with the fresh lemon juice and zest. Whisk it together well until it looks glossy and combined — maybe 30 seconds of arm action. The zest is the secret weapon here; it brings a floral, citrusy brightness that juice alone just can’t deliver.
Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil if you can. In a simple dressing like this, you’ll actually taste it, so this isn’t the moment to grab the bargain bottle.
Step 3: Dress and Chill
Drizzle the lemon dressing over your celery-olive mixture and toss well to coat everything evenly. Really get in there and make sure every last date and arugula leaf is touched by that dressing. Then cover the bowl and pop it in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
That chilling time is non-negotiable. The celery softens just slightly, the olives release a bit of their brininess into the dressing, and the whole salad becomes deeply flavorful and cohesive. Overnight is even better, if you can wait that long.
Expert Tips, Variations & Troubleshooting
Tips for the Best Results
Slice your celery on a slight diagonal. It gives you prettier pieces and a slightly more tender bite than straight cuts. Aim for pieces about ½ inch thick — thin enough to absorb the dressing, thick enough to keep that satisfying crunch.
Make it ahead. This Mediterranean olive salad actually improves with time. Make it the night before a gathering and it’ll taste even more developed and delicious by the time guests arrive. Just give it a fresh toss before serving.
Zest first, juice second. Always zest your lemon before you cut and squeeze it. Trying to zest a wrinkled, already-juiced lemon is an exercise in frustration nobody needs.
Tasty Variations to Try
Add feta. Crumble ½ cup of good Greek feta over the top just before serving. It melts slightly into the dressing and adds a creamy, salty depth — a classic move in Mediterranean olive salad recipes.
Swap the herbs. No thyme? Fresh oregano or fresh mint work beautifully here. Mint especially pairs wonderfully with the sweet dates and apricots for a more Middle Eastern-leaning twist.
Go Greek. Use Greek seasoning instead of Italian (as suggested in the ingredients) and add a handful of Kalamata olives for a more pronounced, earthy flavor profile. It’s another great healthy olive dish variation that feels completely different.
Add some protein. Toss in ½ cup of rinsed chickpeas or some shredded rotisserie chicken to turn this into a full meal. It works especially well for meal-prep lunches throughout the week.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Salad tastes too salty? The olives are doing a lot of heavy lifting here flavor-wise, and if yours are particularly briny, that salt can build up. Add a small drizzle of honey to balance things out, or toss in a handful more arugula to dilute the intensity.
Too watery after chilling? This usually means the olives weren’t drained well enough, or the celery released more liquid than expected. Drain off any excess liquid at the bottom of the bowl and give it a fresh toss. The salad will be just as delicious.
Arugula wilted too much? If you’re planning to make this more than a day ahead, consider stirring the arugula in just before serving rather than at the beginning. Everything else can marinate; the arugula can join the party last minute.
If you enjoy no-fuss, crowd-pleasing recipes like this, you might also love these mouthwatering oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for a sweet finish after a savory meal — because balance matters.
How to Store, Reheat & Reduce Waste
| Storage Method | Container | How Long It Keeps |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | Airtight container or covered bowl | Up to 3 days |
| Freezer | Not recommended | — |
| Meal prep (undressed) | Airtight container; dressing stored separately | Up to 4 days |
Reheating: This salad is served cold, so no reheating needed! If anything, give it a quick toss out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving to take the chill off.
No-Waste Kitchen Ideas: Got leftover salad that’s starting to look a little tired? Chop it up finely and stir it into cooked grains like farro or quinoa for a hearty grain bowl. The olive-lemon flavor is fantastic stirred through warm pasta too — think of it as a deconstructed olive tapenade pasta situation.
Nutritional Information
Approximate values per serving (recipe makes about 6 servings). This is a genuinely healthy olive dish — full of good fats, fiber, and natural sweetness.
| Nutrient | Per Serving (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~210 kcal |
| Total Fat | ~15g |
| Saturated Fat | ~2g |
| Carbohydrates | ~20g |
| Dietary Fiber | ~4g |
| Natural Sugars | ~13g |
| Protein | ~2g |
| Sodium | ~480mg |
*Nutritional values are estimates and will vary based on specific brands and ingredient sizes used.
FAQs About Mediterranean Celery Olive Salad
Can I make this Mediterranean Celery Olive Salad ahead of time?
Absolutely — and you should! This salad is one of those rare dishes that genuinely gets better as it sits. The flavors meld together beautifully in the fridge, making it an ideal make-ahead dish for potlucks, meal prep, or weeknight dinners when you want to do the work early. Just give it a good toss before serving.
What kind of olives work best in Mediterranean olive salad recipes?
The recipe uses a combo of pimento-stuffed green olives and minced black olives, which gives you both texture and depth. That said, Kalamata olives are a fantastic swap or addition if you love that more intense, fruity flavor. Just make sure to drain them well — excess brine is the enemy of a perfectly dressed salad.
Is this a healthy olive dish I can eat every day?
It really is! The olive oil provides heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, the celery is packed with fiber and water content, and the dates and apricots bring natural energy-boosting sugars. It’s far from a guilty pleasure — it’s a nourishing, feel-good dish you can confidently eat on repeat. Just watch sodium levels if you’re sensitive, given the olive content.
Can I substitute the dried apricots or dates with something else?
Yes! If dried apricots or dates aren’t your thing, raisins or dried cranberries make great alternatives and bring a similar sweet-tart balance to the salad. Dried figs would also be wonderful here and lean into the Mediterranean vibe even more. The key is keeping some element of sweetness to balance the briny olives.
Ready to Make the Best Mediterranean Celery Olive Salad of Your Life?
This is the kind of recipe that earns you compliments every single time you bring it out. It looks impressive, tastes even better than it looks, and takes almost zero effort to pull together. What’s not to love?
Give it a try this week — and when you do, I’d love to hear how it went! Drop a comment below and let me know if you made any fun variations. Did you add feta? Go heavy on the Kalamatas? I want all the details.
And if you’re on Pinterest, please save and share this recipe! It helps more people find this little gem of a salad, and honestly, more people deserve to have this in their lives. 📌
While you’re at it, check out some other fun recipes from the site — like these festive Easter Egg Oreo Cookie Balls or these adorable Easter Bunny Coconut Tails if you’re planning a celebration spread. Because after a savory salad this good, you’ve definitely earned a treat.
Happy cooking, and don’t forget — the best salads are the ones made with a little love and a lot of good olive oil.
