This light and refreshing celery cucumber salad features paper-thin vegetables, fresh herbs, and a creamy almond spread. Perfect for spring lunches, brunches, or picnics—naturally vegan and gluten-free.
A Salad That Tastes Like Spring
Now that winter is behind us, I’m craving all things green and fresh—more herbs, more veggies, and lots of crunchy, vibrant salads. This celery cucumber salad is one of my go-to recipes this time of year. It captures everything I love about spring: bright flavor, light textures, and ingredients that feel clean and uncomplicated.
At first glance, the ingredients might resemble a raw veggie platter, but with a little slicing and a handful of fresh herbs, they transform into something unexpectedly elegant. Think crisp cucumber, tender celery, and aromatic fennel, all shaved whisper-thin and dressed simply with olive oil, lime, and herbs like parsley, dill, and mint.
Why You’ll Love This Celery Cucumber Salad
- Crisp, hydrating, and packed with flavor
- Naturally vegan and gluten-free
- Elegant enough for entertaining, easy enough for weekday lunch
- Customizable with herbs or hummus
- Make-ahead friendly
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Salad:
- Persian cucumbers – Small and tender with thin skin; perfect for salads.
- Celery stalks – Sliced thin for crunch and freshness.
- Fennel bulb –Adds a delicate anise flavor.
- Fresh herbs – A mix of flat-leaf parsley, dill, and mint adds brightness and loads of flavor.
- Extra virgin olive oil – Choose a flavorful oil you enjoy.
- Lime – You’ll need both zest and juice for acidity and aroma.
- Sliced or chopped almonds (optional) – Adds crunch on top.
For the Almond Spread (or use hummus):
- Raw almonds – To make the smooth, creamy spread.
- Extra virgin olive oil – Adds richness and body to the spread.
- Fresh lemon juice – Brings brightness and cuts through the richness.
How to Make Celery Cucumber Salad
Step 1: Make the Almond Spread (Optional)
If using the homemade almond spread, start here:
- Boil and soak almonds: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add raw almonds, cover, and soak for 15–20 minutes.
- Peel almonds: Drain and peel by pinching each almond—skins should slip off easily.
- Blend the spread: In a small food processor or blender, combine peeled almonds, olive oil, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt to taste.
👉 Shortcut: Use your favorite store-bought hummus instead.
Step 2: Slice and Toss the Salad
- Shave the vegetables: Use a mandoline to slice the cucumbers, celery, and fennel into paper-thin rounds.
- Combine in a bowl: Toss sliced veggies with chopped herbs, olive oil, lime zest, and juice. Season with salt to taste.
Step 3: Assemble and Serve
- Spread the base: Smooth a generous layer of almond spread or hummus onto a serving plate.
- Top with salad: Mound the herby, shaved salad over the spread.
- Finish: Sprinkle with chopped or sliced almonds if using, and serve immediately.
Tips & Variations
- Make it your own: Use any fresh herbs you love—chives or cilantro are great options.
- No almond spread? Hummus works beautifully for a creamy base or use a store-bought almond spread.
- Prep ahead: Both the almond spread and shaved vegetables can be prepped a few hours in advance. Assemble just before serving for maximum freshness.
Perfect For…
- Spring brunches
- Easter or Mother’s Day menus
- Light lunches
- Picnics and potlucks
With its clean flavors and beautiful presentation, this celery cucumber salad is proof that simple ingredients can feel special—especially when spring is calling.
More Shaved Salads:
Cucumber Celery Salad
Experience the refreshing crunch of this celery and cucumber salad, featuring paper-thin slices of vegetables over a creamy almond spread.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 2 Persian cucumbers, sliced in half, seeds removed
- 5 celery stalks
- ½ medium fennel bulb, sliced in half
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, stems removed, finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh dill, stems removed, finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoon fresh mint, stems removed, finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons/30ml best quality extra virgin olive oil
- The zest of one small lime
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- Pinch of freshly ground pepper
- Chopped or sliced almonds to top (optional)
For the almond cheese spread
- ½ cup/56 g raw almonds
- 1 Tablespoon/15ml extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup/60ml filtered water (or coconut water kefir for extra tang and probiotics)
- 1 ½ Tablespoons/22ml lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
Make the almond cheese spread:
- Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the almonds to the boiling water, turn off heat, cover and let sit for 15-20 minutes.
- Drain in a colander. Remove the almond peels by squeezing each almond firmly at the base between your thumb and index finger until the skin pops off.
- Add peeled almonds and the rest of the ingredients to a small blender or food processor and process until smooth. (Scrape down the sides of the bowl and adding more water as needed.) Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and chill until needed.
Make the salad:
- Thinly slice the cucumbers, celery and fennel on a mandoline or with a very sharp knife.
- Toss together shaved cucumber, celery and fennel with chopped parsley, dill, mint, olive oil, lime zest and lime juice in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spread almond cheese onto plate and top with a mound of shaved vegetables, top with sliced almonds and an extra pinch of sea salt if desired.
Notes
Variations:
- Use fresh herbs of your choice.
- Substitute hummus for the almond spread or use a store-bought almond spread.
Dietary Info:
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Paleo.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 270Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 305mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 5gSugar: 3gProtein: 6g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Rhonda says
Looks delicious!