Crunchy Italian Celery and Olive Salad

Finding a fresh, crunchy salad that actually feels special enough for company can be surprisingly difficult. Most salads fall into the same boring territory of mixed greens and basic vinaigrette, and they rarely bring anything exciting to the table when you’re trying to impress guests or simply shake up your weekly meal routine.

That’s exactly why this Italian celery and olive salad has become one of my favorites. It’s packed with texture and flavor, comes together in about 15 minutes, and uses simple ingredients that combine in unexpected ways to create something that feels way more sophisticated than the effort required.

What Kind of Celery Should I Use?

Any standard head of celery from your grocery store will work great for this salad. Look for celery that’s firm and crisp with bright green stalks – avoid any bunches that look wilted or have brown spots. The inner, lighter-colored stalks tend to be more tender and less stringy, which is nice for a raw salad like this one. Don’t toss those celery leaves either, as they add a nice pop of flavor and can be chopped up along with the parsley. If you want to make your celery extra crispy before slicing, you can soak it in ice water for about 15 minutes.

Options for Substitutions

This salad is pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Fennel: If fennel isn’t your thing or you can’t find it, try using thinly sliced radishes or even more celery. You’ll lose that subtle licorice flavor, but the salad will still have great crunch and freshness.
• Olives: Any type of olive works here – green, black, kalamata, or castelvetrano. Mix and match based on what you have or prefer. Just avoid canned black olives as they lack the briny punch this salad needs.
• Raisins: Golden raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped dried apricots all make good substitutes. They each bring a slightly different sweetness to balance the salty olives.
• Pecorino: Parmesan is the easiest swap here and works just as well. For a non-dairy version, you can skip the cheese entirely and add a bit more salt to taste.
• Pistachios: Toasted almonds, walnuts, or pine nuts will give you that nutty crunch. Just roughly chop them to similar size as the pistachios would be.
• Parsley: Fresh basil or mint can step in for parsley, though they’ll give the salad a different flavor profile. Stick with flat-leaf parsley if possible, as it has better flavor than curly.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with this salad is slicing the celery and fennel too thick, which makes it hard to chew and prevents the dressing from coating everything properly – aim for thin, even slices about 1/4 inch or less for the best texture.

Another common error is forgetting to remove the tough outer stalks of the celery, so peel away any stringy bits before slicing to avoid a chewy, unpleasant bite.

Don’t skip zesting the lemon before juicing it, as the zest adds a bright flavor that really makes the dressing pop, and make sure to taste and adjust your dressing before pouring it over since the saltiness of olives and cheese can vary.

For extra flavor, let the salad sit for 15-20 minutes after tossing with the dressing so the celery and fennel can soften slightly and soak up all those good flavors.

What to Serve With Italian Celery and Olive Salad?

This crunchy, briny salad is perfect alongside grilled fish like salmon or sea bass, since the bright lemon and olives cut through the richness of the fish really nicely. I also love serving it with roasted chicken thighs or as part of an antipasto spread with cured meats, good cheeses, and crusty bread. It works great as a side for pasta dishes too, especially something simple like cacio e pepe or aglio e olio, where the salad adds a fresh, textured contrast. If you’re keeping things light, this salad pairs beautifully with a simple frittata or some marinated white beans for a complete vegetarian meal.

Storage Instructions

Store: This salad actually gets better after sitting for a bit as the flavors meld together. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I like to hold off on adding the pistachios until right before serving so they stay nice and crunchy.

Make Ahead: You can prep all the vegetables and mix everything except the nuts a day ahead. The celery and fennel will soften slightly as they marinate in the dressing, which some people actually prefer. Just give it a good toss and add fresh pistachios when you’re ready to eat.

Serve: This salad is best served cold or at room temperature. If you’ve had it in the fridge, let it sit out for about 10 minutes before serving and give it another toss. You might want to add a fresh squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of pecorino to brighten it up again.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1100-1300
• Protein: 22-28 g
• Fat: 80-95 g
• Carbohydrates: 70-85 g

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1 head celery (thinly sliced on a sharp diagonal)
• 1 head fennel (cored and shaved paper-thin)
• 1 1/4 cups olives (I prefer Castelvetrano for their buttery flavor)
• 3/4 cup parsley
• 1/2 cup raisins (soaked in warm water to plump up)

For the dressing:

• 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup olive oil (I always use Lucini Premium Select)
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 small shallot, minced
• salt
• pepper

For the topping:

• pecorino cheese (freshly shaved with a vegetable peeler)
• 1/2 cup pistachios (I use Wonderful brand roasted and salted)
• flaky salt

Step 1: Prepare the Vegetables with Precision Cuts

• 1 head celery
• 1 head fennel

Slice the celery head thinly on a sharp diagonal to create elegant, elongated pieces that catch the dressing beautifully.

Core the fennel and shave it paper-thin using a mandoline or sharp knife—this creates delicate, almost translucent layers that will soften slightly as they marinate.

Place both prepared vegetables in a large mixing bowl.

The diagonal cuts and thin shaving aren’t just for aesthetics; they increase surface area to absorb the dressing and create a more refined texture in each bite.

Step 2: Prepare the Supporting Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups olives
• 3/4 cup parsley
• 1/2 cup raisins

While the vegetables sit, pit the Castelvetrano olives (or your preferred variety) and roughly chop or halve them to distribute evenly throughout the salad.

Chop the parsley into bite-sized pieces—I prefer to leave some larger stems for texture rather than chopping it into powder.

Drain the raisins from their warm soaking water; this plumping step ensures they’re tender and juicy rather than tough and chewy.

Step 3: Build the Dressing Base

• 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 small shallot, minced
• salt
• pepper

In a small bowl, mince the shallot finely and add it to the olive oil along with the red wine vinegar.

Zest the lemon directly into this mixture using a microplane or fine grater to capture all the fragrant oils, then squeeze in the fresh lemon juice.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Whisk gently to combine—you’re not emulsifying this dressing, just bringing the flavors together.

The shallot will macerate slightly in the acid, mellowing its sharpness.

Step 4: Combine and Dress the Salad

• prepared celery and fennel from Step 1
• olives, parsley, and raisins from Step 2
• dressing from Step 3

Add the chopped olives, parsley, and drained raisins to the bowl with the celery and fennel.

Pour the dressing from Step 3 over the entire mixture and toss gently but thoroughly, making sure every piece of vegetable is coated.

Allow the salad to sit for 5–10 minutes so the vegetables begin to soften slightly and the flavors meld together.

I find this brief rest transforms the salad from a collection of ingredients into a cohesive dish.

Step 5: Finish with Cheese, Nuts, and Flaky Salt

• dressed salad from Step 4
• pecorino cheese
• 1/2 cup pistachios
• flaky salt

Just before serving, shave the pecorino cheese paper-thin using a vegetable peeler and scatter it over the salad.

Coarsely chop or roughly crack the roasted and salted pistachios and sprinkle them across the top.

Finish with a generous pinch of flaky salt (like Maldon) to add a final textural contrast and draw out all the flavors.

Toss gently one more time if desired, though I prefer to plate and add these finishing touches individually to maintain their texture and visual appeal.

Crunchy Italian Celery and Olive Salad

Delicious Crunchy Italian Celery and Olive Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 1200

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the salad::

• 1 head celery (thinly sliced on a sharp diagonal)
• 1 head fennel (cored and shaved paper-thin)
• 1 1/4 cups olives (I prefer Castelvetrano for their buttery flavor)
• 3/4 cup parsley
• 1/2 cup raisins (soaked in warm water to plump up)

For the dressing::

• 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup olive oil (I always use Lucini Premium Select)
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 small shallot, minced
• salt
• pepper

For the topping::

• pecorino cheese (freshly shaved with a vegetable peeler)
• 1/2 cup pistachios (I use Wonderful brand roasted and salted)
• flaky salt

Method

 

1. Slice the celery head thinly on a sharp diagonal to create elegant, elongated pieces that catch the dressing beautifully. Core the fennel and shave it paper-thin using a mandoline or sharp knife—this creates delicate, almost translucent layers that will soften slightly as they marinate. Place both prepared vegetables in a large mixing bowl. The diagonal cuts and thin shaving aren't just for aesthetics; they increase surface area to absorb the dressing and create a more refined texture in each bite.
2. While the vegetables sit, pit the Castelvetrano olives (or your preferred variety) and roughly chop or halve them to distribute evenly throughout the salad. Chop the parsley into bite-sized pieces—I prefer to leave some larger stems for texture rather than chopping it into powder. Drain the raisins from their warm soaking water; this plumping step ensures they're tender and juicy rather than tough and chewy.
3. In a small bowl, mince the shallot finely and add it to the olive oil along with the red wine vinegar. Zest the lemon directly into this mixture using a microplane or fine grater to capture all the fragrant oils, then squeeze in the fresh lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk gently to combine—you're not emulsifying this dressing, just bringing the flavors together. The shallot will macerate slightly in the acid, mellowing its sharpness.
4. Add the chopped olives, parsley, and drained raisins to the bowl with the celery and fennel. Pour the dressing from Step 3 over the entire mixture and toss gently but thoroughly, making sure every piece of vegetable is coated. Allow the salad to sit for 5–10 minutes so the vegetables begin to soften slightly and the flavors meld together. I find this brief rest transforms the salad from a collection of ingredients into a cohesive dish.
5. Just before serving, shave the pecorino cheese paper-thin using a vegetable peeler and scatter it over the salad. Coarsely chop or roughly crack the roasted and salted pistachios and sprinkle them across the top. Finish with a generous pinch of flaky salt (like Maldon) to add a final textural contrast and draw out all the flavors. Toss gently one more time if desired, though I prefer to plate and add these finishing touches individually to maintain their texture and visual appeal.