Celery has won itself the reputation of being a nutritious (and catabolic) snack food: dip it in hummus; smear it ants-on-a-log style with peanut butter; eat it plain. Celery is rarely the star of the show—that is, until this Celery Salad with Feta and Mint from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food came along. Greek-inspired ingredients including red onion, olive oil, feta and mint enliven the otherwise plain celery, infusing it with briny, pungent and citrusy flavors. Celery’s inherent crunchiness is a boon, making it an interesting accompaniment for items ranging from Greek lamb kebabs to a traditional turkey and avocado sandwich.

Celery is one vegetable worth buying organic: it is rated Number One on the Dirty Dozen list, which means it soaks up more pesticides than any other fruit or vegetable. Check out the Dirty Dozen list to see how other veggies and fruit stack up.

Serves 4

Ingredients

6 large celery stalks, cut crosswise into ½-inch thick slices
¼ small red onion (or to taste), thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons lemon zest
1-2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
? cup crumbled feta
3 Tablespoons thinly sliced mint leaves

Make the Celery Salad with Feta and Mint

In a large bowl, combine the celery, red onion, lemon zest, olive oil and lemon juice. Start with 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and lemon juice and add more to taste. Mix well to evenly coat celery. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with feta and mint leaves.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 102 calories; 9 g fat (3 g sat fat); 2 g protein; 3 g carb; 1 g fiber.

Recipe from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food, March 2011, p 109.