Growing up in the South, any occasion that involved food, included a platter of 3 things – deviled eggs, pickles, and stuffed celery. I decided to lighten up the latter, ditching the mayo and cream cheese, and adding a new spin on it by turning into this crunchy salad.
Ingredients
- 3 cups of celery, washed, dried, and diced
- 1.5 cups walnut halves, roughly chopped
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 4 oz. bleu cheese
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine celery, walnuts, cranberries and bleu cheese
- Toss with balsamic vinaigrette
- Serve, refrigerating any unused portion

This recipe is quick to make, and full of flavor! The tangy blue cheese and sweetness from the cranberry are really complimented by the balsamic vinaigrette. You’ll notice I cheated with my favorite bottled dressing, but feel free to add your own spin by mixing up your own.
You might prefer to add chopped apples, for even more sweetness and crunch! Do you have an old favorite you’ve created a new spin on? Let me know in the comments!
A little tip, when I am chopping celery, onions, or carrots, I like to bag up my ends and pieces and freeze them for the next time I am making chicken or veggie stock
Have you tried any other type of cheese in this? I’m going to try feta as I’m not a fan of bleu cheese
I think it would be great with feta also! I’m not a huge bleu cheese fan; gorgonzola is a little more mild and the cranberries really balance out the sharp taste. I think feta or even crumbled goat cheese would be wonderful!