Celeriac Salad with Avocado Mayo Dressing
This celeriac noodle salad with avocado mayo dressing is a raw, crunchy, creamy salad that turns one humble root vegetable into noodle-like ribbons coated in an egg-free avocado dressing. You grate raw celeriac into thin strands, fold in pickled red bell peppers and parsley, then toss it all with a blended avocado mayo. It comes together in minutes, needs no cooking, and works as a light main or a fresh side.
Why this one became a favorite in my kitchen
Celeriac is one of my favorite root vegetables. I love celeriac juice, celeriac salad, and celeriac soup. What I don’t like about it, though, is that it’s pretty difficult to peel and grate, so I always ask somebody else to grate celeriac for me. The avocado mayo is what makes this salad special. I recently started eating more avocados, as I finally learned how to pick them right, and now I almost always have at least one in the house. I usually add them to salads or use them in desserts, but I’d never tried avocado mayo until this recipe. Well, no more regular egg-based mayo for me from now on. I also added some mustard in the avocado mayo and it made it even better.
The ingredients, and how to pick them well
This salad has two simple parts: the raw celeriac noodle base and the avocado mayo dressing. A few notes to get each one right:
- Celeriac: choose a firm, heavy bulb with no soft spots. The skin is knobbly, so trim it generously with a sharp knife rather than a peeler. Five cups of grated celeriac is the heart of the dish.
- Avocado: use one ripe avocado that yields to gentle pressure but isn’t mushy. This is what gives the dressing its creamy, mayo-like body, so ripeness matters more than with most ingredients.
- Pickled red bell peppers: sliced lengthwise, they add tang and color against the pale celeriac. The brine balances the richness of the avocado.
- Mustard, garlic, lemon, olive oil: these build the dressing’s flavor. Mustard adds the sharp bite you’d expect from real mayo, lemon brightens it, and the olive oil is drizzled in last to emulsify.
- Corn flakes: optional, added at serving. I added them for two reasons: they look nice and they add some extra crunch.
How to get those celeriac noodles right
The texture is everything here, and it comes down to the mandoline. Select the blade that grates the celeriac into a thin, noodle-like shape rather than a fine shred, so you get strands with bite instead of a wet pulp. Always run a mandoline with the hand guard, because celeriac is dense and your hand has to push firmly. For the dressing, blend the avocado, lemon, garlic, mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper until smooth first, then drizzle the olive oil in slowly while the processor runs. Adding the oil gradually lets it emulsify into the avocado, which is what gives you that thick, glossy mayo texture instead of a thin, separated sauce. Toss the noodles with the dressing just before serving, and scatter the corn flakes on top at the last moment so they stay crisp.
What to serve it with
Because this is raw, light, and creamy, it pairs well with other fresh vegetable plates for a no-cook meal. Set it alongside my creamy cauliflower salad or a bright summer salad when you want a spread of cold dishes. If you love the avocado-mayo idea, the warm green pea salad with avocado mayo uses the same trick in a cozier form, and you’ll find more inspiration in my collection of savory avocado recipes.
Make-ahead and storage tips
This salad is best eaten the day it’s made, since raw grated celeriac softens and the avocado dressing can darken over time. If you want to prep ahead, grate the celeriac and slice the peppers in advance and keep them refrigerated, then blend the avocado mayo and toss everything together close to serving. Press a little extra lemon juice over leftover dressing and cover it directly against the surface to slow browning. Store any dressed leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within a day. If you enjoy this kind of fresh, raw bowl, you might also like my spring detox salad or the lighter vegan a la russe Olivier salad for another make-it-fresh option.
I’m sure you’ll love this celeriac noodle salad as much as I do. If you make it, please rate the recipe and leave a comment telling me whether you went for the corn flakes on top, or how the avocado mayo turned out for you. I’d love to hear your tweaks.
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Celeriac Salad with Avocado Mayo Dressing
Ingredients
- 5 cups celeriac grated using a mandoline
- 5 red bell peppers pickled slices, cut lengthwise
- ½ cup parsley chopped
- 2 Tbsp corn flakes optional, for some extra crunch
- sea salt and ground pepper to taste
Avocado mayo dressing:
- 1 avocado ripe
- ¼ lemon juiced
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 Tbsp mustard
- 1-2 garlic cloves mashed
- 2 Tbsps olive oil
Instructions
- Grate celeriac using a mandoline. Select the blade which will grate it in a thin, noodle-like shape. See the photos. Place the grated celeriac in a large bowl.
- Add sliced pickled red bell peppers and fresh chopped parsley.
- Make avocado mayo dressing: Add all ingredients except oil in the bowl of your food processor and blend until smooth. Drizzle the oil slowly into the processor while blending.
- Add avocado mayo over the celeriac noodles in the bowl and mix.
- When serving, add corn flakes on top. (optional)
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Every ingredient is plant-based: celeriac, pickled red bell peppers, parsley, corn flakes, avocado, lemon, mustard, garlic, garlic powder, olive oil, salt and pepper. The avocado mayo replaces egg-based mayo entirely, so the salad is both vegan and raw.
A mandoline does the job. Select the blade that grates the celeriac into thin, noodle-like strands rather than a fine shred, so the pieces keep some bite. Always use the hand guard, because celeriac is dense and you have to push firmly.
It’s creamy and rich like classic mayonnaise, but lighter and fresher. The mustard adds a sharp bite, the lemon brightens it, and the garlic gives it depth. Drizzling the olive oil in slowly while blending helps it emulsify into a thick, glossy texture.
It’s best fresh, since raw grated celeriac softens and the avocado dressing darkens over time. You can grate the celeriac and slice the peppers ahead and refrigerate them, then blend the avocado mayo and toss everything together right before serving.
No, they’re optional. I add them at serving for two reasons: they look nice and they bring extra crunch. If you skip them, the salad is still crunchy from the raw celeriac, just a little less so on top.
Eat dressed leftovers within a day, stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Pressing a little extra lemon juice over the dressing and covering it directly against the surface helps slow the avocado from browning.
This dressing is simply perfect! ^_^ I’m planning on using it for other salads too, I bet it’s a real treat!
Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome! Happy to hear you liked the recipe!
Buna, Ruxandra!
Cum alegi avocado, cel verde/negru/mare/mic? care e cel mai bun, ca eu il nimeresc ba prea tare, ba stricat in interior?
Multumesc pt minunatele retete vegetariene si pt idei!
cu mare drag,
Elena
Buna! Multumesc! 😀 Nu conteaza daca e negru sau verde, sunt doar soiuri diferite. Eu in verific in asa fel incat la apasare sa fie foarte putin moale iar daca ii scot tumburusul acela din varf, sub el trebuie sa fie o culoare usor maronie, nu verde. Daca e verde inseamna ca nu e copt, cand e maro deschis inseamna ca e ready to eat. 🙂 De asemenea, cumpar de obicei la punguta din Carrefour sau Mega, avocado la 10-13lei punga. E cel mai bun. Chiar daca e mai tare cand il cumpar, se coace in casa in 2-3 zile.
delicious!!!
Glad you liked it! 😀