One of the most popular and traditional salads, always providing the crispness that so many main dishes need. Apio Palta is perfect.
One popular salad with celery and avocado in Chile is "Ensalada Apio Palta," or Chilean Celery Avocado Salad. This salad is a refreshing and straightforward preparation combining celery's crispness and creamy avocado.
In Chile, you can buy the celery already chopped and ready in a bag with the radishes included. Or start from scratch.
You can use any variety of avocados. The most available in the USA are Hass avocados. I buy them greenish, hard, and firm. I leave them on the counter until they turn black and soften, and I put them in the refrigerator. This way, they last several days, almost a week, without turning black inside. Also, it is easier to get them home without bruising them.
You can also add black olives or toasted walnuts. It adds a lot of flavor.
Apio Palta benefits from being dressed half an hour before serving. And I don't recommend skipping the step of leaving the celery in ice water. It's much crunchier.
For me, avocado celery is essential if you eat charquicán or carbonada and, of course, in barbecues.
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Apio Palta Celery Avocado Salad
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Salad
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Chilean
Description
A great addition to any lunch.
Ingredients
- 1 small (1 pound) celery bunch
- 2-4 medium (¼ pound) radishes
- 2 small avocados or 1 large
- 2 lemons or white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup black olives or toasted walnuts, optional
- salt
Instructions
- Wash and trim the celery stalks. Remove any tough or fibrous strings. Cut into sticks about 1" long. Leave some leaves and some smaller cubes, and some longer ones.
- Slice the radishes into thin slices.
- Place the celery and radishes in a large bowl, cover with fresh water, and add ice. Rest for 2 hours.
- Cut the avocados into cubes of ½" or so.
- Drain the celery and radishes and return to the bowl; add the avocado.
- Season with the lemon juice; start with the juice of one lemon, oil, and salt.
- Mix well and adjust the seasoning. Add the nuts or olives when serving.
