An elegant, classic French salad, celeriac remoulade is simply shredded celeriac in a creamy mustard mayonnaise, with a squeeze of lemon and scattering of chopped fresh herbs. Rich, savoury and fresh, you can rely on this satisfying winter salad for a raw food lift. My celeriac remoulade recipe is a breeze to make with ready-made mayo and a dash of mustard.
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Celeriac remoulade
In every bistro and ever deli across France and beyond, on school menus or fine dining, celeriac remoulade is a year round favourite.
Crunchy strips of raw celeriac pair perfectly with creamy remoulade sauce, a tangy combination of mayonnaise and mustard with fine herbs.
I love raw veg, and find this delicious alternative to coleslaw really hits the spot. If you don’t like that raw cabbage flavour, this one is for you. Celeriac is subtle, fragrant and goes well with so many dishes. Enjoy it for lunch, as a starter or with fish, chicken or charcuterie.
The classic celeriac remoulade recipe involves cutting the celeriac into fine, even julienne strips by hand. I’m afraid that’s not either effortless or fuss-free at all, which is why I prefer to grate mine. This leaves me with more time to enjoy the results!
Why make celeriac remoulade
- So easy but so impressive
- A delicious taste of French holidays
- An unusual change from your everyday sides
- A great way to get some healthy raw veg into your diet
Celeriac remoulade recipe ingredients
- Celeriac – Choose a good solid root. You don’t want one that sounds hollow.
- Juice of a lemon – If you’re feeling really lazy, lemon juice from a bottle is OK instead.
- Mayonnaise – It really doesn’t have to be homemade. Use your favourite. You can use a vegan version if you want.
- Dijon mustard – the French classic
- Salt and pepper (not shown) – I like to use sea salt and ground black pepper.
- Parsley – or a mix of soft green herbs.
How to make celeriac remoulade – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this celeriac remoulade recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – First, squeeze the lemon. You need to have the juice ready as soon as celeriac is grated, so do it now.
Helen’s Fuss Free Tip
In order to get as much juice as possible out of the lemon, roll it around on the worktop applying a little pressure. This will break the fibres inside, which will then release more of the juice.
Step Two – Cut the celeriac into quarters, because this makes it easier to handle as you peel it. Then peel, and trim away the knobbly root end.
Step Three – Grate the celeriac coarsely. I usually do this with a food processor, but you can also use a regular kitchen grater, or a mouli. If you have the time and your knife skills are up to it, you can cut it by hand.
Step Four – Set aside one tablespoonful of lemon juice for later. Then put the rest in a large bowl along with a cupful of cold water. Add the grated celeriac and mix well. Do this quickly. The idea is to stop the celeriac from going brown, so the quicker the peeled veg is coated in the lemon, the better.
Step Five – Make the dressing. Put the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, the last of the lemon juice, pepper and salt into a large bowl. Then stir it all together to make a smooth cream. You want the dressing to have the consistency of pouring cream, so if you need to, you can thin it with a little water.
Step Six – Drain the celeriac in a sieve and then press to get rid of as much water as you can. Then tip it out onto a clean tea towel, and then pat it to get it dry.
Step Seven – Now add half the grated celeriac to the dressing and stir in so that it is well coated.
Helen’s Fuss Free Tip
It is far easier to mix the grated celeriac and dressing in two or three stages, rather than to do it all in one go.
Step Eight – Add the rest of the grated celeriac and again, stir well. Then garnish with the parsley and serve.
Serving suggestion
Celeriac remoulade is good as a light lunch. I like it as it comes, but you serve it with some crusty bread and ham if you prefer.
As a side dish, it is good with chicken or fish, or make it part of a buffet spread, perhaps with cold meats.
Variations
- Shred some apple or carrot along with the celeriac. You will want to coat these in the lemon juice too, because apple discolours quickly without the lemon juice.
- Add some toasted walnuts or hazelnuts at the end.
- Vary the herbs. These can be finely chopped and stirred into the dressing if you prefer. Chives, tarragon and chervil are a classic mix.
- Add chopped capers to the dressing.
- Mix some finely sliced anchovies into the dressing.
- Add horseradish for a kick, especially if you are serving your salad with fish.
- Stir in some extra protein. Try adding small pieces of ham, chorizo or smoked salmon for a more substantial lunch dish.
Storage
This celeriac remoulade is best made a few hours before you want to serve.
Fridge – If you have any left over, you can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. I don’t recommend freezing.
Hints and Tips
- Don’t grate the celeriac too fine, because you will end up with mush. You want to retain some bite.
- Don’t try to mix the celeriac into the remoulade dressing all at once. It makes it harder to get an even coating.
FAQS
Remoulade is the dressing rather than the salad itself. At its most basic, remoulade is mayonnaise with mustard, but it is common to add herbs. Finely chopped capers and gherkins are sometimes included too. Remoulade is a popular accompaniment to fries across much of Europe, especially in Belgium.
No, you don’t. Perhaps it might be a good idea if you were to cut your celeriac into chunky chips instead of a fine julienne. You don’t need to do it for this celeriac remoulade recipe, however. You don’t want lose all the crunch.
If you want to cut down on the mayonnaise, you could use half mayo and half natural yogurt. If you want to avoid eggs, then you can use a vegan mayonnaise.
No, this is not suitable for freezing.
More Vegetable Salads
- Carrot Salad – the classic, and easy to make, French carrot salad
- No Mayo Coleslaw – Light, bright and vibrant vinegar ‘slaw
- Asian Slaw – Crunchy pak choi salad with flavours of soy sauce and sesame
More Celeriac Recipes
- Mashed Celeriac – light, smooth and delicious with roasts and stews
- Celeriac Soup – velvety smooth and full of flavour
- Celeriac Fries – quick, easy and guilt free
Celeriac Remoulade Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Lemon
- 1 Celeriac / Celery Root (about 800g or the size of a large grapefruit)
- 5 tbsp Mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (smooth)
- Salt and pepper
- Parsley (to garnish)
Instructions
- First, squeeze the lemon. Roll it under the heel of your hand to break down the fibres, allowing you to extract more of the juice.1 Lemon
- Now prepare the celeriac. Cut into quarters and remove the knotty root end. Peel with a vegetable peeler.1 Celeriac / Celery Root
- Coarsely grate the celeriac in a food processor or cut into fine julienne strips. Do not grate it too fine.
- Set aside a tablespoonful of lemon juice for later. Put the rest in a large bowl along with a cupful of cold water. Add the grated celeriac and mix well. This will stop it going brown.
- Make the dressing. Put the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, the reserved lemon juice, pepper and salt into a large bowl. Then stir it all together to make a smooth cream. If necessary, you can thin it with a little water until the dressing is the consistency of pouring cream.5 tbsp Mayonnaise, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, Salt and pepper
- Drain the celeriac in a sieve, squeezing out the excess moisture. Then pat dry on a clean tea towel or kitchen paper.
- Transfer half the celeriac to the dressing bowl. Mix well.
- Repeat with the remaining celeriac, mixing to get an even coating.
- Finish with a garnish of parsley and a little more pepper to serve.Parsley
Notes
- This recipe is 3 Weight Watchers Smart Points per portion
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