Apple and Celery Salad with Creamy Lemon Dressing

Prep Time:15 Mins | Total Time:15 Mins | Makes:20 Servings (about 1/2 cup each)

Count on a bushel's worth of crunchy flavour in this walnut and apple salad, made with an easy yogurt-mayo dressing.

Dressing

1/2 cup (125 mL) mayonnaise or salad dressing

3 tbsp (45 mL) plain yogurt

2 tbsp (25 mL) sugar

2 tsp (10 mL) grated fresh lemon peel

Salad

3 large Granny Smith apples, cut into 8 wedges, then cut crosswise into bite-size pieces (about 4 1/2 cups/1.125 L)

2 large Gala apples, cut into 8 wedges, then cut crosswise into bite-size pieces (about 3 1/2 cups/875 mL)

1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice

6 medium stalks celery with leaves

3/4 cup (175 mL) chopped walnuts, toasted

In small bowl, mix dressing ingredients until blended. Refrigerate until serving time.
Place apples in large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice; toss until coated.
Remove leaves from celery; chop leaves into 1/2-inch pieces to measure 1/2 cup. Cut celery stalks diagonally into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices to measure 2 cups. Add to bowl with apples. Refrigerate until serving time.
Just before serving, toss apples and celery. Add dressing; toss until coated. Sprinkle with walnuts.

How-To : To toast walnuts, sprinkle in ungreased heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently until walnuts begin to brown, then stirring constantly until light brown.Tip : To grate the fresh lemon peel, use a Microplane* grater (similar to an old-fashioned wood rasp). It grates the peel evenly but avoids scraping the underlying pith.Substitution : For added flavour, substitute flavoured yogurt, such as orange or lemon, for the plain.