Celery & Blue Cheese Salad

Author Notes

This salad comes together in minutes and is perfect for those hot summer nights when you don’t want to cook because the kitchen is already a sauna. It can go on the side or be “bulked up” for a meal on its own by adding more chickpeas and even incorporating some quinoa or orzo (though that does require turning on the stove).

While the salad is simple and easy to pull together, it’s not universally loved. There’s a 1/2 cup of blue cheese, which means if you don’t like blue cheese, you are going to hate this salad. Blue cheese can be a polarizing ingredient, so plan your diners accordingly. But, for those who love blue cheese, this salad features it in a punchy and pure way.

The celery and herbs bring in freshness, the nuts add a crunch, and the dressing adds depth and compliments the nuttiness and funk of the blue cheese. Finally, the raisins balance everything out. The peas are honestly there because I like peas, so it’s up to you if you want to swap those out, and the chickpeas add enough heft to the salad to turn it into a meal. —ForeignFlavors