I love a good green salad. Sometimes, late summer calls for something colder, crunchier, juicier, and without a lettuce leaf in sight.
Sweet Grapes, Crisp Cucumber & Celery with Lemon
Our Grape Crunch Salad takes the familiar idea of a classic grape salad and gives it a fresh Peace Love & Butter update. Sweet seedless green grapes, crisp celery, and cool cucumber are tossed in a bright lemon and olive oil dressing with a little jalapeño for heat.
Then we finish it with fresh parsley, mint, and crunchy raw Brazil nuts.
No cream cheese.
No mayonnaise.
No heavy dressing.
It’s fresh, bright, GREEN, vegan, and incredibly hydrating—exactly the kind of salad I want when late-summer heat has me craving something cold and crunchy.
A Fresh, Vegan Update on Classic Grape Salad
The traditional grape salad often takes a sweeter, creamier direction, with ingredients like cream cheese, sour cream, or mayonnaise. Kids love it. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that version.
But I wanted something different. Because I’m not a four year old, and I’m not feeding a four year old.
This version keeps the grapes and crunch while losing the heavy creaminess. Olive oil and lemon create a light dressing, jalapeño adds heat, and fresh herbs completely change the personality of the dish. The result has kick, more refreshing, a bit of heat, a whole lot of green and entirely plant-based.
Perfect Make Ahead Salad
You can make the salad a few hours ahead and refrigerate it until you’re ready to serve. It travels well. Take it to the beach, the cottage, the barbecue.
For maximum crunch, keep the Brazil nuts separate and scatter them over the salad just before serving.
The grapes, cucumber, and celery actually benefit from a little time with the lemon dressing, allowing the flavours to mingle.
Make It Your Own
Such a flexible salad. I encourage you to experiment with your own unique version.
Try adding: Green apple, Fresh pear, Avocado, Sugar snap peas, Thinly sliced radish, Fennel, Fresh basil (Italian or Thai), Cilantro, A little fresh ginger.
For more heat, leave the jalapeño seeds intact.
For a milder version, remove the seeds and membranes before chopping.
Why Brazil Nuts?
Brazil nuts are AMAZING, and I feel like they don’t get nearly enough love. They’re rich, buttery, and substantial enough to give this salad a satisfying crunch and a little more staying power.
Their flavour also works beautifully with the sweetness of the grapes and the bright lemon dressing. But you can shift that final crunch.
If you don’t have Brazil nuts, try: Raw almonds, Cashews, Pecans or Walnuts.
For a nut-free version, use toasted seeds. Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, toasted sesame seeds. All crunchy-licious.
Why I Love It
This salad is all about contrast. The grapes are juicy and naturally sweet. Celery and cucumber bring serious crunch. Lemon cuts through the sweetness, jalapeño gives it a little spark, and fresh mint makes the whole thing taste wonderfully cool.
Then there are the Brazil nuts. Their rich, buttery crunch gives the salad enough substance to keep it from feeling like a bowl of fruit.
I also love that it can sit happily in the refrigerator for a while without collapsing into a sad pile of wilted lettuce.
Print
Grape Crunch Salad with Lemon & Mint
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: serves 4 to 6 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Our quick vegan Grape Crunch Salad combines juicy green grapes, crisp cucumber and celery with a bright lemon dressing, fresh mint, jalapeño, parsley, and Brazil nuts. Juicy, tasty and just a little heat for kick.
Ingredients
- 2 cups seedless green grapes
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 1/2 English cucumber, sliced
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup raw Brazil nuts, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
- 1 tablespoon raw sugar
- 1 small jalapeño, finely minced
- 1 green onion, finely sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
Make the Dressing
• Add the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, raw sugar, jalapeño, green onion, salt, and white pepper to a small bowl or jar.
• Whisk or shake until the sugar dissolves and the dressing is well combined.
• Taste and adjust the lemon, salt, or jalapeño to your liking.
Build the Salad
• Cut the grapes in half if they are large; leave smaller grapes whole.
• Add the grapes, celery, and cucumber to a large bowl.
• Pour over the lemon dressing and gently toss.
• Add the parsley and mint.
• Toss again.
• Refrigerate for 15–30 minutes to allow the flavours to come together.
• Add the chopped Brazil nuts immediately before serving so they retain their crunch.
Serve cold.
Notes
Serving Suggestions This is a brilliant side dish for summer meals because it plays nicely with just about everything. Serve it alongside:
• Grilled chicken
• Marinated Greek Chicken
• Grilled fish
• Smoked salmon
• Burgers
• Grilled vegetables
• Tofu
• Falafel
• Grain bowls
• Picnic sandwiches
It’s particularly good with anything coming off the grill because the cold, crunchy salad provides such a nice contrast to smoky, savoury food. And yes, pack it for the beach.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Chopping
- Cuisine: North American
