This Long-Forgotten Salad Dressing Features An Underrated Ingredient

Some recipes, once captured attention at dinners and picnic tables, now linger in the margins of old, dust-collecting cookbooks. Forgotten and rarely ever mentioned. Most of the time, they are old-school salad dressings we don't see people eating anymore, like celery seed dressing. Given the opportunity to shine, it can really take your breath away, making you wonder why no one ever talks about it anymore. At the heart of this dressing, you will find one very crucial ingredient that gives it that hidden charm, and you've guessed it — it's none other than celery seeds.

It's impossible to talk about the wonders of celery seed dressing without dissecting the main ingredient itself. Celery seeds still carry that distinctive earthy intensity and bitter undertone you often get with the stalks. An aromatic edge gives them — and subsequently, the dressing — more complexity, and depending on the amount you use, it might even build up into a subtle heat as well.

Already off to a spectacular start, the dressing only needs a few more essentials, and we're not just talking about sugar, salt, and oil. A vinaigrette at its core, cider vinegar sets a tangy depth for the celery seeds to meld into. The creamy version, however, will also include spoonfuls of mayonnaise. Mustard, in any form you prefer — ground, dry, or sauce — perfectly complements the celery seeds' peppery undertone. As aromatic nuances from the garlic and onion kick in, leaving a lingering aftertaste in each forkful, there's no denying the understated brilliance of this dressing.

You can use celery seeds for a whole lot of different dishes, and its salad dressing version certainly inherits that same versatility. Without a doubt, it works a miracle on almost any mixed green salad recipe. Any time you're thinking of whisking together a vinaigrette, opt for the celery seed version for a small twist that makes a huge impact. Drizzled over a spinach salad, it's everything you could want for a flavor-packed salad that still tastes balanced. Come fall, when you're eagerly tossing together the season's harvests, a celery seed dressing can also be the perfect finishing touch. Those tart apples and sweet squash couldn't have a better match than the dressing's earthy, rustic tones.

Laced with mayonnaise or buttermilk, celery seed dressing blends right into traditionally creamy salads. Celery seeds are the key ingredient addition for better flavor in coleslaw, and you can expect just as much with the dressing. Pasta salad and potato salad, both typically rely on a mayo dressing, only get better (but not different) with this celery seed upgrade. A surprising twist as it may be, it still remains true to the salads' creamy essence.

But who says you can only use the dressing for salads? The creamy version is just stunning enough to become a sauce for seared fish filets. Drizzled over roasted vegetables, the vinaigrette does an impeccable job of elevating the dish and sharpening out the flavors. If nothing else, simply mixing it into chicken or egg salads to give your lunch sandwiches a more exciting edge will always work.