“Beauty is only skin deep.”
I’m sure that’s what celery root says to herself every morning when she looks in the mirror because, boy oh boy, is this a nasty hairball of a root vegetable. Also referred to as celeriac, German celery, turnip-rooted celery, and knob celery, this food actually isn’t the root of the celery you may have in your crisper drawer right now, but the root of a related plant.
Celery root is a gnarly-looking veggie, but it is just delicious.
It doesn’t exactly taste like the celery you’re familiar with, but it has a mild, nutty, and earthy flavor that just tastes like pure freshness. Readily available from fall through spring, celery root has a long shelf life and is easy to store.
Celery root is full of antioxidants, dietary fiber, Vitamin K, phosphorus, calcium, copper, and B vitamins.
Celery root must be peeled and after it is, it can be enjoyed raw or cooked. Grate it raw onto a salad or boil it like you would a potato and enjoy as a side dish. Roast it and purée it into a velvety soup.
Once you start looking for things to do with celery root, you’ll find tons of recipes! It’s shocking how we get stuck in a rut without even knowing it, reaching for the same familiar foods over and over again. Shake it up a little, people! Live on the wild side and put that strange-looking vegetable in your grocery cart. It may become a new family favorite—you’ll never know until you give it a shot!
This vegetable is not only delicious, easy to prepare, low in calories, and high in nutrients, but it’s cheap. Folks who complain that eating healthy is too expensive obviously aren’t reaching for celery root.
With so much going for it (except for its looks), I hope you’ll give this food a place on your dinner plate very soon!
Now it’s time for your Trick:
While celery root is very easy to cook and it can be braised, roasted, boiled, steamed or fried, remember not to overcook it. If you do, it will become mush. And tasteless mush at that. Fork tender is what you should aim for!
And your Tip:
Celery root is sometimes sold with its green stalks still attached to it. If you see this, buy it up! It’s a sign that the root has recently been harvested and it’s nice and fresh (which will make it easier to peel). When you get home, cut the stalks off of the root and store the two separately. The life of both parts of the plant will last longer this way. Save the stalks for your next batch of stock (keeping in mind that the flavor is stronger than the celery you’re used to).
And your Recipe:
Ginger Beet Carrot and Celery Root Juice
Ingredients
- 4 carrots
- 1 apple
- 1 thick slice gingerroot
- 1/2 celery root peeled
- 1/2 beet
- 1/2 cup spinach
Instructions
- All ingredients are best organic.
- Wash and dry all ingredients, and run through the juicer one at a time.
- For smaller leaves, if using baby spinach, for example, bunch them together tightly to form a "solid" leaf vegetable for better juicing.
- Chill (if desired), stir, and enjoy!
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