When it comes to producing, celery is a real workhorse! It can add crunch, flavor, and color to so many dishes, but you have to know what to do with it! These awesome stalks have enough fiber and flavor to add something special to any meal or snack, but they don’t always shine on their own. Celery needs some friends to help it taste good! This guide has your back! Learn how to make celery taste good, no, great!
What is Celery?
This fibrous plant has been growing in marshlands for as long as we’ve eaten! Celery grows in bundles of stalks with leafy ends and is used in all sorts of recipes. Celery seeds are even used to spice dishes.
The celery flavor is earthy and leafy, and celery seeds can add this flavor in a concentrated way. The texture of celery is very fibrous and crunchy, and it holds onto some crunch as it cooks, so it can add a nice bite to soups, stews, and more!
Celery is a staple for a reason, but you have to know exactly what to do with it to make it taste great!
How to Prepare Celery
One simple trick to using celery is making sure it is prepared correctly. This ensures you get less stringy celery and can enjoy its grassy flavor and satisfying crunch!
First, cut the end of the bundle off very close to the base; then, you can remove each stalk and wash them. After washing the stalks, make a cut about 2 ½ inches from the bottom of the stalk, but be careful not to cut all the way through. Break the stalk at the cut and peel the string up toward the leafy end and off. Remove the leafy ends, and you will have nice clean celery without all the strings.
Once cleaned, the celery is ready to be cooked, eaten raw, or added to recipes.
How to Make Celery Taste Good
Celery can add some pop and crunch to your cooking, but you must know what to do with it! Get inspired with these tips on how to make your celery taste good!
Make Mirepoix
Unlock the potential of your vegetables with this amazing classical cooking technique! This is a simple trick but truly transformative for your celery! A mirepoix is a combination of celery, carrots, and onions cooked together to release their aromatic potential. This mixture serves as a base for many great stews, sauces, and soups.
To make a mirepoix, dice carrots, onions, and celery. Over medium-low heat, heat olive oil in a large pan or Dutch oven. Add the diced vegetables, and cook them until the onions are translucent; deglaze the pan, and start adding in meats, stocks, etc., to build a gorgeous meal.
Treat your Inner Child
Almost everyone has memories of the celery-based snack “ants on a log.” It is a fun snack for kids and a great treat for hungry adults! This celery-centric snack is made by slicing the celery into 2-inch cuts, then filling the middle with peanut butter, and finally bringing in the “ants,” or raisins.
This snack is simple, fun, and flavorful. The peanut butter adds a great protein boost to your afternoon snack, no matter how old you are! Make this snack a little more grown up by using natural peanut butter, or add a little extra sweetness with a little honey.
Stir into a Slaw
The crunch of celery adds a fun bite to any recipe and makes it perfect for celery slaw! Adding a little celery to coleslaw gives it so much extra crunch and flavor. Try this basic celery coleslaw:
- Shred or thinly slice cabbage, carrots, and celery.
- Mix mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, paprika, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Add the vegetable into the dressing and toss until fully covered.
- Serve cold.
Try this tasty slaw, and see how good celery can taste!
Dive into Dips
One great thing about celery is that it is easy to eat raw or cooked. Raw celery has a fairly neutral taste, so it can be enjoyed with lots of different dips and sauces. A delicious dip, like hummus, can really bring out the best in celery, and celery does not have the calories of a pita or potato chip. Ranch dip, yogurt dip, and vegetable dip all pair well with raw celery. Go wild and use whatever dip you love; they are all sure to make celery taste good!
Save the Scraps
A great kitchen trick with celery is to save the scraps. When you clean the celery, set aside the leafy ends. These scraps can be combined with other vegetable scraps and made into a beautiful homemade vegetable stock. Simmer the scraps down in the water, then strain, and you will be left with a great zero-waste vegetable broth.
FAQs
Does Celery Make You Lose Weight?
There are lots of claims about the health benefits of celery. The truth is it can be a great addition to a balanced diet. It has lots of dietary fiber, electrolytes to fight bloating, and only 10 calories per stalk. These stats are why people continue to turn to celery as a great diet booster, but no one food alone can make you lose weight. Balance is always key!
How do I Store Celery?
One great thing about celery is that it has a pretty long shelf life. Store celery heads whole in the refrigerator crisper drawer. The heads will stay fresh for up to a whole month in the refrigerator.