A Simple Recipe for Braised Celery
Celery is so underrated! Besides smearing it with peanut butter and a sprinkling of raisins, I’ve been using in in my green juice and the other day decided to try it braised. Julia Child was a big fan of braised celery…and now so am I. Braising mellows this stalky vegetable and brings out a rich, savory flavor. The cooking broth reduces to a shiny glaze and while the celery tenderly yields to the tines of the fork, it still has a bit of crunch left (nobody wants to eat mush). Serve it alongside a roast this holiday season for a truly lovely and simple dish.
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Post updated with a new FAQ and recipe descriptions on 2/7/24. Web story and new Pinterest Pin added 2/21/24.
Celery — A Healthy & Delicious Veggie
Celery is chock-full of many vitamins and minerals including Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Folate, Vitamin K, and Niacin (or Vitamin B3). The celery that comes in my CSA basket is nothing like its anemic, floppy counterpart that one can purchase in the supermarket. It is deep green, and assertive, both in posture and flavor.
Julia Child’s Recipe for Simple Braised Celery: A Journey of Flavorful Transformation
If you’re wondering what to do when you have a lots of celery, look no further. This easy celery recipe is simple, earthy and still crisp, and accentuates everything that is fantastic about this vegetable!
Braising is a cooking technique that involves slow-cooking food in a small amount of liquid, resulting in a dish that’s tender, flavorful, and often infused with the aromatic essence of the cooking liquid. It’s like giving celery a spa day, turning it from basic to bougie with minimal effort. Suddenly, that celery isn’t just crunchy water anymore; it’s a taste bud awakening. Total game-changer. Here’s how to make it:
- Cut celery into 1-inch slices on the diagonal.
- Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery, along with salt and pepper and cook until it starts to become tender.
- Add broth, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook for 5 minutes longer, allowing the broth to reduce caramelize a bit.
- Taste for seasoning and serve immediately, garnished with reserved chopped leaves.
This recipe would make a fantastic side dish at Thanksgiving, Christmas or any other holiday meal.
FAQ About Cooking with Celery
Q. What is the best cooking technique for celery?
A. How you cook celery totally depends on what you’re whipping up. Want it crunchy and fresh? Chop it raw into salads. Looking to add some flavor to your soups or stews? Give it a quick sauté first. If you’re aiming for super tender celery that melds right in with other ingredients, braising or stewing is the way to go. Basically, celery’s like your culinary chameleon – it can pretty much adapt to whatever dish you’re making.
Q. What is the healthiest way to cook celery?
A. The healthiest way to cook celery is to steam it. (Though it’s certainly not the most interesting, IMO). Steaming preserves the maximum amount of nutrients compared to other cooking methods, such as boiling or frying, which can lead to nutrient loss. Steaming celery until it’s just tender ensures it retains its crunch and the bulk of its vitamins and minerals, making it a nutritious addition to your diet.
Q. What is a French dish with celery?
A. Besides this braised celery recipe, another classic French dish that prominently features celery is “Céleri Rémoulade.” This is a cold salad made from julienne-cut celery root (celeriac), mixed with a mustardy mayonnaise-based dressing. The dish combines the crisp, distinct flavor of celery root with a creamy, tangy sauce, making it a refreshing appetizer or side dish in French cuisine.
Q. What is the best way to eat celery?
A. How you munch on celery really just boils down to what you’re into and what you’re aiming for, diet-wise. Crunchy celery sticks are great for a quick, healthy snack, especially when you dive them into peanut butter or hummus for extra yum. If you’re not about that raw life, cooking it down in soups, stews, or just sautéing softens it up and tones down the taste. Or hey, juice it if you’re looking for a fresh, healthy sip. Raw or cooked, celery’s a champ at flexing into your meals.
10 Delicious Celery Recipes to Try
Celery. It’s that humble, green, and often overlooked vegetable that sits quietly in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator, waiting for its moment to shine. Well, folks, it’s time to give celery the standing ovation it deserves! This unassuming veggie isn’t just for ants on a log or a sidekick for buffalo wings; it’s a versatile superstar that can elevate your culinary game in numerous ways. Let’s dive into the crunchy world of celery recipes and explore its multifaceted role in a variety of delicious dishes!
Get the easy celery recipes >>>
Rediscover Celery: A Hidden Gem Unveiled
Look, braised celery isn’t just some side dish you push around your plate; it’s like a culinary magic trick turning what some might consider to be the most boring veg into a showstopper. It’s all about taking something as plain as celery and making it into something that’ll make your taste buds do a double-take. So next time you’re eyeing that celery at the store, think bigger. You’re not just picking up veggies; you’re about to whip up a flavor bomb that’ll jazz up dinner. Time to get creative and let that celery shine!
Love Celery? Here are a few more recipes to try!
- Easy + Delicious Gluten Free Cream of Celery Soup
- The Perfect Gin Cocktail for Summer
- The Best Celery Slaw Recipe
- Kale, Sausage and Vegetable Soup
- Tuscan Style Dressing with Sausage, Fennel, and Hazelnuts
Still looking for even more delicious celery recipes? Check out these insanely delicious recipes for celery from my friends at California Grown.
If you make this celery recipe, or any of my other gluten-free recipes be sure to tag me on Instagram, and use the hashtags #agirldefloured #deflouredrecipes!
Julia Child’s Recipe for Simple Braised Celery
Equipment
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 8 stalks of celery scrubbed and ends trimmed (chop and reserve leaves)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup vegetable stock
Instructions
- Cut celery into 1-inch slices on the diagonal.
- Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery, along with salt and pepper and cook until it starts to become tender.
- Add broth, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook for 5 minutes longer, allowing the broth to reduce caramelize a bit.
- Taste for seasoning and serve immediately, garnished with reserved chopped leaves.
Nutrition
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I love cooked celery. You find it often in China, stir-fried with strips of dried tofu and sesame oil. Yum!
I use celery in a stir-fry too actually. One with beef and chiles. And it is good. I think I’d like it the way you suggested too. =)
Have tried this adding a pinch of turmeric, pinch of chile, dash of Tajin. Mm. good. No more wasting this marvelous source of vitamins.
Whenever I buy celery it usually ends up rotting away in my fridge. I decided I wasn’t going to let that happen this time so I went in search of ways to use up the remaining celery on hand. I came across Alton Brown’s Braised Celery recipe but as a vegetarian I didn’t want to use beef stock. His recipe also seemed to be slightly more finicky not to mention I heard his voice with every sentence I read.
Next, I stumbled upon your recipe and am so glad I did! This was quick, easy and turned out so much more fantastic than I imagined. I am amazed that celery could taste so good. I’m not usually that big of a fan. I used some homemade vegetable stock that I had on hand from Martha Stewart’s website (another surprisingly great recipe).
Thanks for the wonderful recipe… this one is going in my box of favourites. 🙂 For now though, I have to figure out what else to make for dinner as I realize that eating a bowl of celery for dinner is probably not the most well rounded meal. 🙂 Even still… there might not end up being any left over… I can’t stop eating it.
So glad you loved it (and found my page). 🙂
you can also wrap your celery in tin foil. it lasts much longer that way! (like weeks longer).
I cut into lengths and clean it, plop it into a refrigerator dish and cover with water. It stays fresh and crisp, is ready for cooking or easy to grab for a crunchy snack. Just replace the water every other day. Stays fresh for a couple of weeks, though at the end you definitely want it in a mirepoix or soup.
I have been wrapping my veggies that have a high water content with a linen tea towel. Then I run cold water over the bundle and gently squeeze out excess water. Lay it on a dish in the fridge and it will last more than twice as long. Celery, ginger root, even parsley and cilantro. Check every few day and rinse with water as towel dries out. Easy in the environment and prevents waste
Good to know! 🫶🏻
Sounds good, and I’ve got some fresh celery on hand, so I’ll be braising some for sure. But I have a question – the picture shows bits of some red seasoning – red pepper? Paprika? Whatever it is is not mentioned in the recipe; is something left out or is that a stock photo?
That’s my photo. I use a pepper blend in my grinder that has white, black and pink peppercorns. That’s probably what you see. 🙂
This was so easy and super delicious. A great way to use up extra celery. Also, I suspect if I took the braised celery and added a little milk or cream and pureed with my immersion blender that it would make a very tasty soup. 🙂
I love this recipe!! I’ve been keeping lots of washed, chopped celery in a mixing bowl of cold water in my refrigerator (to keep them crisp), and I’ve just been dumping sriracha sauce on them or low cal yogurt dip. This takes my dieting up another tasty notch! Thanks!!
Can I use chicken broth instead?
Yep!
Goodgoosey miss mary!! Just drizzle a little evoo, sprinkle with sea salt and skillet or oven just long enuff to brown slightly. The sweetness comes out and still crunches. No juice needed since its mostly WATER already!!
Gracias por compartir tan excelente receta.
Very glad I came across this recipe. I always buy celery but rarely use it although now I will definitely remember this for a healthy side dish. My son who hates celery ate it without complaining and my two year old daughter devoured it.
Wow – this was great! Like so many others, I often buy celery but usually enjoy it as a mode of “transport” for peanut butter/spreadable cheese/dip or put it in soup. I’ve often half-heartedly wondered what else I could do with it, but today I decided to look up some recipes and give it a shot. I put some grated Parmesan cheese on some and I have to say, it was even better. I’ll definitely be making this again. Celery is one of the few veggies my husband will eat (albeit usually as a side to an order of hot wings) so I’ll have to see if I can entice him to try it.
Thanks for a delicious recipe. I always had lots of extra celery left over until now and the dish is really tasty with just enough crunch. Dinner was pork neck bones and gravy, bowtie pasta (with gravy), the celery, and applesauce. When I do something lighter next time, will pair this with a pork tenderloin.
It’s like taking the celery out of a great chicken noodle soup, it’s so good!
Excellent, thank you. Not celiac, not dieting, just like good food. This recipe was great, served with roast beef, glazed carrots, and lots of lovely potatoes cooked in duck fat. Didn’t have any vegetable or chicken stock to hand, so used white wine. Worked a treat.
Yum!
Love the recipe and really love the name of your blog!
Agree with all the above Found it today and Thanks!!
Braised celery is one of my favorites. I found a receipt years ago.
Saute celery (butter or spray oil) about 5 min.
Sprinkle slight amount of nutmeg on celery
Add vegetable or chicken stock
Mix a little cornstarch with a little of the stock, just to slightly thicken
Can add healthy chopped nuts such as pecans, walnuts etc.
Goes great with any fowl.
Perfect recipe. So simple and so good.
Glad to have found this site!
Hi Anne, post is edited.
Tried this w/o stock. I’ve never been a fan of celery until I tried it this way. Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it!
My grandmother, in S.Giusto (PO), Italy, used to make celery stalks steamed and filled with ragout. Delicious! She used to make them a keep in her “madia”, a high wooden chest meant for keeping bread and food. The large bread round, wrapped in cloth would last the whole week. It went well with the stuffed celery.
The filled celery stalks were much bigger that today so to hold the saucy minced meat and look rich and yummy. You steam the half stalks till soft, and spoon your “bolognese sauce” in the wider part. You serve them cold or heated up, just enough. Great looking and yummy. Parmigiano-Reggiano, optional.
I have never loved braised celery this much. Thank you!
Might be a great ingredient in a stuffing
Made this. Liked it. Used a combination of celery from my garden and some organic celery from the store. Used my own chicken stock. Turned out quite nice and tasty. It shared the table with sweet and sour chicken meatballs (Chinese—Maggie Zhu) , and brown rice. Nice dinner.
Sounds incredible – thanks for sharing!
Very good! I also added a little fresh dill and squeeze of lemon at the end.
Oh that sounds delicious – thanks for your comment!