Where do you add celery and what can you cook from it?

Most people avoid this vegetable because they don't know how to cook it. At the same time, you can add celery stalks to various products, for example, the juicy and tender plant is an excellent addition to any salads; it is also used to prepare various stews and other dishes.

Where do they add

Slightly oily, with a slight bitterness, salty taste and a pronounced spicy smell - this is how you can briefly describe celery. It is used in cooking in the same way as parsley.

This is a versatile vegetable, its roots, leaves and stems are used in many recipes: soups, gravies, sauces, vegetable, meat, fish and mushroom dishes. Pairs well with rich and tart game soups. It can be added to vegetables, this will give them an amazing taste and smell, so celery is consumed with dishes that include eggplant, legumes, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, etc.

It is stewed or baked with vegetables or used as an independent dish. Dried celery is used to make mayonnaise and sauces, which makes it possible to add a pleasant taste to side dishes.It is found in spicy dry formulations and is sprinkled on egg dishes or grilled meats.

Grains (whole or ground) are also used as a spice; they are added to borscht, sauces, sausages, salads, and fish dishes.

Where else can you add celery:

• it is used for vegetable or denser salads with nuts and cheese, here the bright taste of this plant stands out against the background of other components;
• add foliage to pesto on its own or in combination with various herbs;
• the stems go well with chickpeas; they are mixed in a salad, where red onion is additionally added;
• finely chopped leaves are sprinkled on various dishes, that is, used instead of dill or in combination with them;
• leaves replace parsley in tabbouleh;
• leaf pesto is added to pasta as a sauce;
• a surprisingly successful combination - fried eggs with celery;
• use in smoothies;
• freeze the stems, puree them with butter in small cubes; they are then used for making soups;
• You can dry the celery, grind it and mix with salt.

Best combinations with other spices

Celery root can be eaten fresh, fried, boiled or stewed. A very tasty salad of chopped fresh stems and crab sticks, with boiled and finely chopped potatoes, carrots and mayonnaise.

The fresh product can be successfully combined in salads made from cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell peppers. You can prepare a salad of nuts and beets, seasoned with butter; sometimes sour cream is added for taste.

The fruit can be used to make excellent celery dishes with apples, bananas, and oranges. A delicious pasta for sandwiches is made from grated cottage cheese, to which finely chopped dill, parsley, and celery are added.

Considering its usefulness, this vegetable is appropriate in various dishes. You just need to remember that this is a very spicy plant, it should not spoil the taste of the other ingredients, but rather complement them pleasantly.

Composition and calorie content of celery

This plant has so few calories that its nutritional value is considered negative. There are many diets where celery is the main type for consumption.

Calorie content per 100 grams of product is 13 kcal, where:

• carbohydrates - 1.8 g;
• proteins - 0.8 g;
• water - 93.9 g;
• dietary fiber - 2 g;
• fats - 0.10 g.

Celery contains:

• antioxidants and provitamins;
• vitamin A, responsible for tissue repair and the body’s immune system;
• vitamin C, which is a stimulator of metabolic processes, helps in the absorption of nutrients, and increases the tone of the walls of blood vessels.

Celery turns out tasty in any form, but we must not forget that the beneficial properties of the product cannot be preserved even after a short heat treatment.

Smell and taste

Celery is similar to parsley, but spicier and with a slight bitterness. The taste of the petioles is more neutral; after heat treatment it becomes even softer. The fresh root vegetable is pungent, a bit like a radish. There are a lot of essential oils here, which made the taste bittersweet. Fresh celery has a strong, specific smell.

After drying, the stem loses its pungency and bitterness, and the taste becomes sweeter. Root vegetables and leaves change during cooking: the characteristic aroma is lost - it becomes less sharp, and their taste approaches neutral.

How to choose good quality celery

When purchasing celery, the main attention should be paid to the freshness of the vegetable; this can only be ensured by storage in the right conditions.Changes in color, various defects or rot on the surface indicate that the product was in the warehouse for a very long time or the storage was improperly organized; it does not need to be selected.

The size of the root crop is also important. We must not forget that the densest celery is the one with large roots.

Where and how to store

The purchased vegetable is stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. It is recommended to wrap it in paper, so it will stay fresh longer. Storage temperature 0…+5 C.

If it is already peeled celery, then it can be stored for a short time in slightly salted water, this way you can avoid darkening.

TOP 5 most popular recipes

Celery is on the list of the best foods for weight loss and various diets. If you decide to include this vegetable in your daily menu, check out popular recipes.

Cream soup

Components:

• celery root - 1 piece;
• carrots – 2 pcs.;
• potatoes – 3 pcs.;
• oil;
• cream – 250 ml;
• garlic – 3 cloves.

Preparation:

1. Peel the garlic, cut it, fry it a little in oil. Reduce heat, add grated carrots. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Peel the root vegetables and potatoes, cut into small pieces. Transfer to garlic and carrots. Add a small amount of water to the pan and simmer the mixture covered for 30 minutes.
3. Place the cooked vegetables in a blender, pour in the cream and blend for a few minutes. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and let it boil. At the end, salt, spices and herbs are added.

Hot and sour salad

Components:

• celery root vegetable – 250 g;
• mustard – 3 tbsp;
• half a lemon;
• olive oil – 4 tbsp;
• vinegar – 4 tsp;
• water – 2 tbsp.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Grate the peeled root vegetable using a grater used for preparing carrots in Korean. Squeeze the lemon juice, otherwise the celery will darken, and mix. Let the mixture stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Mix oil, apple cider vinegar, and mustard in a separate container. Add 2 tbsp. boiling water and beat everything with a mixer. Season the salad with the prepared mixture.

Beef stew

Celery will give the meat a pleasant smell and softness.

Components:

• stems – 4 pcs.;
• beef – 850 g;
• parsley – 1 bunch;
• oil – 7 tbsp;
• onions – 3 pcs.

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Cut the beef into small pieces and fry for 4-6 minutes over high heat. Chop the celery and onion and add to the meat.
2. Add enough water to the pan to cover the beef pieces. Set the heat to low, cover the container and simmer all ingredients for about 1 hour.
3. At the end of cooking, add salt and pepper.

Salad with cod liver

Components:

• stems - 3 pieces;
• boiled egg - 2 pieces;
• fish liver – 350 g;
• dill – 1 bunch;
• cucumbers – 4 pieces.

Preparation:

1. Place the cod liver on napkins and wait until the excess fat drains off.
2. Wash the cucumbers, greens and celery and chop finely.
3. Carefully chop the liver and egg. Mix all ingredients in one pan.

Roasted celery salad

Components:

• root vegetable – 250 g;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• carrots – 2 small;
• oil;
• mayonnaise – 3 tbsp;
• “Dutch” cheese – 70 g.

Preparation:

1. Peel the root vegetable and grate it. Fry in oil for 1-4 minutes.
2. Grate the carrots and cheese. Press out the garlic using a masher.
3. Mix all ingredients in one container and add mayonnaise.If the latter does not suit you, you can season the salad with sour cream.

Celery goes well with almost all foods. The vegetable allows you to enhance their natural taste and add a piquant aroma. Great for people trying to lose weight without using different diets.