I love mashed potatoes, but let’s face it: unless they are enhanced with added cheese or sour cream or garlic, their mild flavor makes them primarily a vehicle for gravy and other sauces. That’s why I’m a huge fan of celery root puree. Creamy and delicious, this celery root puree has much more flavor than mashed potatoes and stands on it’s own, unadorned, as a side dish for simply grilled meats, poultry and fish.
Celery root puree is super tasty as a bed on which to top roasted salmon or seared sea scallops, elevating the flavor of those proteins without the need for any kind of sauce. Try it as a side with Marcella Hazan’s Roast Chicken with Lemons and a simple green vegetable for a comforting cold weather dinner.
Simmering in milk coaxes out a particular sweetness in the celery root. I also use yellow potatoes in addition to the celery root, to tone down the intense flavor a bit and improve the mashed texture. This recipe was inspired by a recipe by Ina Garten on her Barefoot Contessa website. I've reduced quite a bit of the fat from the original recipe - but you won't miss that fat, I promise!
Ingredients for Celery Root Puree
Contrary to popular opinion, celery root or celeriac is not the root of the green celery stalks that we buy in grocery stores. Celeriac is a unique variety of celery and is cultivated primarily for its edible bulbous root. (Although the stalks and leaves are edible as well.) The root itself is kind of ugly and irregular and has many smaller roots attached to it. These, as well as the dirt-filled nooks and crannies on the surface of the bulb, must be trimmed away with a vegetable peeler or (even better) a sharp knife. You’ll lose probably ¼ of the weight of the bulb during the trimming process, so factor that into any recipe planning.
What does celery root puree taste like?
The white celery root revealed after peeling is delicious raw or cooked. Raw, it has a fantastic crunch and a nutty, celery-like flavor. It’s great in salads and also to use on a crudités platter to scoop up party dips. Cooked, it has a texture similar to cooked potatoes, but it has a lot more flavor. Some describe the taste of celery root as a light celery flavor with notes of parsley and hazelnuts. But, really, it’s like me asking you what a banana tastes like. You know it when you taste it and it’s delicious, but it’s difficult to describe.
Is celery root better for you than potatoes?
Like all root vegetables, both celery root and white potatoes contain non-soluble fiber that feeds the good bacteria in your gut microbiome. There are a growing number or researchers that say that for gut health, we should eat root vegetables every day and rotate a variety of them into our diets. Celery root also contains antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation. And it's a good source of nutrients such as vitamin B, vitamin C and vitamin K. Celery root is significantly lower in calories and carbs than potatoes, which makes this celery root puree a healthy, flavor-packed alternative to traditional mashed potatoes.
- celery root
- yellow potato
- sweet onion
- extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt
- black pepper
- whole milk
- fresh herbs (optional)
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for Celery Root Puree
Using a sharp knife, trim any stalks from the celery root. Peel the celery root, cutting out the outer layer as well as all small roots and dirt-filled crevices. Cut into 1" dice. Peel and dice the potato and onion also into 1" dice.
In a medium sauce pan or Dutch oven, sauté the onion in butter on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Do not brown.
Add the celery root, potato, salt and pepper and cover with the milk. Bring to a boil. Then turn the heat to low, cover the pot and allow the vegetables to simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. (Test the celery root with a fork. There should be no resistance.)
Let cool slightly and transfer in batches to a food processor. Pulse until a smooth puree forms. Return the puree to the pot and place on very low heat to keep warm until ready to use. Taste and adjust seasonings. Transfer to a warm serving bowl and garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
Substitutions
- Vegan - substitute full fat oat milk (I like Oatly Full Fat) for the cow's milk and vegan butter or olive oil for the butter.
- Leeks - leeks have a mellower flavor than onions. Use the white part only of the leeks to replace onions in this recipe.
- Herbs - a variety of chopped fresh herbs are delightful as garnishes to top the celery root puree, particularly rosemary, thyme, chives and tarragon. Use whatever herbs you enjoy and have on hand.
Equipment
You're going to want a sharp chef's knife to cut through the fibrous celery root bulb - both to trim off the small roots and dirt-filled pockets as well as to dice the bulb. Global is my go-to kitchen knife. My Global 8" Chef's Knife is beautiful, has a fantastic weight and feels great in your hand. It's super sharp and maintains it's sharpness so it gets the job done with ease.
You might be able to get away with a hand mixer for this recipe, but I find that a food processor is the best choice to quickly pulse the celery root and potatoes into a smooth puree. I have always loved my Cuisinart food processor. It's been the work horse of my kitchen for a couple of decades now and it's still going. If you don't have a high quality food processor in your kitchen, it's worth considering the investment. This Cuisinart Pro Custom 11-Cup Food Processor in Brushed Chrome is highly rated and is the perfect size for most families.
Top tips
Make sure you remove all of the dirty crevices and brown areas on the celery root when trimming. Do not be alarmed by the seemingly large amount of the bulb you are cutting off in the process. This is normal!
Also, be sure to stir the vegetables occasionally while they simmer in the milk to prevent scorching. Curdling of the milk is common and won't be a problem once you puree the mixture.
Celery Root Puree
Ingredients
- 1 small celery root, 1 lb with the stalks and leaves removed
- 3 small yellow potatoes, about 12 ounces
- 1 medium yellow onion 6-8 ounces
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1½ cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary (optional)
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, trim any stalks from the celery root. Peel the celery root, cutting out the outer layer as well as all small roots and dirt-filled crevices. Cut into 1" dice. Peel and dice the potato and onion also into 1" dice.
- In a medium sauce pan or Dutch oven, sauté the onion in butter on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Do not brown.
- Add the celery root, potato, salt and pepper and cover with the milk. Bring to a boil. Then turn the heat to low, cover the pot and allow the vegetables to simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. (Test the celery root with a fork. There should be no resistance.)
- Let cool slightly and transfer in batches to a food processor. Pulse until a puree forms. Return the puree to the pot and place on very low heat to keep warm until ready to use. Taste and adjust seasonings. Transfer to a warm serving bowl and garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
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