Have You Tried: Celeriac?


You may have never heard of celeriac, or it may be one of your favorite vegetables.

In any case, this knobby, ugly root is probably one of the most delicious vegetables you will ever eat. Underneath the tough skin is a smooth, creamy flesh with a flavor reminiscent of parsley and celery.

More popular in Europe and the UK, it can be hard to find in supermarkets in the U.S., and is quite pricey to boot.

Celeriac, or Celery Root as it is also called, is wonderful raw in salads, roasted, boiled, steamed, mashed, in soups, or in casseroles. It goes especially well with meat.

When buying this autumn/winter root vegetable, select roots that small to medium in size and have no soft spots. Keep in the fridge in the crisper in a perforated plastic bag.

For a great article, read–“The Vegetable World’s Ugly Duckling: Celeriac” by Jack Staub


Whether you will use the celeriac raw in a salad, or you will be cooking it, here are a few helpful hints to keep in mind:

Use a sharp steel knife to cut off the ends. A chef’s knife works the best. The ends are tough to cut through.

Use a sharp, stainless steel paring knife to peel the tough skin. I happen to like a curved paring knife because it cuts around the curves nicely.



Always place celeriac in acidulated water–1 Tbsp. lemon juice or white vinegar for every 4 cups of water.


My favorite way to eat celeriac is in Potato-Celeriac Au Gratin.

Other recipes to try:

Celeriac Remoulade from Simply Recipes

Celeriac Mash from Epicurious

Braised Celeriac from Cooking Light, November 2000

Purée of Celery Root Soup from Orangette

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6 Comments

  1. Jenni–seriously? You have a recipe for pickle soup? I think I could handle it. Really, I could. Except that I neglected to mention that after my first plate of Celeriac Au Gratin, I couldn’t stand the sight or smell of it again. I darn near cried.

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