Ok, this is it. I finally know what my favourite vegetable in the world is: celeriac. Yes, I decided that last week. Because I love everything about it (and I am probably also feeling a bit sad that it is not well known or much loved vegetable). But do not listen to any of those people, my dear celeriac, you are the BEST!

 

 

So this dish is the simplest possible way of cooking celeriac. And it is also the only way we ate celeriac when I was a kid, the only way my mother, who also loved celeriac as much as I do, cooked it. And ever since those childhood days I’ve been in love with it.

 

 

 

Well, cooking vegetables with olive oil and onion is certainly not a groundbreaking idea and it is also not only unique to celeriac. Some of the differences I’ve seen of people cooking celeriac in this way are the side ingredients (some people only use carrots, and sometimes I only use carrots as well) and the shape of celeriac pieces they cut. There are also difference ideas on how to eat it – some people want to eat this dish warm but in our family, we like to eat this cold (not right out of the fridge of course, what I mean is, we don’t warm it up).

 

 

For side ingredients, you can use diced carrots as well. I had some frozen baby carrots at home that I had to eat ASAP so I used them. But otherwise I generally use diced carrots myself. You can also add diced potatoes if you like, just remember to dice the potatoes smaller than celeriac pieces so that they don’t get mixed much and they don’t overpower the taste of celeriac.

 

 

One other thing you can add (mostly to decorate) are celery leaves. They definitely enhance the overall celeriac taste.

 

So, enjoy this simple, fresh, lovely and healthy recipe and please, please love celeriac!
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Ingredients:

 

Difficulty:  ★☆☆ (Easy)
(serves 4)

 

Printable PDF-recipe (no photos)

 

1 whole celeriac, peeled and cut in large chunks
juice of half a lemon*
2 tbsp olive oil
1 big onion, diced
2.5 dl (or 1 cup) baby carrots or small diced carrots
2.5 dl (or 1 cup) frozen or fresh peas
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)

 

*Prepare a large bowl of room temperature water with juice of half of a lemon. While you are peeling and cutting the celeriac, until you add them to the pot to cook, keep the chunks in this lemony water. This will keep the celeriac from turning brown.

 

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1. In a large pot, put olive oil and warm it on medium high heat for 20-30 seconds. Add onion and saute for about 3 minutes, until they are translucent.

 

 

 

 

2. Add carrots and continue to saute altogether for 1 more minute.

 

 

 

3. Drain celeriac pieces and add to the put, mix a little.

 

 

 

4. Add peas, 3 dl (1 cup + 3 tbsp + 5 tsp) warm water and orange juice, mix it all well.

 

 

 

 

 

5. Cover the lid of the pot but leave it slightly open and let it boil.

 

 

 

6. When the celeriac is boiling, take away the lid, lower the heat to medium, add salt (sorry, forgot to put the photo of adding the salt) and cook the celeriac for about 20-25 minutes. until all the vegetables are soft. When it is all cooked, taste and adjust the salt and then take away from the heat. Let it cool at least to room temperature before serving. The dish tastes even better the next day so I definitely advice cooking it the day before and I don’t think you should warm it when you are serving. Enjoy!