Celery is a vegetable that is most commonly eaten raw. That being said, it’s regularly added to soups and various other dishes, thanks to its earthy yet sweet taste and the fact that it’s incredibly healthy.
But people often don’t realise that you can cook celery to enjoy on its own. With this in mind, what’s the best way to cook it? Can you roast celery?
To roast celery, you will need to slice it and add it to a baking tray before drizzling it with olive oil and seasoning it with salt and pepper. You should then roast it for 15-20 minutes, turning it halfway through.
How to Roast Celery
Although celery is most commonly enjoyed raw, it’s perfectly safe to roast it and enjoy it in a slightly different way. The good news is that roasting celery is straightforward, and we explain the required steps below:
- Preheat Oven
Switch on your oven and preheat to 400F or 205C. - Prepare Celery
Remove the stalks from the celery plant that you plan to roast. Wash them thoroughly under the cold tap and pat them dry. Then, slice them in whichever way you like. - Roast
Space your celery out on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and drizzle it with olive oil. You should also season the celery with salt and pepper before placing it in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Around halfway through the roasting time, shake the tray, so the celery moves around and cooks thoroughly. - Serve and Enjoy
Your celery will now be ready to serve up and enjoy with your chosen accompaniments. You know it’s done when it has browned.
Yes, it’s possible to roast celery alongside other vegetables but you’ll need to consider how long those vegetables take to roast. Potatoes, beetroot and celeriac will all take longer so you may need to start those in the oven first.
How to Roast Celery Successfully
If you want things to go well when roasting celery, make sure you stick to these 3 tips:
- Carefully Select Stalks – The best celery stalks for roasting are those on the outside of a bunch of fresh celery. If they have tough strings attached, you should strip them with a vegetable peeler before slicing your celery and placing it on the baking tray.
- Season Liberally – While olive oil, salt, and pepper work perfectly fine as a seasoning, you can also add lemon juice, vinegar, or your preference of herbs and spices to make your celery a little tastier. Equally, you can place your celery in the oven bare if you prefer; it’s totally up to you.
- Avoid Roasting the Leaves – The celery leaves are best used in salads or on top of your homemade soup. If you roast the leaves, they will burn.
Why You Should Roast Celery?
Roasting celery is a popular way of enjoying this healthy veggie warm for the following reasons:
A Different Method
Celery is often eaten raw and can be served with hummus and various other dips. Roasting it before serving provides you with something a little bit different while still giving you all the benefits associated with eating it.
Roasting celery, as is the case for most vegetables, will add a smoky flavour but can also concentrate the flavour of the celery.
It Becomes Sweeter
Roasting celery caramelises its natural sugars, which provides it with a slightly sweeter taste than it typically has. This adds to its appeal as a side dish or to be dipped in some homemade hummus.
Why You Shouldn’t Roast Celery?
That being said, roasting celery isn’t for everyone. Here’s why you might want to avoid doing so:
Not the Healthiest Approach
One of the reasons why celery is popular is because it contains so few calories – just 16 per cup.
Adding olive oil and seasoning will increase the calorie count of your celery serving, which isn’t ideal if you’re on a diet. If it’s flavour you’re after though, you can just forget about this drawback!
Risk of Burning is High
If you leave celery in the oven for too long, it will burn. It’s important to cook celery at a high temperature to caramelise it, so you will need to pay attention to the cooking time, so you don’t end up burning it while it’s in the oven.
Is It Safe to Roast Celery?
Yes, roasting celery is perfectly safe. While this super-green is best enjoyed raw to enjoy its multitude of nutritional benefits, roasting celery alters its taste and texture for the better (in our opinion)!
While you probably shouldn’t coat celery in oil and salt every time you come to enjoy it, roasting it once in a while is undoubtedly an excellent way to mix things up and keep things interesting.
Does Celery Roast Well?
Providing you don’t leave your celery in the oven for too long, it will roast really well. Just be mindful that its skin can burn easily, so you should pay attention while you’re roasting it.
Also, adding some seasoning – olive oil, salt, pepper, vinegar, etc. – can really enhance the taste of roasted celery and can assist with the caramelising process. Ultimately, roasted celery is a delicious and healthy snack or side dish to enjoy once in a while.
Roasting Celery FAQs
Have you still got a question or two about roasting celery? Then perhaps these will help you:
Roasted celery tastes like a really strong, concentrated celery with a sweeter flavour than raw celery but with a hint of smokiness from the roasting. This is particularly prominent if you get a little char on the celery tips.
Yes! In fact, celery makes a great bed for a range of roasting meats. Lay celery, carrots and some woody herbs into a tray and place your meat on top of the pile of vegetables. Once roasted, you can use these vegetables for the base of gravies.
Ross is a freelance writer with a passion for delicious food and drinks, having worked in the hospitality industry in the past. He began working with Let’s Foodie when it first launched to provide information on how to reheat, freeze and microwave different foods.
