Celery rarely gets the spotlight. Sure, it’s plenty popular as a foundational ingredient in countless recipes — such as part of the French mirepoix alongside onions and carrots — but when was the last time you saw it on a restaurant menu as a star ingredient? Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and so many other vegetables have had lengthy star turns. But not celery.
It’s like those character actors whose faces we all know from some of our favorite shows and movies but have to look up their names every time we see them to help us remember who they are.
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End of carouselI’m Aaron, a food writer and recipe developer for Washington Post Food. I’m a classically trained chef who loves the comfort and soul food I grew up with and exploring other cuisines. Need help in the kitchen? Email me at aaron.hutcherson@washpost.com or join my weekly live chat.
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But celery possesses an often-overlooked main character energy. It can take the lead and be so much more than just one of many ingredients you throw into soups and stocks or are given as a freebie with your order of Buffalo wings. Use it raw to add great crunch to salads. Braise the stalks for a showstopping side dish. Toss it in a stir-fry. Roast it underneath chicken to absorb all of that schmaltzy goodness. (I’m going to have to add that last one to my list of recipe ideas.)
And that’s just to name a few off the top of my head. Celery’s possibilities are limited only by a cook’s imagination.
So when I was flipping through “Big Heart Little Stove” by Erin French, a recipe for soup using an entire bunch of celery caught my eye. “Fresh, sweet celery cooked down with aromatics and given decadent body with butter and cream is nothing short of elegant,” French wrote in the introduction to the recipe. With words like “decadent” and “elegant,” I was hooked, so I used it as inspiration for my own version.
This recipe calls for an entire bunch of celery, and the vegetable’s flavor gets taken up a couple of notches with celery seeds in the soup and celery leaves used as garnish. (The leaves are full of flavor and nutrients.) A couple of Honeycrisp apples — or whatever variety you have on hand — add an extra touch of sweetness, while canned white beans lend earthiness, body and protein to the soup.
Simmered in chicken or vegetable broth or stock — alongside onion, garlic and butter — until tender, the entire pot gets pureed with an immersion blender until smooth. Heavy cream gets stirred in at the end for even more lusciousness. (And don’t forget to season to taste!) Last but not least, a sprinkle of chopped pistachios and a drizzle of olive oil — to stick with the green color palette — are added to each bowl for nuttiness, texture and even more richness.
This soup is bursting with sweet celery flavor made elegantly decadent by the various forms of fat (butter, cream and olive oil) included in the mix. That first spoonful brought a smile to my face that only grew with each subsequent slurp — and I’m certain it will do the same for you.
