Use Up That Leftover Celery By Making A Creative Salad
Celery should be in every fridge, all of the time. Along with onions and carrots, it's one-third of mirepoix, the backbone of stocks, broths, soups, and stews. It's also a healthy and satisfying snack. Outside of potato chips, what's crisper than a stalk of celery? Plus, it's the perfect shape for dipping into hummus, almond butter, or ranch dressing.
If celery is stored properly, it can stay crisp and vibrant for weeks. Pre-cut or trimmed celery, however, won't last as long as an entire head and is probably already past its prime. It's best to cut celery as soon as you need it. Look for a bunch that isn't bruised, stalks that aren't flaring out, and leaves that look fresh. Most importantly, the stalks should be flexible and snap when bent.
At home, employ the aluminum foil hack for keeping celery super fresh. Lay out a sheet of foil, cover it with a damp paper towel, and use this to wrap the bunch. That combo, unlike a plastic bag it usually comes in, will allow the gasses that cause spoiling to escape without drying out.
If you still have some lingering celery that needs to be used up, don't fret. It can be chopped and frozen in zipper-lock bags for a few months. But, celery deserves better than being shunned into the frozen wilderness.
The salads that spare leftover celery from the compost bin
Celery-hesitant folks are probably turned off by the stringy outer layer of the stalk. In most cases, this won't register because the celery is sliced into segments that won't get lodged between teeth. If strings are still a deal-breaker, just grab your inexpensive vegetable peeler and remove them. Problem solved.
The obvious salad option for celery is as a crunchy addition to chicken or tuna salad, or in a classic Waldorf salad. That mayo-bound combo of celery, apples, grapes, and walnuts is a tasty treat.
The best way to help celery shine in a salad is to employ a mandoline. This handy kitchen gadget makes quick work of slicing celery into thin shavings that don't need to be peeled. And, if you soak the shavings in ice water for a few minutes, they'll become supremely crisp and refreshingly juicy. Celery leaves pack as much flavor as many herbs and might be the best part, so add them to your salad.
With that duo of crisp celery and herbaceous leaves, you can go in many directions. Butter bean tuna and celery salad is a whole meal and a celery Caesar would be a nice change from the typical romaine. Celery citrus salad with feta is an incredibly complex salad for a mere six ingredients, and with some shaved celery, you could probably skip the salad greens. While you're at it, give it a drizzle of some extra-virgin olive oil.
Leftover celery can be so much more than a creative salad
There's a reason we always pair celery and blue cheese with wings and it's a valid way to use up some leftover stalks of celery. Tossing it into a pot of homemade broth is great, but celery takes center stage in many other traditional recipes.
Celery soup is a way to highlight the veggie's herbal qualities, especially if you thicken the soup with potato versus cream, which can drown out the main ingredient. Celery gratin is another classic worth considering. Braised stalks are covered in breadcrumbs and grated parmesan for a crispy topping. It's an interesting break from potato gratin.
Still not sure about eating your way through leftover celery? Drinking it is the answer. Celery bitters are a common ingredient in many cocktails, like a bloody mary. Celery simple syrup is another way to add herbal complexity to a drink. Make your own celery simple syrup by bringing equal volumes of celery, water, and sugar to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes, allow to cool, stain, and refrigerate for up to a few weeks. For a more potent syrup, add crushed celery seeds.
Celery syrup pairs well with many spirits, including tequila in a Culture Clash cocktail, where it can take the place of the muddled celery and agave. Or, just add some sparkling water to celery simple syrup for a non-alcoholic refreshing drink.