Creamy Celery Root & Potato Purée (it’s sinfully decadent!)

This creamy celery root purée is a flavourful and decadent side dish to serve alongside roasted meats and fish. You’re going to love it!

CELERY ROOT PUREE: A SIDE DISH TO REMEMBER

Creamy celery root and potato purée, really?

The first time I ever had celery root purée was in a fancy restaurant. It was nearly a decade ago, so I couldn’t tell you what it was served with or what I had for dessert, but I do remember the appetizer was beef tartare which is a recipe for another day.

I fell completely in love with the flavour, which is reminiscent of the celery stalks we’re used to, but it’s more delicate, more intriguing.

It was my first of many celery root purées.

This is a simple recipe with only five ingredients and I hope you love it as much as I do.

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CELERY ROOT: A.K.A. CELERIAC

It’s possible that you’ve never heard of celery root before, but maybe you’ve heard of celeriac?

Before tasting that creamy celery root purée, I never would have given celery root another look at the grocery store. I do that often, you know. There are so many intriguing vegetables out there, but we tend to stick to what we know unless we’re encouraged.

If you’ve never had it before, I really hope you pick one up the next time you’re shopping for groceries. I promise you won’t regret it!

In addition to being stunning in a purée, it’s also delicious raw. I like including them in my shredded salads. Celeriac can also be cut into julienne slices and tossed with homemade mayonnaise and mustard to make a rémoulade. Like the beef tartare, rémoulade is for another day.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING CELERY ROOT

If you’re at a farmer’s market, you’re likely to find celery root with its stalks still intact. By the way, I should mention that celery root is not the same thing as the celery we know and love.

The greens we stick in our bloody caesar cocktails are grown for the greens; celery root is grown with the intention of developing the root. The greens that shoot out of celery root are darker and taste different. You won’t be making ants on logs with these greens, but you can toss them in a soup!

At the grocery store, however, celery root will likely be without its leaves, which is regrettable because those stalks are an indication that you’re getting your hands on a fresh bulb.

The best that I can describe it, is that it’s gnarled. A wizened vegetable, if you will. If you’ve ever watched Doctor Who, you might understand why they remind me ever so slightly of the Ood. Don’t let this turn you off.

Select your celeriac based on weight. A lighter celery root means it’s older and will be spongier and less flavourful. Blech.

You will find celery root in the refrigerated produce section, probably somewhere near the brussels sprouts. This means you will also want to refrigerate it at home. Keep it in your crisper drawer until you’re ready to use it, and try to make a point of using it within a week. Cool? Cool.

PREPARING CELERIAC FOR CREAMY CELERY ROOT PURÉE

The first thing you will want to do is give your gnarled vegetable prize a good scrubbing. You will be peeling it, but it’s a best practice to wash veggies slated to be peeled because you don’t want to transfer any of that outer bacteria to what lies beneath, do you?

Due to its rough surface, it’s best to peel it with a paring knife, which is what I do. I like slicing my celery root when I’m boiling it because I find it cooks a bit quicker.

There’s a video tutorial below where I demonstrate my method, but you can also find me on YouTube OVER HERE. If you’re prepping in advance, toss the celery root in lemon to prevent browning, otherwise, proceed as planned and toss your celery root into a pot of cold water.

THE POTATOES

I love potatoes. I am never without them in my pantry because if I have these tubers on hand, I have dinner options. The purpose of potatoes in this recipe is for the texture and the starch. While it may seem similar to mashed potatoes, it isn’t.

The flavour is completely different and so is its consistency. I like boiling my potatoes along with the celery root in the same pot because it’s one less dish I have to wash and it saves a wee bit of energy.

Normally when I make mashed potatoes, I keep the skins on because they’re nutritious, but for this recipe, I peel them.

CREAMY CELERY ROOT AND POTATO PURÉE IS RICH

I mentioned earlier that this side dish is decadent. I wasn’t joking. It’s a rich dish with plenty of butter and even more cream, making it silky and toothsome. It’s akin to something you’d get in a restaurant, which is why I don’t make it very often.

I like saving my creamy celery root purée for special occasions. I usually don’t tell anyone it’s loaded with cream and butter, but really, that’s what the most delicious dishes are made with. It’s the truth, and we all know it.

ARE YOU NEW TO CELERY ROOT?

I’ll be posting more celery root recipes at some point in the future, but I’m curious to know if you’ve had it before? Is is something you’ve seen in the grocery store, but never picked up? If you’re not a stranger to celery root, what do you like making with it? I hope you’ll let me know in the comments below!

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Electric hand mixer

CREAMY CELERY ROOT AND POTATO PURÉE INGREDIENTS

MAKES 5 SERVINGS

1 medium celery root

3 medium potatoes

1/4 cup butter

1 1/4 cup heavy cream

salt for the water

CREAMY CELERY ROOT AND POTATO PURÉE INSTRUCTIONS

1. Peel and slice the celery root and potatoes.
2. Add the vegetables to a pot of cold water and salt liberally.
3. Bring everything to a boil and let it simmer until the celery root is tender ~25 minutes.
4. Drain the water and return the celeriac and potatoes to the pot.
5. Add the butter and half the cream.
6. Beat with a hand mixer and add the remaining cream as you go, adding more salt if needed, to taste.
7. Beat until smooth and serve.

PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD

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Love and gratitude,