Braised Celery

Wondering what to do with an extra celery? Need a new side dish option? This savory braised celery recipe is just the thing you’ve been looking for. It’s quick and easy, and the result is tender celery that tastes like it’s soaked up all the flavors of a soup pot with only 10 minutes work. Get your bunch of celery out of the crisper drawer, and turn it into the star side dish for your next big meal!

There are some things that are just so comforting to me. One of them being soups.

And what is it about the soups? 

The delicious scents it infuses the air with?

All the way it makes vegetables taste magical?

Have you ever been preparing soup and sauteing a mirepoix mix and the smell just hits you?

You may not be familiar with the culinary term, but I can almost guarantee you’re familiar with that smell.

It’s cozy, it’s homey, and smells like all the best basic things that have ever come out of a kitchen.

What Is Mirepoix?

Mirepoix is a French word describing a vegetable base used in many dishes.

The vegetable blend is specifically a roughly even ratio of diced onions, celery, and carrots. 

It’s generally cooked in butter, or oil, and sauteed low and slow to encourage the flavors to really emerge without any browning or caramelizing. 

This flavor has a specific taste.

If you’ve ever taste your veggies for ‘done-ness’, then you know it.

It’s actually a flavor I crave, even when I’m not making a soup or otherwise saucey dish.

That’s exactly what this braised celery recipe gives you, but with less work and less time involved.

Seriously, this braised celery tastes like the most tender vegetable that ever came out of a soup or stew pot, and it’s perfectly tender and not an ounce mushy.

Too long has celery been relegated to the crisper drawer in the fridge, pulled out for dipping in healthy snack options. And as the base of hearty dishes and soups.

It’s time to bring celery back into the spotlight as a savory side dish in it’s own right.

There’s no better time to do this either than when holidays like Thanksgiving & Christmas are coming around.

This braised celery recipe is fancy enough to grace any holiday table, and easy enough for a quick option to pair with a meat on busy weeknights.

In fact, it was actually by looking at vintage menus from from The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, VA that I stumbled across this idea for braised celery in the first place.

Their 1876 Thanksgiving dinner menu to be specific.

I love it when older, forgotten dishes like this simple celery side dish can be made ‘new’ again by bringing them into modern kitchens!

What Does Braising Mean?

Braising may seem like a fancy culinary term, and it is- but it’s actually really simple. 

Basically, it means simmering something- either meat or vegetables- in a small amount of liquid in a covered pot. 

This method of cooking really catches and concentrates the flavors of the thing being simmered.

In this case celery. It can also easily help tenderize anything tough, whether it’s meat or a vegetable.

It has another added benefit, and that’s really infusing a meat or vegetable with flavor and locking it in.

Hence why braised celery is melt in your mouth tender, and tastes like is simmered in a soup pot all day long.

In reality though, it comes together in roughly 15 minutes on the stove top.

How To Make

This recipe is quick and easy, with only a handful of ingredients: celery, butter, salt, pepper, and chicken broth.

Start by prepping your celery- wash it thoroughly. This will remove any dirt or debris.

I wouldn’t skip this step thought, no matter how tempting.

There’s nothing worse than chowing down on a delicious dish only to feel and taste grit in it that you can’t get past.

Once the celery’s washed well, shake it off to dry, and then set it on a clean cutting board and chop off just the dried ends on both sides of each stalk.

Now, chop all of the celery into roughly 1″ pieces.

You can chop them straight across, or at an angle for a fancier look. Either way they taste will remain the same.

Set a large skillet on your stove top, over medium heat. Make sure it’s a skillet with a fitting lid, and set the lid aside.

Add the butter, and let it melt.

Once the butter’s melted, add in the celery tossing to coat. Salt & pepper the mixture, to taste.

If you’re sensitive to salt, then you may want to wait until the celery is done to taste and season accordingly.

Sautee the celery, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. 

Pour in the broth, bring it to a simmer, and cook covered for another 5 minutes.

Remove the lid, and give everything a judicious stir. Let the mixture simmer a final 3 minutes, just to cook off any excess liquid.

Season the celery, if needed, a final time before serving.

Tips & Tricks For This Recipe

• This is a great way to use up excess celery, or even celery that’s pretty much on it’s last leg. If your celery is on the softer side because it’s older, then you’ll want to drastically lower the cooking time. You want it tender, but not mushy.
• Don’t like chicken broth, or prefer a vegetarian option? Substitute vegetable broth instead.
• Want to give this simple side dish a little gourmet flair? Add in a splash of white wine and some thyme when cooking.
• Diced onions are also a yummy addition to the celery for extra flavoring. Add them when you begin sauteing.

While this braised celery is perfect for your holiday menu, it is so simple and so flavorful- that it’s a mainstay for us even on average nights. 

Coming together in roughly 20 minutes from start to finish, pick a protein, and pair it with some rice for a simple meal that will please even the pickiest of eaters.

Other Delicious Vegetable Side Dishes To Try

• Maple Thyme Roasted Carrots
• Cheesy Roasted Sheet Pan Asparagus
• Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles

If you’ve tried this BRAISED CELERY RECIPE, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!

recipe adapted from Sprinkles & Sprouts