If you love original and tasty dishes that are good for your health, pay attention to celery. Everything is used in this plant: greens, stems, roots. It is the root that is used most often, becoming the basis of delicious salads, soups, sauces and side dishes.
The benefits of celery
Celery root has a very pleasant taste. It can be eaten raw, boiled or baked. The main advantage of a vegetable is its low calorie content. Some nutritionists call it "minus" - that is, it takes more calories to digest the product than is contained in the celery itself. Not surprisingly, this vegetable is widely used in weight loss foods. Celery promotes the elimination of toxins, regulates the body's water balance, and is easily absorbed. The root is rich in fiber, which ensures good digestion.
Celery works well on the heart muscle, lowers blood pressure and reduces the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Dishes made from this vegetable have a positive effect on memory and serve as a prevention against senile dementia. In addition, celery is considered a powerful aphrodisiac. Nutritionists recommend including celery dishes on the weekly menu. Try to start with simple options, gradually moving on to more sophisticated and complex ones.
Celery puree soup
This delicate green soup has a very mild flavor. The neutral spinach aroma is successfully complemented by the characteristic aroma of celery, and the cream gives the dish the necessary richness.
You will need:
- 60 g of celery root;
- 500 g spinach;
- 1 liter of vegetable broth;
- 1 clove of garlic;
- 1 onion;
- a pinch of grated nutmeg;
- 60 ml cream 12% fat;
- salt;
- freshly ground black pepper;
- vegetable oil for frying.
Peel the onions, garlic and celery. Finely chop the onion and garlic, grate the celery root. Heat some unscented vegetable oil in a saucepan and quickly fry the onions and garlic in it. Add celery, add vegetable broth, bring mixture to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
Sort out young spinach, rinse and dry. Place the herbs in the soup and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove skillet from heat and cool mixture slightly. Transfer it to a food processor and puree. Return the soup to the pot, place it on the stove and heat it up. Pour in the cream, add the nutmeg, freshly ground black pepper and salt. Heat the soup for a few more minutes, then pour into warmed bowls. Serve with white bread croutons.
Celery salad with nuts and grapes
You will need:
- 100 g of celery root;
- 0.5 cups of seedless black grapes;
- 1 onion;
- 1 tbsp. l. mustard;
- 0.25 lemon juice;
- 2 tbsp. l. dry white wine;
- 30 g of peeled pine nuts;
- salt;
- freshly ground black pepper;
- olive oil.
Fry pine nuts in a dry skillet until tender cream color. Peel and grate the celery root. Chop the onion, wash and dry the grapes. Pour the olive oil into a screw-top jar, add freshly squeezed lemon juice, wine, chopped onions, mustard, salt and ground black pepper. Close the jar and shake well while stirring the sauce.
Put the grapes, celery and pine nuts in a salad bowl, pour over the sauce and stir. Serve the salad with toasted white bread and chilled wine.
