Name: Roasted Celeriac with Olive Pistachio Gremolata
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 2 Celery root bulbs; 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 tsp sea salt; 1/4 tsp ground black pepper; 20-ounce store-bought peeled and cut butternut squash, cubed or 20 ounces carrots, cubed; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1/4 tsp sea salt; 1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley; 1/4 cup raw or roasted pistachios, chopped; 2 tbsp sundried tomatoes in oil, diced small; 10 green Castelvetrano olives, sliced or any olive of your choice; 2 tsp apple cider vinegar; 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil or more to taste; 2 tsp za'atar or sumac (optional); 1/2 tsp marinated chopped cherry peppers (optional)

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These roasted celeriac steaks are topped with sweet carrots or butternut squash and savory pistachio and olive gremolata. This celery root recipe is loaded with flavor from first bite to empty plate! Plate it all on a bed of quinoa and the different parts of this vegan dinner recipe will come together into a dinner that tastes vegan gourmet. You’ll love it!

overhead view of a blue plate with celeriac steaks topped with gremolata

If you love celery root and need a new recipe you will enjoy how simply and deliciously this dish is prepared. Not familiar with celery root (celeriac), but love to try new foods? This recipe is for you, it packs an incredible amount of flavor and you’ll want to add to your plant-based meal planning rotation.

A celeriac ( celery root) in a black background — Celeriac or celery root

What is Celeriac (celery root)?

Celeriac (sa-leer-ee-ak) is a root vegetable closely related to celery, cultivated for its edible root. It’s most common in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking. Celeriac can be enjoyed both raw and cooked! It's gaining in popularity these days thanks to its fresh, slightly nutty celery taste and silky consistency.

How to Peel Celeriac

Before cooking with celeriac, it needs to be thoroughly peeled and cleaned first. Use a vegetable peeler. Remove all of the little grooves and indentations because those are often filled with dirt.

How to Buy Celeriac

You want to find a nice firm celery root. The smoother the better, because that makes it easier to peel. If you find one without leaves, that is perfectly fine but it may also have the leaves attached still. Celeriac lasts for a very long time in the veggie drawer of your refrigerator unpeeled, so don't peel or wash it until you are ready to use it. In an airtight plastic bag with the excess air removed, it can last ten to fourteen days in the refrigerator.

Where to Buy Celery Root

Many grocery stores are starting to carry this amazing ingredient as both it and vegan cooking become more and more popular. If you can't find it at your local grocery store, find your closest International supermarket, Asian market, or Middle Eastern grocery. Whole Foods lists it as a product, as does Amazon Fresh. Instacart also lists it as available depending on your location. Celeriac or celery root may also be called "knob celery".

Side view a of plate filled with celery root steaks topped with butternut squash

How to Cook Celeriac?

Cook celery root in many different ways. It needs to be peeled first. Sliced it into steaks or cube it for roasting. Another great option is shredding it to eat raw in a salad. If you want to make mashed celeriac you can boil it just like you do cauliflower or potatoes. Cubed celeriac is a great flavorful addition to soup.

Celeriac Steaks

In this recipe, we are cutting the celery root into steaks and roasting them in the oven with vegetables. We love how the celeriac becomes tender and sweet! The roasted carrots or butternut squash are perfect for placing on top of the Roasted celeriac. The pistachio, olive, and sundried tomato gremolata adds the perfect amount of freshness and briny flavor that elevates this dish into a really tasty vegan dinner.

partial close up side view of a place of roasted celeriac with gremolata

What Does Celeriac Taste Like?

Celery root is silky smooth and has a fresh, slightly nutty flavor similar to celery but with a completely different texture.

How to Store Roasted Celeriac

Keep roasted celery root in an airtight container in the refrigerator and it will keep for 3-4 days. Freeze roasted celeriac steaks in an airtight container for several months and reheat in a microwave or skillet to serve.

What is Gremolata?

A gremolata is a fresh herb green sauce featuring chopped parsley and usually has garlic and lemon. Place the herb condiment on top of your favorite dishes as a final finishing touch.

Ingredients in our Gremolata

Freshly Chopped Parsley.
Raw or Roasted Pistachios.
Sundried Tomatoes packed in oil
Green Castelvetrano Olives or any olive of your choice.
Apple Cider Vinegar.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Za'atar or Sumac. Find these seasoning in a Middle Eastern market or kosher section of your supermarket.
Marinated Chopped Cherry Peppers add a touch of spice to the gremolata.

How to Make Gremolata?

Chop and mix the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. You could also pulse the ingredients in a food processor a few times for a very uniform mixture.

Variations for Gremolata

Use garlic and lemon juice for a more traditional flavor, and leave out the apple cider vinegar for this variation.

Add heat with chopped Jalapeños, Poblano, or Serrano peppers.

Try banana peppers instead of cherry peppers.

Try roasted pine nuts or roasted almonds instead of pistachios.

More Celery Root Recipes

Need more Passover Recipes? Check out our round-up of over 55 Vegetarian Passover Recipes

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Roasted Celeriac with Olive Pistachio Gremolata