Celeriac, the knobbly root vegetable closely related to celery, is widely available in winter. It has a wonderful flavor; a mix of aniseed, celery and parsley. Celeriac has plenty of health benefits too; it is very low in calories, has very good source of vitamin K, vitamin B, phosphorus and anti-oxidants. There are plenty good reasons to include the humble celeriac into your daily diet!:)
Celeriac with Walnuts and Olive Oil & Lemon Dressing
Here is a delicious and easy way to enjoy celeriac. This is a very refreshing salad my mother makes in Turkey; it is wonderful for lunch or as an appetizer, or a part of a buffet. Walnuts add a nice crunch and more health benefits to this lovely salad.
How about decorating the salad with jewel like wonderful pomegranates? I just got them from the market yesterday; it is a power fruit packed with antioxidants, proven to boost fertility, increase your immunity against diseases like swine flu, and prevent many types of cancer. It has a lovely sweet & savor flavor that would complement the celeriac wonderfully. Many reasons to include pomegranate in your diet!
Serves 2 Preparation time: 15 minutes
Half of a Celeriac (approximately 140gr), thinly cut or shredded
Juice of 1/2 lemon (and a little extra to rub the celeriac)
Handful of walnut halves, coarsely crushed
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon plain yoghurt or mayonnaise
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
Sprigs of parsley to decorate
Pomegranate seeds to decorate (optional)
Cut off the ends of celeriac. Cut the celeriac in half, peel and remove the middle part. Rub the both half with a little lemon juice to prevent discoloring. Thinly cut or shred one half of the celeriac (you may double the recipe or use the other half for the recipe Celeriac cooked in olive oil with vegetables )
In a bowl, combine the shredded raw celeriac with the juice of 1/2 lemon, sea salt and ground black pepper. Using your hands (if you like), work the lemon juice and seasoning into celeriac. Stir in the plain yoghurt (or mayonnaise), olive oil and the crushed walnuts, mix well. Check the seasoning and add more salt or black pepper if you prefer.
Decorate the celeriac salad with sprigs of parsley or pomegranate seeds if you like and serve as part of lunch or dinner, with plenty of crusty bread.
I posted another celeriac recipe earlier, Celeriac with winter vegetables, cooked in olive oil where we poach the chunks of celeriac in olive oil & lemon sauce, with carrots, potatoes, onions and peas. This kind of cooking, called “Vegetables cooked in olive oil” or “Zeytinyaglis” in Turkish cuisine is very healthy and delicious. You may like to check out that recipe too. Hope you enjoy it!
- Celeriac and winter vegetables, cooked in olive oil
Afiyet Olsun! Wishing you all a good week ahead,
Ozlem
