Roasted Celery Root Puree

This roasted celery root puree is a delicious, autumnal, low carb alternative to potato mash. It's low in fat, full of flavour, goodness and super simple to make. Ready in about 30 minutes!

You might also like mashed roasted carrots!

Celery root (celeriac) is round and grey, with knots and wiry bits sticking out all over, so not exactly pretty and appealing.  I suspect this is one of the reasons we don't buy it very often (myself included).  The result is that celery root is underrated and not understood.  

Celery root is a nutritious vegetable, high in fibre, vitamins and minerals. It can be boiled, steamed or roasted as well as eaten raw in slaw type salads (this is especially popular in Eastern Europe). It is very easy to prepare, cooks quickly and can be added into soups, stews, as well as spiralised or turned into a delicious, low carb celery root puree.

What does celery root puree taste like

Celeriac tastes a little earthy, but also sweet and nutty, which is intensified by roasting it.  It is similar to celery but has more depth of flavour.  Using the milk and yogurt mellows it down a little and makes it creamier.  

Ingredients

The list of ingredients is quite modest.  I combined the celeriac with semi-skimmed milk (1% milk) and a bit of low-fat yogurt and butter for more flavour and creaminess. I also added a small amount of onion granules (onion and celeriac are delicious together) and simple seasoning into the mash.

Roasting the celery root will only require 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a bit of seasoning.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1.Start by preheating the oven to 400 F/ 200 C/ gas mark 6.  Line a medium size baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

To prepare the celeriac cut the knobs off then simply peel the celeriac using a vegetable peeler.  

2. Cube then arrange the celeriac on top of a baking sheet, brush with the oil and season lightly. Roast in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes, until lightly browned and tender. Stir half way through. 

3. Remove from the oven and place along with the rest of the ingredients in a food processor (blender).

4. Puree, adjust the seasoning and serve.

Serving suggestions

This side dish is perfect to serve with roast chicken, turkey or pork.  It can be garnished with freshly chopped chives or parsley (you can even stir these into the puree).  You can also try combining it with potato mash.

Leftover celeriac puree can be served cold with raw vegetable sticks, as a spread with pita bread, crackers or cold meats. 

Substitutions

• Yogurt: use Greek yogurt, fromage frais, creme fraiche, sour cream or cream cheese (all, apart from the Greek yogurt and fromage frais have a higher fat content).
• Milk: use oat or soy milk instead.
• Make it vegan: Use a plant-based milk, a drizzle of lemon juice instead of the yogurt, and plant-based spread.

Top tips and FAQs

• You can either use a food processor or high speed blender to puree the celeriac (if you want a super smooth finish use a blender).
• Adjust the amount of milk and/or yogurt to suit your preference.  
• Best served immediately.
• Keep refrigerated, covered, up to 3 days. The puree will thicken as it cools so you may want to add a drop of milk when reheating it.
• Freeze for up to 3 months.

Optional extras

This celeriac mash tastes delicious as it is but you may like to add your own twist to this recipe. You can add chili pepper for more heat, a spoonful of horseradish sauce or even add more roasted vegetables into the mixture (such as turnip or sweet potato).

You might also like

• Roasted Celeriac Apple Salad
• Roasted Mashed Rutabaga (Swede)
• Healthy Creamy Mashed Potatoes with Spinach
• Vegan Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with Herbs
• Balsamic Roasted Root Vegetables

Check out also these other delicious side dish recipes!

Keep in touch!

Have you made this celeriac puree? I'd love to know how it turned out for you.  Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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