I often feel like I’m the only one who wants to spice things up with our Holiday Dinners. It’s always the same old turkey, ham, or prime rib. And don’t even get me started on the side dishes. But this year, I decided to be a rebel and try something new. I made this delicious Braised Celery dish, and it was a hit!
I saw the original recipe in some recipe book a long time ago but decided to tweak it to my liking. Feel free to do the same if you want!
Tips
- If you want to save a little time, use pre-cooked bacon. Simply add the chopped pre-cooked bacon after the carrots and onions are starting to become tender
- Instead of using Chicken Broth you can use some better than bouillon. Just add 1 generous teaspoon of better than bouillon to a cup of boiling water. Chicken or vegetable flavor works well.
While this recipe is very easy to make, there is an extra step that you may find a little tedious. You really want to try and get as many of the “strings” removed from the celery before you cook them. The easiest way I’ve found is to use a vegetable peeler.
If you don’t have one (you really should), you can also use a small sharp knife to scrape them off the back. But a vegetable peeler will make it so much easier!
If you are making this side dish ahead of time (if it’s the Holidays this might apply to you), you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When it comes time to reheat it, simply put it back in a skillet and heat for about 10 minutes.
Kitchen Gadgets
Using the Right Equipment can make a BIG Difference. Check out our Favs!
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Braised Celery recipe. For ingredient amounts please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Celery – make sure to clean them and cut off the ends before using
- Unsalted Butter – you can use regular butter or even olive oil but I prefer using butter for this recipe
- Bacon – use pre-cooked bacon to save some time. See my tips above
- Yellow Onion – you can also use a sweet brown onion or a white onion for this recipe
- Carrots – you can also use pre-cut or shredded carrots and chop them up
- Garlic Cloves – you can adjust the amount of garlic to taste
- Tomato Paste – if you are using a double or triple concentrate make sure to adjust accordingly
- Low Sodium Chicken Broth – vegetable broth is a great substitution for this recipe
How to Make Braised Celery
- Wash and trim the ends of celery stalks. Use a vegetable peeler to remove as much of the strings from stalks. Cut the celery stalks crosswise into thirds.
- In a skillet, melt the butter with bacon over medium heat. Stir in the onions and carrots and cook until the vegetables are tender.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds making sure it doesn’t burn. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute longer.
- Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the prepared celery, spoon the vegetable mixture over the celery and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, cover and let simmer for 40 to 45 minutes or until the celery is very tender and most of liquid has evaporated.
- Transfer to a serving bowl, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours if not serving immediately.
Printable Recipe Card
Braised Celery
↑ Click stars to rate
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Celery
- 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 3 slices Bacon, finely chopped
- 1 small Yellow Onion, finely chopped
- 1 small Carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
Instructions
- Wash and trim the ends of celery stalks. Use a vegetable peeler to remove as much of the strings from stalks. Cut the celery stalks crosswise into thirds.
- In a skillet, melt the butter with bacon over medium heat. Stir in the onions and carrots and cook until the vegetables are tender.
- Stir in the garlic and cook about 30 seconds making sure it doesn’t burn. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute longer.
- Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the prepared celery, spoon the vegetable mixture over the celery and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, cover and let simmer for 40 to 45 minutes or until the celery is very tender and most of liquid has evaporated.
- Transfer to a serving bowl, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours if not serving immediately.
