Celery stalk - how to eat it correctly

Salad celery differs from root celery in having fleshy, overgrown stems and the absence of root vegetables. The plant began to be eaten in the 17th century, but since then people have found many other uses for the stems of the useful crop. From the article you will learn how to properly eat celery stalks, whether you can eat them raw, and what other options for using the plant exist.

Can you eat celery stalks?

Vegetable petioles are successfully used in cooking, since this product has unique properties. It contains many vitamins, essential oils, organic acids, antioxidants and fiber. Low calorie content and spicy taste make it possible to include it in medicinal and salt-free diets.

Raw vegetable is good for you no less than heat-treated. It is especially good for improving health during the off-season, when there is a lack of vitamins in the body. Nutritionists note that adding the raw stem to salads with seafood, apples and other vegetables will make the dish juicier and add a piquant taste.

The main contraindications for eating the stem are: pregnancy and breastfeeding. The product may reduce the amount of breast milk and cause increased gas formation in infants. The vegetable is not dangerous if eaten in small quantities.

All parts of the plant contain substances that can cause or increase bleeding, so during pregnancy or menstruation the amount celery limited in diet.

Attention. It is recommended to eat the raw product with caution for people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, since the high fiber content enhances peristalsis and places an increased load on the gastrointestinal mucosa.

How to eat stalked celery

Heat treatment has a negative effect on the beneficial qualities of vegetables - vitamins and microelements are destroyed, but it is necessary if a person has stomach problems.

The raw stem is eaten immediately after cutting, since within 30 minutes the pieces of the vegetable oxidize, losing their healing and taste properties.

How to eat it raw

The petioles are used to prepare vegetable salads and smoothies. Sticks cut from the stem are popular. They are served with various sauces as a snack. The petioles are cut into pieces 7-10 cm long. They are eaten by dipping in hummus, flavored butter or yogurt. Before you start preparing the dish, the stems are thoroughly washed under running water.

Salad

In French cuisine, celery stalks occupy one of the first places in popularity along with carrots and onions. Vitamin salads with the addition of apples and carrots are a common snack option for those watching their weight. A more satisfying version of the dish is made with walnuts or cottage cheese.

Salad ingredients:

• celery stalks – 2 pcs.;
• sweet and sour apple;
• fresh carrots – 1 pc.;
• lime – 1 slice;
• olive oil – 1-2 tbsp. l.

Cut thoroughly washed vegetables and fruits into medium-sized cubes. Mix them in a cup, then put them in a salad bowl. Before eating, add salt and pepper to taste and drizzle with a mixture of butter and juice from a lime wedge.

Reference. Chewing raw celery stalks naturally removes plaque from your teeth. Doctors call the stems “nature’s toothpick.”

Juice

A refreshing drink cleanses the body of toxins and is useful for hypertension and obesity. For one serving, 3-4 stems are enough. They are squeezed out juicewhich is immediately drunk. It is better to do this in the morning to tone up the body and recharge with energy and vitamins for the whole day.

It is permissible to add juice from:

• apple halves;
• several slices of grapefruit;
• handfuls of parsley;
• orange

This drink is drunk without sugar. A thick smoothie with the addition of parsley, cucumbers and lime is prepared using a blender and consumed as a snack on fasting days.

Cooking recipes

Celery is used in preparing hot dishes - soups, stews and sauces with its addition acquire a pleasant aroma. Since the nutritional value of the vegetable is 25-30 kcal per 100 g, it is widely used in dietary menus.

Reference. The finer the stem is cut, the more taste and the vegetable will impart flavor to the dish. Small pieces added to the salad will give it a piquant aroma.

Cream soup

A delicate cream soup is prepared by including, in addition to the petioles, vegetables to taste: onions, carrots, potatoes.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Cut vegetables into small cubes.
2. Fry celery, onion, and carrots in oil for a few minutes.
3. Pour vegetables into the pan, add potatoes and pour milk.
4. Once the soup boils, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and blend with a blender until pureed.
6. Add salt, pepper and cream to taste.

Pour into plates, decorate the soup with herbs, and serve with vegetable chips or croutons.

Reference. To preserve its beneficial qualities, celery is cooked by dipping it into a boiling liquid, and then the container is closed with a tight lid.

Pasta with celery

The stems make a wonderful pasta sauce. For vegetables, you will also need a few green onions and 3-4 cloves of garlic.

The sauce is prepared as follows:

1. Cut the celery into pieces equal in length to the size of the pasta.
2. In a large frying pan, fry the stalks with the onion in olive oil until soft.
3. Add chopped garlic, simmer for a couple more minutes and remove from heat.
4. Place the pasta cooked in salted water in a bowl and pour the sauce on top.
5. Add salt and pepper.

The paste is mixed well and served immediately, sprinkled with herbs.

Stewed celery

This dish is prepared both with water and meat broth. You will need vegetables and some vegetable oil.

Procedure:

1. Chop the celery stalks.
2. Grind the carrots on a coarse grater.
3. Chop the onion finely and fry.
4. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, remove the skin and cut into cubes.
5. Place the prepared vegetables in a saucepan with water or broth so that the liquid lightly covers them.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Bring to a boil and simmer for about an hour over low heat.

After removing from heat, add finely chopped greens to the dish.

What else does it go with?

The juicy vegetable adds a pleasant aroma to dishes made from potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, and sweet peppers. In the diet, celery is included in side dishes of rice or pasta, served with chicken and lean beef. The product is appropriate in fish dishes, salads with nuts and dried fruits. The petioles are pickled and preserved in salted form.

Reference. Doctors recommend sticking to a celery diet for no more than 2 weeks.To avoid complications, it is advisable to first obtain the advice of a specialist.

Other uses

Celery is useful not only as a food product, but also as an ingredient in cosmetics and medicinal products. The essential oils contained in the plant have stimulating and regenerating properties and have a positive effect on the condition of the skin, nails and hair.

In cosmetology

People used the juice of the plant's stems for body care even before they learned to eat celery. Since ancient times, in Greece, women have made nourishing and tonic products that removed irritation and redness. Regular use of vegetable juice as a lotion helped maintain the elasticity and freshness of facial skin and prolong youth. Modern lovers of natural cosmetics make masks themselves, at home.

Chopped celery in the following ingredients:

• refreshes aging skin;
• eliminates dryness;
• tones if used to wipe the face in the form of ice cubes.

The vegetable has a beneficial effect on the appearance even as part of dishes - after a celery diet, the skin cleanses and becomes denser and more elastic.

In folk medicine

The ability of the plant to remove harmful substances from the human body and cleanse the body of toxins was noticed by Hippocrates and successfully applied these qualities of celery in practice. People have long used the juice of the petioles to treat urticaria and allergic dermatitis. Thanks to the essential oils in the composition, the liquid relieves swelling and relieves itching.

In addition to external use, juice from the stems is taken orally:

• in combination with medications in the treatment of genitourinary infections;
• as a sedative for nervous disorders;
• as a laxative for constipation;
• as a tonic for poor appetite.

For overweight people, adding celery to their diet helps them lose weight and improve their metabolism.

Conclusion

Celery is a healthy plant, the stems of which nutritionists recommend eating both raw and after heat treatment. The vegetable is included in salads, soups, and sauces. The petioles are boiled, stewed, and used in fish and meat dishes. The healing properties of the plant are in demand in cosmetology and folk medicine - effective skin masks and medicines are made from the stems. The product is recommended to be used with caution by pregnant women and those suffering from gastrointestinal diseases.