The first time I went through the supermarket check out with a Celeriac knob (Celery root), the cashier looked at it in horror. WHAT IS THAT? To be fair, you won’t find Celery Root gracing the cover of “Beautiful Vegetable Monthly”. (Frankly, the thing looks like a Turnip’s ugly cousin.) Still, when prepared properly, like in this German Celery Root Salad Recipe, the ugly duckling becomes a swan…. (well, not swan, maybe a grown up ugly duck).
This humble vegetable comes loaded with flavor, making it perfect for a simple German vegetable salad. Celeriac also forms an essential part of German Suppengrün, the vegetables that form the base of many German soups. In Supermarkets, you’ll find it bundled with carrots, leek, parsley, and occasionally parsnip (depending on the region). Still, I do admire the first person who looked at this hairy lump and thought “I want to eat that”… (he was most likely closely related to the first guy to eat an oyster, and second cousin to the guy who first ate a snail).
Like a Beet Salad (find the recipe HERE), Celery Root Salad or Selleriesalat preparation feels more like a quick pickle than a traditional lettuce salad. My mother frequently served it as a side dish (and as a child, I frequently hid it in my napkin). Fortunately, the adult me appreciates the cold tangy dish with it’s vaguely celery flavor. (That is, it tastes OF celery, but not as strong?) Serve the salad alone… or combine it with other German Salads like Beet Salad, Green Bean Salad, and Green Salad, in a Salatteller. The refreshing flavor makes a nice contrast to heavier meats and sauces.
Who knows, maybe Celeriac will be the new Kale?
German Celery Root Salad Recipe
The Salad requires more preparation than a leafy salad, but Selleriesalat will last in your refrigerator sealed for a few days without losing flavor or texture.
German Celery Root Salad Recipe - Selleriesalat
Ingredients
- 1-2 Celeriac Roots approximately 1 pound
- 5 cups 1 1/4 liter water
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
Dressing or Marinade:
- 3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- 2 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt you may need more, but TASTE it first
- 1/2 Teaspoon Pepper or white Pepper Optional
Instructions
- Scrub the Celeriac roots to get all the hidden dirt off.
- Put Water, Salt, and White Wine Vinegar in a Medium Saucepan. Add the cleaned Celeriac roots. The water should cover the celeriac knobs.
- Bring the water to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce to a low boil.
- While the Celeriac is cooking, mix the all of the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cook the Celeriac knobs until a knife goes in fairly easily. (At least 45 minutes... maybe longer depending on the size of the root knob).
- Remove the Celeriac from the water.
- When it's cool enough to touch, but still warm, peel the bumpy skin off of the knobs.
- Cut into wedges, than into thin (1/4 inch) slices
- Toss in dressing while warm.
- Let cool in the refrigerator, toss occasionally to let the dressing/ marinade coat every slice to get the flavor in.
- Taste for salt before serving.
Notes
Peel and slice a raw apple, and toss it with the Celeriac and dressing for a sweet, sour, and crunchy addition. Add a heaping Tablespoon Mayonnaise and a Teaspoon of chopped Chives for a creamier version of the salad.
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Step by Step German Celery Root Salad Recipe
Scrub the Celeriac with a brush to get the dirt out of the folds. I also trim off some of the fuzzy parts
(it’s not necessary, I just think the beard looks funny)
Put in a saucepan with 5 cups water, salt, and vinegar
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low boil until the root is cooked.
When it’s ready, a knife should go in fairy easily.
This might take 45 minutes or more depending on how big your Celeriac is.
Drain, and when it’s cool enough to handle, peel the skin off of the root.
It will look like this…more or less
Cut the ball in half, then quarters.
Slice the wedges into 1/4 inch slices
Toss the pieces with the marinade/dressing
Refrigerate, stirring occasionally to insure that all the wedges absorb the dressing
Serve
Selleriesalat tastes delicious alone, or as part of a Salatteller
Store the Salad for a few days, and up to a week in an airtight container.
I like these glass containers. They seal tightly, stack well, and I can easily see what’s inside.
Find MORE Salad Recipes Here
Oma’s Green Salad with Creamy Dressing
Congratulation to your marriage. May you both be blessed with happiness. May your love last forever. I always thought that you were already married.
My mom made celery salad quite often. I been living in Texas for years, but never ones have I seen Cellery root in any grocery store. Not here in Texas. In Germany we also ate pickled celery root. I sure wished I could plant me a flower garden. Nothing grows for me here, the dirt here is not good. 8 years ago, I planted 2 Lilac sticks. One of them has lots of green leaves. The other one only has very few leaves on them. I love Lilac and desperately want to see flowers blooming on them before I die. Nothing is happening with them. Not one single flower is blooming. The one I planted close to my bedroom window. It grew about 3 inches tall with lots of leaves spreading out. The one in my front yard still looks like a stick. I baby both little trees, but nothing is happening. I was so looking forward to opening my bedroom window and I could smell Lilac flowers. I’m so disappointed that nothing is blooming. I have looked it up online, but no matter what I do, they won’t bare flowers. If I could afford it, I would have someone come up here from a plant nursery to see what the problem is. But I don’t have that kind of money. Everything cost more now. My one daughter paid almost 7 dollars for one gallon of milk. How are we going to survive? I have a very limited Social Security income. Many times, I can’t buy all the groceries I need. Items I could buy when my husband was alive. OK, I will stop complaining. It does me no good. I loved reading your post, you always explain everything in a simple enough way, 6 years old child would understand it. Take care, be safe. Gigi Hammer. 💔👍😘.