Celery Root Puree with Balsamic Roasted Beets and Pearl Onions

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This dairy-free celery root puree has been kicked up a notch with balsamic roasted beets and sweet, pearl onions. It’s a deliciously perfect, plant-based meal.

Celery root puree with balsamic roasted beets and pearl onions. A delicious veggie powered meal.

When it comes to food blogging I find myself wondering about the whole “chicken vs egg” concept. Is it that good cooks become food bloggers, or is it that food bloggers end up becoming good (or better) cooks?

For me, I have to say it’s probably more of the latter. I mean, I’ve always been a decent cook, but since becoming a food blogger (which, I still find so funny to say!) I find myself stretching my culinary boundaries. Using ingredients that I sorta know about….but not really. Because I need new ideas. And textures. And flavors. So I experiment.

Case in point – celery root.

I’ve had it before in restaurants, but couldn’t ever recall ever cooking with it. So when I went to the market this week and saw this knobby, not-so-pretty ingredient sitting by it’s lonesome (next to more popular ingredients like kale and spinach), I felt compelled to grab a few. I had no idea what I was gonna do with it, but figured what the heck. It was time for a little kitchen creativity!

Celery root puree with balsamic roasted beets and pearl onions. A delicious veggie powered meal.

 

Celery root puree with balsamic roasted beets and pearl onions. A delicious veggie powered meal.

 

Celery root puree with balsamic roasted beets and pearl onions. A delicious veggie powered meal.

For celery root newbies, celery root (aka celeriac) is a variety of celery grown specifically for its bulbous root. Like cassava, parsnips and turnips. And yes, it does taste like celery, but with a more mild flavor.

When blended with coconut milk though, wowzers, celery root (the former “ugly duckling” of the produce aisle) becomes creamy and smooth – like old fashioned whipped potatoes. Yet…it’s healthier! Because cup for cup celery root has the same amount of dietary fiber as potatoes with only 1/3 of the carbohydrates. Translation: no sugar spikes!

But eating only a bowl of celery root puree would be a tad bit boring. And beige. So I’ve topped it with balsamic, herb roasted beets, pearl onions and a handful of microgreens. If you can’t find pearl onions, caramelized onions would be a great substitute.

Not only is it nutrient-dense meal, it tastes amazing…and look – the purple color of the microgreens matches beautifully to the purple-ish color in the beets!

Ahh, I love when kitchen experimentation all works out.

Enjoy!

PS – here’s a quick video tutorial on how to chop celery root, if you need it.

Celery root puree with balsamic roasted beets and pearl onions. A delicious veggie powered meal.

 

Celery root puree with balsamic roasted beets and pearl onions. A delicious veggie powered meal.

 

Celery root puree with balsamic roasted beets and pearl onions. A delicious veggie powered meal.

Celery root puree with balsamic roasted beets and pearl onions. A delicious veggie powered meal.

Celery Root Puree with Balsamic Roasted Beets and Pearl Onions

5 from 5 votes
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

This dairy-free celery root puree has been kicked up a notch with balsamic roasted beets and sweet, pearl onions. It’s a deliciously perfect, plant-based meal.

Ingredients 
 

Balsamic Roasted Beets and Pearl Onions

  • 4 beets
  • 1 1/2 cups pearl onions
  • 3 tbsp olive oil, (divided)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped

Celery Root Puree

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 4 cups celery root, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 13.5 oz full-fat coconut milk
  • 2/3 cup water
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Topping

  • 2 cups microgreens

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
  • If using a jar/can of pearl onions, drain and rinse. If using fresh pearl onions, soak in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes to loosen the skin. Using a pairing knife, cut off the ends and remove the outer skin. Place onto a large baking sheet and set aside.
  • Using a vegetable peeler, peel the beets and place on a non-wood cutting board (a wood cutting board will stain). Slice the beets into quarters or evenly sized pieces and add to the baking sheet. Toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the middle of the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring once or twice midway through.
  • Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, herbs and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside.
  • While the beets are cooking, heat the olive oil in a pot on medium-high heat and saute the garlic for one minute. Add the chopped celery root, coconut milk, water, salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Turn the stove off and use a stick blender to puree the celery root mixture until smooth. Cover the pot to keep warm until ready to serve. (*Alternatively, pour the ingredients into a high-powered blender to puree).
  • Once the beets and onions have cooked, drizzle the balsamic mixture on the baking sheet, toss to combine and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
  • Serve by scooping a portion of the celery root puree into a bowl and topping with roasted beets, pearl onions and a handful of microgreens.

Lisa's Tips

Nutrition

Calories: 441kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Sodium: 239mg | Potassium: 1016mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 155IU | Vitamin C: 23.3mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 5.6mg
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: balsamic roasted beets, celery root puree, vegan side dish
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

5 from 5 votes

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28 Comments

  1. Yum!  I substituted about 1/4 t anise seed for the tarragon I couldn’t find at the store, but luckily have fresh thyme that survived the winter, so I think I replicated the flavors of the original recipe pretty well.   I thought this recipe SOUNDED good, but wasn’t sure until I took the lid off the simmering celery root.  Then, I knew it was gonna be good – it smelled wonderful.  This recipe is a keeper!5 stars

  2. This recipe is unbelievably delicious! I was amazed by the delicate flavours combined in it. I love celery and I love red beet but together they are just amazing! Thank you so much for the recipe! It will stay one of my favorites for a very long time!
    Lore5 stars

    1. Yay, I’m happy you loved the recipe Lore! Celery root is great as a puree and it does pair well with the beets and pearl onion. Glad you enjoyed it!

  3. I notice all your recipes are for 4 people. Since I cook for only one, how would I fourth these recipes or better yet, meal prep them? Just how well does celery root puree hold over?

    1. Hi Susie – I’m one person as well but always make my recipes in full. They can all be eaten as leftovers and this celery root puree is great as leftovers!

  4. WOW!!! I made this recipe for dinner yesterday and cannot believe how tasty it was!!! I am used to use celery root in soups (as my mom used to in Greece) but this is a complete game changer! Great recipe Lisa and thank you so much :-)5 stars

  5. Wow, this was creative in flavor and visually stunning as you eat it! I was also pleasantly astounded at my husbands continuous verbal affirmation at how much he liked it! He’s not much of a veggie guy and this was all we had for dinner. Very, very good. I’ve only recently found your channel, and am loving your videos and your blog. Thank you!5 stars

    1. Yay – that’s wonderful to hear Amy! Always a plus when the husband likes it. :) Happy you’re enjoying all my recipes and videos! x

  6. Looking forward to this, but confused about how many celery roots to buy. I don’t know how many make 4 cups

    1. Unfortunately, they can range in size from a small tennis ball size to even bigger than a softball. So the number will depend on the size you can find at your grocery store. If you think you can get about a cups’ worth diced from each one (after you peel/slice off the bulby outside part), then I’d grab 4. :)

  7. I made this for dinner yesterday and I totally loved it. I ate the leftovers for lunch today.
    I was a bit sceptical about the coconutmilk in the puree, but it tasted so good. I only made the puree with half celeriac, half potato. Thanks for the recipe, I will make it again with love.

  8. This dish is wonderful! I love the depth of flavors. Our local market only stocks seasonal produce so, this is a welcome addition to the recipe box!

    1. It sure is a bowl of goodness. And that’s great that your market stock seasonal produce. Definitely pin the recipe for future reference! :) x

  9. OMG, I just made this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely amazing!!! Thank you so much for this incredibly delicious dish!!
    Cheers,
    Maureen

  10. Celery root is definitely an ingredient that I only started cooking with in recent years – kind of intimidating at first, haha. Thank you for this recipe!

    1. Intimidating is a good way to describe! Haha. Now I only wish I’d started cooking with it sooner! :) x