Celery root (also known as celeriac, but I’ll stick with celery root due to infuriating pronunciation issues) is a variety of celery with an edible root. You may have seen squiggly bulbs of celery root at your local farmer’s market or mentions of celeriac purees or soups on fancy restaurant menus.

So what’s it all about? Why should we care about the root of an otherwise underwhelming vegetable (sorry, celery)? Celery root is kind of like a funky hybrid of a celery stalk and a potato. It carries some of the celery flavor, but performs similarly to a potato because you can roast it, stew it, mash it, and puree it. So if you want to switch up your potato routine, celery root makes an excellent substitute.

In season in March, celery root might look strange, but it’s a nutritious and delicious addition to your menu and it’s pretty easy to prepare if you’re good at peeling knobby vegetables. Since it’s a root vegetable, you can store it for up to eight months before you have to sacrifice it to the compost gods.

Celery root is an excellent source of Vitamin K, which is essential for healthy bones, and it contains several anti-oxidant compounds known to aid in cancer prevention. It’s also low in calories, coming at just 42 calories per 100g serving.

How to Eat Celery Root

As mentioned above, celery root performs similarly to the potato, so you can easily substitute it into potato recipes (or let them play together). I’ve sampled bits of it in raw form at the farmer’s market, where the farmer told me it makes a great salad-booster when chopped into matchsticks.

Give celery root a try in one of these yummy recipes:

• Roasted Celery Root, Squash and Apple Soup (Pro tip: pair this delish soup with a Luvo burrito / or flatbread)
• Celeriac Mash
• Maple Bacon Roasted Apples & Celeriac
• Celeriac and Lentils with Hazelnut and Mint
• Roast Chicken with Celeriac
• Celery Root and Potato Gratin
• Celery Root Salad
• Celeriac, Spinach and Cheese Casserole

Is your mouth watering yet?? What are your favorite celery root aka celeriac recipes? Share them in the comments or over on Twitter at @luvoinc.