Zeytinyağlı Kereviz Yemeği, also known as Celery Root in Olive Oil, is a classic Turkish dish that celebrates the simplicity of fresh, seasonal produce. Traditionally served as part of the mezze, or appetizer spread in Turkish cuisine, this dish showcases celeriac's incredible versatility and healthy creamy goodness.
It’s a sad state of affairs that celery root is such a little-known and underrated vegetable. While celery’s above-ground stalks are in zillions of great dishes, this humble knobby root vegetable lurks in the shadows. It has a delightful, slightly nutty, less-intensely-celery-ish taste and a tender creamy texture that is perfectly complemented by the richness of extra virgin olive oil. With its subtle earthy undertones, celery root shines as the protagonist, supported by an ensemble of aromatic herbs and a touch of tanginess from fresh citrus juice.
This dish follows the traditional Turkish "soteleme" technique, which refers to stir-frying vegetables in a shallow pan over gentle heat. The slow, methodical process allows the flavors to develop and meld together, resulting in a melt-in-your-mouth symphony of FLAVE! It goes great with other vegan Turkish standards like Şakşuka, Mercimek köfte, ezme, fellah koftesi, and the queen of all lentil soups, ezogelin.
Grab your ingredients, and most adorable apron, follow the instructions, and let the magic unfold!
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🥰Why you are going to adore the ever-loving heck outta this recipe
✊Vegan AF
If you're looking for a dish that causes no harm to animals and is delicious and great for you, you're in for a treat. Zeytinyağlı Kereviz Yemeği is a great example of a one of my Turkish recipes that is packed with amazing flavors without any violence towards animals. I strongly believe humans should treat other creatures with love, admiration and respect. If you aren’t vegan yet, it is my sincere wish that this recipe helps you move closer in that direction, because I absolutely love ya!
🌿Wholesome Magic Made Easy
Sometimes, the most extraordinary dishes are born from the simplest ingredients. Zeytinyağlı Kereviz epitomizes this philosophy. By relying on a handful of wholesome, commonly available ingredients, this completely gluten-free recipe can be crafted with ease at almost any time of the year.
😸Quick as a Cat
This one-pot recipe has minimal prep, doesn’t require any unusual cooking gear, and is fast to put together. With very little clean up time, you will have more time to play the trumpet for your two best friends: Day Day Horsieboppilus, and Night Night Hippogriphicus.🐴🦛
✅Approved Worldwide: A Recipe That Has Traveled the Globe
Like all of the recipes on my blog, not only have I extensively tweaked this recipe to perfection, but it has also been tested and approved by a team of dedicated recipe testers in kitchens all around the globe. This recipe has been perfected and tested to work well anywhere on the planet using varying ingredient brands and cooking equipment. So, for sure it works well, and you will love it.
🌿Notable ingredients and substitutions
Celery Root: Also known as "Kereviz" in Turkey, celery root is a versatile and nutrient-rich vegetable. It has a funky, chunky, knobby appearance with a mild flavor. In this recipe, it provides a unique texture and earthy taste that perfectly absorbs the flavors of the dish. If celery root is unavailable, you can substitute it with parsnips, turnips, or even potatoes, but yo - this is a celery root dish, so expect that it’s gonna be a different (albeit yummy) thing.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The elixir of the Mediterranean, extra virgin olive oil is a key player in Turkish cuisine and adds a luscious richness to the dish. Renowned for its health benefits, it's loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants. This oil enhances the flavors of the celery root, infusing the dish with its distinctive fruity notes. If you prefer, you can substitute it with another high-quality vegetable oil such as avocado oil or walnut oil (which gives the dish an intense, different, and totally delicious flavor).
Dill: Fresh dill, or "Taze Dereotu," adds a vibrant herbal touch to the Zeytinyağlı Kereviz, and I also like to garnish lahana sarma with it. Dill brings a refreshing element to the dish with its delicate, feathery leaves and great herby, anise-like flavor. It’s the herb of my childhood, and everything that I make with it reminds me of my grandmother’s matzo ball soup.
📖How to make flawless kerevis
Lemme grab you by your beautiful bejeweled hand and walk you up the majestic braised celeriac mountain to behold vistas of citrus and herbs… or you can just follow along with the easy-to-print recipe card towards the bottom of this page.
Step 1
Use the thinner sharp tip portion of your knife to remove the gnarly skin from the celery root before dicing it.
Step 2
If you would like to roll-cut the carrots, peel them and then cut at an angle. Roll the carrot about 90 degrees and then cut on an angle again. Continue cutting the carrot this way to give you attractive little chunks/
Step 3
In a medium size pot, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat for approximately 60 seconds until it becomes hot and shimmery. Add the diced yellow onion to the pot and sauté for three to four minutes until the onions turn translucent and become fragrant. Stir occasionally to ensure even cooking.
Step 4
Stir in the celery root pieces, quartered red-skin potatoes, and roll-cut (or bias-sliced) carrot into the pot. Sauté the vegetables for a few minutes, allowing them to develop a slight golden-color.
Step 5
Pour in the orange juice and water, then sprinkle the mixture with paprika. Give everything a good stir, ensuring the ingredients are well combined and evenly distributed.
Step 6
Cover the pot with a lid and adjust the heat to low-medium. Allow the dish to simmer gently for approximately 16-18 minutes, or until the veggies become fork-tender. Stir occasionally, and if you notice the pot becoming dry, add a small amount of water to keep the veggies steaming happily, not burning, ruining your day.
Step 7
Once the vegetables are perfectly cooked, remove the pot from the heat. Add the lemon juice, sugar, minced parsley, and salt to the pot. Give everything a gentle stir, ensuring the flavors are well incorporated and evenly distributed.
The acid of the lemon juice helps to balance the sweetness of the dish and really enlivens the flavors.
Step 8
Carefully transfer the Zeytinyağlı Kereviz to a beautiful serving dish. Garnish the dish generously with fresh dill and parsley.
💡How to serve Kereviz
Kereviz, with its delightful flavors, pairs beautifully with a variety of dishes from Turkish and Mediterranean cuisines.
Serve alongside traditional soups like and Harira, or hearty grain-based dishes like Bulgur Pilavi and tabouli. These dishes complement the earthy flavors of Zeytinyağlı Kereviz Yemeği and create a well-rounded meal.
For a meze-style feast, include classic Turkish appetizers like Çiğ Köfte, or pair it with Moroccan layered flatbread pancakes, or potato stuffed flatbreads.
Consider serving Zeytinyağlı Kereviz alongside a bowl of vegan labneh, barbunya pilaki (Turkish Barlotti beans), or loubia (Moroccan white bean stew). These dishes offer fresh, vibrant flavors that harmonize well with the lightness of the celery root dish.
For a more substantial and protein-rich meal, accompany the dish with baharat-roasted oyster mushroom shawarma or seitan kofta served on freshly grilled homemade pita bread, dripping with tahini sauce. Sides of spicy quick pickled cucumbers, or pickled burdock root anyone? Uh, YES PLS.
Indulge in a traditional Turkish dessert like rosewater baklava, elderflower lemon pound cake, or İrmik Helvası as a sweet finale. This semolina-and pine nut-based dessert (which you can serve on its own or with ice cream!) with its buttery, nutty flavors provides a delightful contrast to the savory notes of the main dish, rounding off the meal on a sweet note
👉Top tips
- Use High-Quality Olive Oil: Selecting a premium olive oil is essential as it plays a significant role in highlighting the flavors of zeytinyağlı dishes. The quality of the olive oil will make a noticeable difference in the overall taste of the dish.
- Embrace Simplicity: Avoid overwhelming Zeytinyağlı Kereviz Yemeği with an abundance of spices and flavorings. Instead, appreciate its essence as a delicate and tender vegetable dish. Let the natural flavors of the ingredients shine through.
- Opt for Fresh Citrus Juices: When preparing the dish, use freshly squeezed lemon juice and orange juice to achieve the best flavor profile. These citrus juices add a refreshing tang but also help balance with the carrots' natural sweetness, creating a harmonious blend of tastes.
- Be mindful of the cooking time: The goal is to achieve a tender consistency without overcooking them, as they can become mushy. Check by piercing the vegetables with a fork to ensure they are cooked to your desired level of tenderness.
🤷♀️FAQ
Zeytinyağlı: Zey-tin-yah-luh Kereviz: Keh-reh-veez Yemeği: Yeh-meh-ee
The name "Zeytinyağlı Kereviz Yemeği" translates to "Celery Root in Olive Oil" in English.
Here's a breakdown of the translation:
"Zeytinyağlı" translates to "in olive oil." It is derived from the words "zeytin" (olive) and "yağ" (oil), combined with the genitive/locative (possession/inclusion) suffix “-lı.”
"Kereviz" translates to "celeriac." It refers to the specific vegetable used in this dish, which is the root of the celery plant.
"Yemeği" translates to "dish" or "meal." It is a suffix often used in Turkish cuisine to denote a particular preparation or recipe.
Therefore, the name "Zeytinyağlı Kereviz Yemeği" perfectly captures the essence of this delightful dish: celery root cooked in a flavorful olive oil-based preparation.
✌️ See ya later, ‘frigerator
Transfer the cooled dish to an airtight or glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Store it in the refrigerator for up to four days.
🔥Stovetop Reheating:
a. Place a non-stick pan or a pot on the stovetop over medium heat.
b. Add the desired portion of Zeytinyağlı Kereviz Yemeği to the pan.
c. Stir occasionally and heat it for five-seven minutes until warmed through.
d. Once heated, remove from the heat, garnish and serve immediately.
☢️Microwave reheating:
a. Transfer the desired portion of Zeytinyağlı Kereviz Yemeği to a microwave-safe dish.
b. Cover the dish with a microwave-safe lid or a microwave-safe plate.
c. Microwave on medium power for 1-2 minutes, or until the dish is thoroughly heated.
d. Carefully remove the dish from the microwave, as it may be hot, and give it a gentle stir before serving.
🚮Pick up your freezer and throw it in the trashcan for this one
Zeytinyağlı Kereviz Yemeği is best enjoyed fresh or within a few days of preparation. It does not freeze well due to the texture and consistency of the cooked vegetables. Sorry about that. Better luck next time with your cryogenic dinner.
✌️My favey dishes to serve with braised celeriac:
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Zeytinyağlı Kereviz Yemeği (Turkish braised celery root)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion small diced
- 2 medium size celery roots skinned and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces (4 cups cut)
- 2 red skin potatoes quartered
- 1 large carrot roll cut
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ cup minced parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Fresh dill and parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a medium size pot over medium heat for 60 seconds. When the oil is hot, add the diced yellow onion and sauté for three-four minutes until translucent and fragrant.
- Add the celery root pieces, quartered red skin potatoes, and roll-cut (or bias sliced) carrot to the pot. Sauté the vegetables for four to five minutes, allowing them to slightly brown and develop flavor.
- Pour in the orange juice and water, then sprinkle with paprika. Give everything a good stir to combine the ingredients evenly.
- Cover the pot, lower the heat slightly to low-medium, and cook for about 16-18 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and easily pierced with a fork. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Add water if necessary if the pot is becoming dry.
- Once the vegetables are cooked, remove the pot from heat and let it cool slightly. Add the lemon juice, sugar, minced parsley, and salt. Give it a gentle stir to incorporate the flavors.
- Transfer the Zeytinyağlı Kereviz Yemeği to a serving dish. Garnish with fresh dill and parsley for a pop of color and the lovely fresh contrast of the herbs.
- Instant Pot and Pressure Cooker Instructions
- Set your Instant Pot or pressure cooker to sauté mode and heat the extra virgin olive oil. Add the diced yellow onion and sauté until translucent.
- Add the celery root, red skin potatoes, carrot, orange juice, water, and paprika. Give it a good stir to combine.
- Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot or pressure cooker to manual/pressure cook mode. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Once the cooking time is complete, do a quick release of the pressure according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Carefully open the lid and add the lemon juice, sugar, minced parsley, and salt. Give it a gentle stir to blend the flavors.
- Transfer the Zeytinyağlı Kereviz Yemeği to a serving dish. Garnish with fresh dill and parsley before serving.
Adam Sobel
Hey! It’s me, Chef Adam. Lovely to see ya in the comments section here. Drop me a line if you have any questions, or want to let me know how much you loved the recipe. ❤️