Roasted Celery Root (Celeriac) and Sweet Potato with Marjoram and Thyme

Celery root, or celeriac, shows up in supermarkets in the fall and hangs around through the winter. It’s not a pretty vegetable, but it has a distinctive tart flavor, midway between celery and parsley, and a nice firm texture. Try to buy smaller celeriac. The larger ones can be quite tough and woody.

Like most root vegetables, celeriac tastes best roasted, to bring out the natural sugars. The British like to make it into a classic cream soup, but I prefer it cubed and roasted, paired with sweet potato for a nice tart-sweet contrast.

To even out the roasting time (sweet potatoes cook faster than celeriac), I drop the celeriac into a pot of boiling water for two minutes before putting it into the roasting pan.

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Roasted Celery Root (Celeriac) and Sweet Potato with Marjoram and Thyme

By Springhouse Turtle – Serves: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes – Cooking Time: 40 minutes – Total Time: 1 hour

Despite its name, celery root (celeriac) is not the root of the celery plant. It's a root vegetable similar to a turnip with a celery-like flavor that pairs nicely with sweet potato.

Ingredients

• 1 medium celery root (celeriac)
• 1 medium to large sweet potato
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon marjoram

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2

In a small saucepan, heat 2 cups of water to boiling.

3

Peel and dice celery root and sweet potato.

4

Drop the celery root (not the sweet potato) into the boiling water for 2 minutes.

5

Lift the celeriac out of the water with a slotted spoon and put it into a baking dish.

6

Add the sweet potato and spread the vegetables out in a single layer.

7

Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables.

8

Sprinkle thyme and marjoram on top.

9

Salt and pepper to taste.

10

Toss until evenly coated.

11

Roast at 425 degrees F for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

12

The vegetables are done when they are soft, but still hold their shape.

13

Serves 4 as a side dish.

Celeriac (celery root) is not a pretty vegetable. Scrubbing reveals its mostly green skin.

Peeling the celeriac reveals its celery scent and white flesh. It has a tart flavor midway between celery and parsley.

The tart flavor of celeriac pairs well with sweet potato’s mild sweetness.

Cube the celeriac and sweet potato, parboil the celeriac cubes for 2 minutes, then toss both with olive oil, marjoram and thyme before roasting.

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