Spicy Celery Stir Fry

If you are a celery lover, I am sure that this Spicy Celery Stir Fry has you giddy inside. However, I am aware that a lot of you find the taste of celery to be a little…errr, unpleasant. In fact, I’ve even seen some of you call celery “the devil” in my DM’s before. haha

I grew up with a celery-loving mom that cooked it in all sorts of ways and packed celery sticks for snacking in my lunchbox daily. In fact, one of my family’s most beloved recipes that has been passed down for generations can be found in my cookbook titled “Mimi’s Minestra del Sedano,” or Mimi’s Italian Celery Soup where celery is the star ingredient! It’s at the top of the list for my favorite nostalgic things to eat. 

Celery is a surprisingly valuable player to keep in your fridge for a variety of recipes. While it might not often play a starring role in a dish as it does here, it’s such a fundamental part of many dishes! For example, a mirepoix, (a mix of carrots, onions, and celery, usually finely diced and used as the seasoning base) is one of the foundations of the classical kitchen, and we rely on it heavily in our soups and stews. It’s practically always in our refrigerators ready to be used in a mirepoix or cut into sticks to serve with hot wings or in a crudite; however, we rarely let it be the star of the show. 

This spicy celery stir fry is a great go-to when you have nothing but celery in your fridge…which happens to me far too often! Serve it with rice to make a complete meal or this stir fry is a great side dish! This is definitely for the celery lovers of the world and if you hate celery, look away and don’t say anything rude to ruin our fun 😉

For another celery recipe, be sure to try my Sileo Celery Salad, another recipe passed down in my mom’s family! 

Spicy Celery Stir Fry

Serves: 2 people

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5 from 10 votes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 6 cups julienned celery (about 1 head of celery) *see note
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste; 1 tsp is hot, 1/2 tsp medium, 1/4 tsp is mild)
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoon coconut aminos
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons arrowroot flour

Instructions

• Heat the avocado and sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. When hot, add the celery, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the celery is slightly tender and browned, about 4 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the broth, coconut aminos, rice vinegar and arrowroot and stir until well combined and the arrowroot has dissolved.
• Pour the sauce into the skillet and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the celery is well coated in the sauce; 3 to 4 more minutes.

Notes

The best way to julienne the celery is to slice off the root end of the stalk. Cut the stalks in thirds, and then cut each of those pieces in half lengthwise. From there, cut into smaller matchsticks depending on the size of the stalk.