Roasted Spiced Celery Root with Jasmin Rice

This Roasted Celery Root with Spiced Jasmin Rice is the perfect side dish to any Mediterranean meal. This dish is loaded with Eastern spices, aromatic garlic, and lots of fresh herbs.

This recipe will blow your mind, you guys! That’s mainly because I used a very unique spice called Ras el Hanout. This Moroccan spice blend consists of ground ginger, allspice, Aleppo pepper, and more! I use that spice blend on everything, but today we are using it to season the diced celery root.

We will be using Jasmin rice—which is a fragrant long-grain rice from Thailand. The rice is stir-fried with browned bits of onions and aromatic garlic right before simmering. Anything that has a base of garlic and onions is always welcome in my book.

Make sure to rinse the rice until the water runs clear. This will result in fluffier rice.

What is Celery Root; Celery Knob?

Celery root, also known as celeriac root, is a large, white bulb with celery stalks growing out of it.

What does Celery Root Taste Like?

The root has a celery stalk-like flavor mixed with parsley. The texture is what distinguishes them. Instead of crisp stalks with leaves, you’ll get a potato-like texture and flavor with a hint of celery.

How to Cook Celery Root?

Roasted, boiled, or pureed are all options. Keto fries and low-carb mashed potatoes make perfect low-carb-conscious swaps. It can also be eaten raw.

Where to Buy Celery Root?

Celery root can be found in any market that sells a wide variety of produce.

This root vegetable is by far one of my favorites. That’s because it adds loads of flavor and is extremely versatile. Trust me, you’ll fall in love with this rather ugly, knobby-looking root vegetable too!

Serve alongside these Mediterranean Cravings

• Creamy Avocado Cacik
• Roasted Eggplant & Tomato Soup
• Authentic Kisir (Turkish Bulgur Salad)
• Garlicky Cabbage and Carrot Yogurt Meze
• Mediterranean Beef Stew with Peas and Carrots
• Mother-in-Law’s Cabbage Rolls

Roasted Spiced Celery Root with Jasmin Rice

Author: Ashley Altan Cooking Method: Baking, Simmering Cuisine: Mediterranean Courses: Celery Root Recipes, Mediterranean Cravings, Sides Recipe Keys: G Gluten Free V Vegetarian Meals

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 45 min Rest Time 10 min Total Time 1 hr 5 mins

Ingredients

Servings

• 1 large celery root, peeled, then diced (should yield about 6 cups, diced)
• 1 teaspoon Ras el Hanout
• 3 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons sea salt divided (use half the amount if using iodized salt)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cup jasmine rice, rinsed
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 ¹⁄₄ cups water
• ¹⁄₃ cup fresh chopped cilantro (about 1 cilantro bunch)
• ¹⁄₂ cup pomegranate seeds (about 1 pomegranate)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F

   Place the peeled and diced celery root in a baking dish or onto a sheet pan. Next, add 2 tbsp of the olive oil, Ras el Hanout , 1 1/2 tsp sea salt,  and toss together until the diced root is evenly covered in the seasoning. Bake for 45 minutes, tossing and turning every 15 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, heat a pot over medium heat. Drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil,  add the diced onion, season with 2 tsp sea salt and black pepper to taste. Cook until the onions are translucent and have browned edges ( about 6-7 minutes).

3. When ready, add the rinsed rice and garlic to the onions and stir-fry until the rice becomes slightly translucent ( about 2-3 minutes). Next, stir in the water and cook until tender for 16-18 minutes. Once cooked, turn off the heat and place a clean dish towel underneath the lid and let sit for 10 minutes. 

4. Finally, fluffy the rice with a fork. Add half of the roasted celery root, and cilantro—toss to combine. Then, add the rest of the celery root, and cilantro on top along with the pomegranate seeds. Enjoy.