• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
It's a Veg World After All®
  • Subscribe
  • Cookbook
  • Recipes
    • By Type
    • By Vegetable
  • Tips
  • About
    • Privacy and Terms
    • Services
      • Twin Cities Cooking Classes
      • Writing & Recipes
    • Contact
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • By Veggie
  • Cooking Tips
  • Meal Plans
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Books
  • Work with Lizzie
  • Contact
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • By Veggie
    • Cooking Tips
    • Meal Plans
    • Subscribe
    • About
    • Books
    • Work with Lizzie
    • Contact
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Vegetable Prep Hacks

    How to Cut Celery

    Published: Feb 22, 2023 / Modified: Feb 24, 2023 by Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN / This post may contain affiliate links / Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print
    celery cut into four different ways on a cutting board
    celery cut into different ways on a cutting board with text boxes

    Learn how to cut celery ribs in different ways — chopped, diced, in sticks or batons, and angled. You’ll learn the best way to prepare celery for soups, salads, dipping, and veggie trays. Plus, tips for using and storing cut celery are included.

    celery cut into different ways on a cutting board with text boxes

    Celery is usually not someone’s first choice of vegetable. It’s stringy and tough and has a mineral-like flavor. So, on the surface, celery doesn’t seem too appealing.

    However, celery has a lot to offer! It tastes delicious roasted or in a salad, and of course, as the base of a soup. If you are interested in adding more celery to your meals, here’s everything you need to know about how to prepare this vegetable.

    Jump to:
    • How to Trim and Wash Celery
    • How to Cut Celery Sticks
    • Sliced Celery
    • Diced Celery
    • Fancy Celery (Angled or Biased)
    • How to Store Celery
    • FAQ
    • Celery Recipes
    • Video
    • 📖 Recipe

    How to Trim and Wash Celery

    Before cutting celery into your desired shape and size, you need to trim and wash it. If you have an entire stalk of celery (also known as a head or bunch), you can make one slice through the butt of all of the ribs to remove the discolored, tough, and/or dirty ends. If you are working with individual ribs of celery, you can trim the end of each one on its own. Then, trim off the leafy part from the top, down to the joint (shown below).

    woman trimming off the joint of a celery stalk on a cutting board

    After trimming celery, wash each rib under cold, running water. Rub your fingers over the ribs to remove any stubborn dirt as needed.

    How to Cut Celery Sticks

    Celery sticks are great for a veggie tray or for making stuffed celery. When preparing celery sticks for a snack or for dipping, you can slice each rib into thirds to yield wide sticks or into batons to yield skinny sticks. It depends on your preference. For stuffed celery, it’s best to cut celery into wide sticks that can hold a filling instead of batons. Here is how to cut celery sticks in both of these ways.

    For wide sticks, cut a rib of celery into thirds. If you have short ribs, you may only need to cut them in half.

    woman slicing a stalk of celery into thirds

    For batons, cut a rib of celery in half or into thirds. Then, slice each piece lengthwise into four skinny sticks.

    woman slicing celery into thin sticks or batons

    Sliced Celery

    Sliced celery works well in salads, soups, and stir fry. To cut celery into slices, just cut the rib crosswise into ½- to 1-inch pieces, depending on what you need for your recipe.

    woman slicing a stalk of celery on a cutting board

    Diced Celery

    Celery that is diced (cut into smaller pieces) works better in some recipes, especially if you don’t want large pieces of celery in a dish. To dice celery, cut each rib crosswise in half or into thirds. Then, slice each piece lengthwise into four skinny sticks. Cut those sticks crosswise into diced pieces.

    woman dicing celery on a cutting board

    Fancy Celery (Angled or Biased)

    If you want to prepare celery in a fancy way, consider cutting it on the bias, also known as cutting on a 45-degree angle. Hold the rib or your knife at an angle and slice crosswise. Slicing very thin pieces of celery on an angle is also a way to “shave” celery.

    woman slicing celery on an angle on a cutting board

    How to Store Celery

    The best way to store cut celery, whether it’s diced, sliced, or cut into sticks, is in the fridge with water. After preparing it, place the cut pieces in a jar or airtight container, fill with enough water so the celery is covered, and seal tightly. Store for up to two weeks in the refrigerator, draining and replenishing the water every few days.

    You can also store cut celery without water in airtight containers. However, it will not last as long and will quickly dry out. Finally, you can freeze celery to store it for long periods of time.

    If you don’t have time to cut celery before storing it, you can easily preserve a whole head or several ribs together by wrapping them tightly with aluminum foil. Store in a drawer in the refrigerator for two to four weeks. Seriously, this really works!!

    FAQ

    Should you keep cut celery in water?

    Yes, it should be kept in water in the fridge for maximum freshness and an increased shelf life. See above tips for more information.

    What part of celery do you cut?

    Typically, you remove the leafy part down to the joint at the top and trim the bottom of each rib before cutting celery. You can save those pieces to make vegetable broth if you are interested in preventing food waste.

    Do you peel celery before cutting?

    Celery does not need to be peeled. It naturally has a stringy, tough texture, so peeling does not make that much of a difference. However, you can certainly peel each rib if you want to remove some of the tough outer layer.

    Celery Recipes

    If you’re in the mood for celery after learning how to cut it, here are some of my best recipes to try!

    • Marinated Celery Salad
    • Pickled Celery
    • Roasted Celery with Dates and Blue Cheese
    • Healthy Celery Snack with Herbed Mascarpone
    • Celery Smoothie with Apple and Banana
    • Carrot and Celery Soup with Thyme Pecan Crumble

    Video

    I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.

    📖 Recipe

    celery cut into four different ways on a cutting board

    How to Cut Celery

    Learn how to slice and dice celery, cut it into sticks, and chop it on an angle.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Total Time: 10 mins
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 16kcal
    Author: Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

    Equipment

    • Cutting board
    • Chef's knife

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound celery
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Before cutting celery, trim and wash it. Trim off the tough, dirty, and/or discolored parts of the ends. Then, trim off the leafy tops down to the joint. Wash each rib under running water to remove any dirt. Pat dry.

    Sticks

    • For wide celery sticks that can be stuffed, cut each rib of celery crosswise in half or into thirds.
    • For thin celery sticks or batons, cut each rib of celery crosswise in half or into thirds. Then, slice each piece lengthwise into four skinny sticks.

    Diced

    • Follow the instructions for cutting skinny celery sticks. Then, cut the sticks crosswise into diced pieces.

    Sliced

    • Cut each rib crosswise into slices of your desired size.

    Angled

    • Hold the rib or your knife at a 45-degree angle and cut into pieces of your desired size.

    Video

    Notes

    • Store cut celery in an airtight container or jar. Add water to the container until it covers the celery. Seal tightly. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, replenishing the water every few days.
    • If you are storing a head of celery that has not been cut, wrap it in aluminum foil. Store in a drawer in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
    • Use cut celery for dipping, on veggie trays, in salads or soups, or for stuffing.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2ribs | Calories: 16kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.05g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 91mg | Potassium: 295mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 509IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 0.2mg
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @its_a_vegworld_afterall and follow me today!

    Enjoy your celery! – Lizzie

    More Vegetable Prep Hacks and How-Tos

    • frozen cubed potatoes in a labeled bag with text boxes for post title and website
      How to Freeze Potatoes (for Roasting, Soups, and More)
    • potato wedges, slices, cubes, and julienne pieces on a cutting board with text boxes
      How to Cut Potatoes
    • red split lentils in a bowl under text box with post title
      How to Cook Red Lentils
    • frozen cut leeks in an airtight bag with text boxes for post title and website
      How to Freeze Leeks

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    lizzie streit cutting carrots

    Welcome! I'm Lizzie, a Registered Dietitian and cookbook author who loves vegetables. And I'm here to help you love them too! My easy, veggie-forward recipes will help you get comfortable in the kitchen and celebrate the seasons.

    More about me →

    Meal Prep Recipes

    • chocolate coconut chickpea cookie dough balls on a serving plate
      Coconut Chickpea Cookie Dough Balls
    • banana chia pudding topped with sliced bananas and coconut in a jar
      Banana Chia Pudding
    • slice of a sheet pan veggie omelet on a plate next to the baking sheet
      Sheet Pan Omelet with Veggies
    • almond granola in a bowl in front of a sheet pan with granola
      Almond Granola with Honey and Vanilla

    Soup Recipes

    • broccoli almond soup with feta in a soup crock on a counter
      Broccoli Almond Soup with Feta
    • Kabocha Squash Soup in a bowl with coconut milk and thyme
      Kabocha Squash Soup with Coconut Milk and Apple Cider
    • swede and potato soup in a bowl topped with crispy onions
      Swede Soup with Crispy Onions
    • vegan tomato bisque topped with fresh basil in a bowl on a counter
      Vegan Tomato Bisque with Cashews

    Footer

    About

    About Lizzie

    Privacy Policy and Terms

    Portfolio

    My Books

    Featured On

    logos from news publications and websites spread out on a white background

    Contact

    Contact

    Work with Lizzie

    Sign Up! for emails and updates

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2013-2023 It's a Veg World After All ® LLC