Braised Celery Hearts is a French-inspired side dish where celery hearts slowly cook with shallots, thyme, and broth until they turn soft, silky, and deeply savory. The celery sears in butter first for light color, then simmers covered in a thyme-scented broth that reduces into a light sauce. This gentle braise transforms a crunchy, often overlooked vegetable into a refined side that pairs perfectly with roast chicken, beef, or fish, and it uses one pan and simple steps that work well for beginners.
Braised Celery Hearts Recipe
Braised Celery Hearts with Shallots and Thyme is a French-style side dish where celery hearts gently simmer in butter, shallots, thyme, and broth until tender and coated in a light, savory sauce.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prep the celery hearts
- Place the celery hearts on a large cutting board, trim off any very dark outer ribs and leafy tops with a chef’s knife, and cut each heart into 2 to 3 inch pieces so they fit easily in the pan.
- If the outer ribs feel very stringy, use a vegetable peeler to lightly peel the outside of each piece so the finished celery turns soft and pleasant to bite.
Sauté the celery and shallots
- Set a large shallow sauté pan or skillet on the stove over medium heat and add 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil to the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon until the butter melts and blends with the oil.
- Add the celery pieces to the pan in a single layer with your hands or tongs and sprinkle ½ tsp kosher salt and ¼ tsp black pepper over the top with measuring spoons.
- Cook the celery for 8 minutes over medium heat, turning the pieces occasionally with tongs so they start to soften and pick up light golden spots on the edges.
- Scatter the sliced shallots into the pan and stir with the wooden spoon so they slip between the celery pieces, then cook for 4 minutes until the shallots look soft and translucent.
Add thyme and broth to braise
- Sprinkle 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves over the celery and shallots with a measuring spoon and stir with the wooden spoon so the herbs coat the vegetables evenly.
- Pour 1 cup broth into the pan using a measuring cup, stirring once with the wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits from the bottom so they mix into the liquid.
- Bring the broth to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then place a lid on the pan and reduce the heat to low so the liquid bubbles softly around the celery.
- Cook covered for 15 minutes, without lifting the lid often, until the celery pieces feel very tender when you pierce one with the tip of the knife or a fork.
Reduce the sauce and serve
- Remove the lid, turn the heat up to medium, and let the celery cook uncovered for 8 minutes, stirring with the wooden spoon every couple of minutes, until the broth reduces to a glossy sauce that just coats the bottom of the pan.
- Use tongs to arrange the braised celery hearts on a serving dish, then spoon the shallots and thyme-scented broth over the top with the wooden spoon, and serve warm alongside roast chicken, beef, or fish.
Notes
- Destringing the outer ribs with the vegetable peeler helps the braised celery hearts turn silky instead of fibrous, which makes a big difference in this long, slow cook.
- Keep the braise at a gentle simmer, not a hard boil, so the celery softens evenly and the broth reduces into a smooth sauce without drying out the pan.
- Leftover braised celery warms well in a covered skillet with a splash of extra broth and works nicely spooned over mashed potatoes or rice.
