Carla Lalli Music Shared This Genius Tip To Remove Stringy Sections on Celery

Celery is one of the unsung heroes of numerous dishes, and it's a building block for several classic recipes. We love celery for its crunch, freshness and versatility. And frankly, its flavor is underrated to say the least. It is a requirement when making stuffing (or dressing, depending on where you're from), but that's not where the fun stops. Celery is a great supporting ingredient in recipes like chicken salad, but also can hold its own as the star of dishes like our Cream of Celery Soup.

One of our favorite chefs and cookbook authors, Carla Lalli Music, shared her new recipe "Sorry, I like celery," and we can't get enough. Essentially, it is a celery Caesar salad in which she swaps thinly sliced celery for romaine lettuce, and adds other spicy and pickled elements for a crave-worthy, crunchy, flavorful salad. For more on this recipe, check out her YouTube channel That Sounds So Good (which also happens to be the name of her book!). We were all ears while she threw together the temptingly easy dish, but one of her tips in particular caught our eye.

Lalli Music explains that she understands that some people don't share her (our*) unconditional love for celery, and the stringy texture can be a reason why. Have you ever had a bite of celery that turns into something reminiscent of dental floss? Not the best eating experience, we will admit. But Lalli Music had an easy tip to rid your celery of overly stringy bites: simply peel the outer stalks.

To prep her celery, Lalli Music separates the celery into individual stalks and sets the outer stalks aside from the more tender interior stalks. After she washes the stalks and pats them dry, she breaks out her vegetable peeler. Lalli Music explains that peeling the outsides of the outer stalks removes the tougher, more stringy parts of the celery, leaving you with only crunchy goodness. We can't believe we haven't been doing this all along!

If you love celery's taste but aren't a fan of the sometimes-stringy texture, try peeling the outer stalks. When you're finished, your celery will be easier to eat. Enjoy it dipped in peanut butter (a timeless classic) or transform it into Curried Celery & Cashew Stir-Fry, Spring Green Soup with Chicken or one of our other tasty celery recipes.