Alternative to celery?

[zuludog]

I eat salads containing the usual sort of things - lettuce, bell peppers, cucumber, but I have a problem with celery -

On many bunches of celery the outer stalks are quite thick & stringy, almost woody, so I often discard them and just eat the inner ones; which makes them effectively more expensive

What else can I use, please, to bulk up salads?

 

[Martin.A]

I eat salads containing the usual sort of things - lettuce, bell peppers, cucumber, but I have a problem with celery -

On many bunches of celery the outer stalks are quite thick & stringy, almost woody, so I often discard them and just eat the inner ones; which makes them effectively more expensive

What else can I use, please, to bulk up salads?

My salads are made up of a portion of Italian Salad (a 4-leaf mix either from Morrisons or Sainsbury's), plus cucumber, bell peppers, radish and cherry tomatoes and to add some crunch I include some Little Gem lettuce. If you cut from the bottom of a Little Gem the leaves are quite firm and crunchy. I save the leafy parts for sandwiches, eg a BLT.

 

[Leadinglights]

I eat salads containing the usual sort of things - lettuce, bell peppers, cucumber, but I have a problem with celery -

On many bunches of celery the outer stalks are quite thick & stringy, almost woody, so I often discard them and just eat the inner ones; which makes them effectively more expensive

What else can I use, please, to bulk up salads?

Don't waste the outer stalks you can use for soup, added to chilli or bolognaise.
Additions to salad: watercress, spinach, rocket, pumpkin seeds, finely shredded cabbage, chopped carrot, chopped courgette. mange toutor sugar snaps.

 

[rebrascora]

I just have lots and lots of lettuce and cheese coleslaw to bulk out my salads along with the other things you mention. I tend to buy celery for soups rather than salad, so that is where the outer stalks go, finely sliced so that you don't get long strings, but like @Leadinglights, I also put it in chilli and casseroles.

 

[beating_my_betes]

2 methods:

 

[Drummer]

I don't find the outer stalks on mine woody - maybe you are not getting the self blanching varieties - but I usually put the outer sticks into stews or casseroles made in the pressure cooker, for the flavour (my mum used to do that. Sigh)
You can destring celery easily enough, if they are tough enough to be a bother.

 

[stephenS50]

An alternative to celery?...in my salad I like to have new potatoes, mixed peppers,cucumber,red onion,baby gem lettuce and vine tomatoes.

 

[nonethewiser]

Beetroot if you can tolerate it bg wise, love beetroot & smoother my salad with it, buy Aldi baby beetroot & we go through jar a week.

 

[helli]

I chose to believe the myth that you use more calories chewing celery than it contains so I don't bother with it and don't consider it a necessary "bulker" to replace.

 

[EMcKT]

I buy it as I feel I should buy it and try it. I'll eat one stalk and decide I really dont really like it, even with salt as my father did. However, I don't mind it chopped small in soup, in a stew, casserole and I like celery soup.

 

[Deb_l]

I have raw carrots in my salads. If I’m feeling frivolous, I buy the ready cut batons. Otherwise I cut up my own.

 

[Vonny]

I seem to recall that in the dim and distant past, celery didn't have the stringy bits on the outer stalks. I've often bemoaned the modern variety we seem to get now. Or maybe I'm just having a senior moment and seeing old-time celery through rose tinted spectacles!

 

[s'nic]

I seem to recall that in the dim and distant past, celery didn't have the stringy bits on the outer stalks. I've often bemoaned the modern variety we seem to get now. Or maybe I'm just having a senior moment and seeing old-time celery through rose tinted spectacles!

nah, it was always nasty and stringy. I've not bought any for decades!

Alternative to celery .. ANYTHING ... just not celery!
I skip on potato salad, but sometimes use a potato substitute, eg air fried chunks of butternut squash
My grandmother had a habit of cooking up mashed potato to serve with a salad (yes, I know that may be odd, but my brother and I were fans, especially as it was loaded with butter).
I still have a liking for hot potato with a salad, so the butternut squash works well

 

[nonethewiser]

Tbh 2 salad items can't stand are celery & radishes, everything else is just fine.

 

[s'nic]

Tbh 2 salad items can't stand are celery & radishes, everything else is just fine.

ditto, those 2 I avoid!

 

[ColinUK]

Peel the celery. Use a Y peeler and in two seconds the stringy bits are gone.

 

[Aybrice (Blueduck)]

I get those pre packed cut stalks of celery in a bag, usually all good bits and nothing to discard, bit more expensive but I don’t throw any away. I often put peas in a salad 40gm, 4 carbs, I love a pea!

 

[SB2015]

Along with your usual additions, I spiralise a carrot, put it in the fridge and grab a handful for a salad. Spiralised courgette is good but not if left in the fridge. Kale crushed in a ginger dressing.