This elegant roasted celeriac dish takes inspiration from classic carpaccio - thinly sliced, beautifully arranged, and finished with a bright dressing of orange, chestnut and walnut. While carpaccio is traditionally served raw, here the celeriac is gently roasted to bring out its natural sweetness and create a tender texture. The edges caramelise lightly in the oven, adding a nutty depth that pairs beautifully with the freshness of citrus and the earthy richness of chestnuts and walnuts. It's simple to prepare, yet looks and tastes special enough for entertaining.
If you enjoy cooking with celeriac, you might also like my Celeriac Soup with Preserved Lemon and Parsley Salsa, another delicious way to make the most of this versatile root.
Why You'll Love this Roasted Celeriac, Carpaccio-Style
- Simple to prepare, yet elegant on the plate - perfect when you want something impressive without complicated steps.
- Roasting transforms the flavour - the celeriac becomes tender, sweet and gently nutty.
- Carpaccio-style presentation - thin slices and a bright citrus dressing create a beautiful contrast of warmth and freshness.
- Versatile and seasonal - works equally well as a light starter or a refined winter side dish.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Celeriac - A winter root vegetable that is a member of the celery family with creamy white flesh and a delicate celery-like flavour. When roasted, it softens and sweetens, developing a nuttiness and savoury depth.
- Salt, pepper and olive oil - seasoning for roasting the celeriac, that draws out the natural sweetness and encourages light caramelisation as it roasts.
- Orange juice, walnuts & chestnuts - the orange adds a fresh, bright flavour and the walnuts and chestnuts add texture and contrast.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Roasted Celeriac, Carpaccio-style with an Orange, Walnut and Chestnut Dressing
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC
- Wash and scrub the celeriac to remove dirt.
- Cut the end off to remove the roots.
- Peel the celeriac.
- Place a sheet of foil in a baking tray large enough to wrap around the celeriac.
- Season the celeriac with olive oil, salt, and pepper, massaging it to coat evenly.
- Wrap the celeriac in the tin foil, ensuring it is completely covered.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove the celeriac from the oven and peel away the foil to expose it.
- Put back in the oven and bake for a further 30 minutes.
- Once the celeriac is cooked, let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Cut the celeriac in half lengthwise and then cut thin half-moon shapes.
- For the dressing, wash and pat dry the parsley. Remove stems and roughly chop.
- Roughly chop the walnuts and chestnuts.
- Cut the oranges in half and juice them
- Mix everything together in a bowl with the salt and olive oil.
- Place the sliced celeriac on a serving plate as shown in the photograph above.
- Give the dressing a final mix and then drizzle it over the celeriac. Finish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Chefs Tip
- Slice the celeriac while it's still warm - the knife will glide through, and the slices will hold their shape
- You will know if the celeriacis cooked if a knife slides straight through the centre with no resistance. If it catches, give it another 10-15 minutes. Undercooked celeriac can taste slightly chalky.
- After roasting, let the celeriac sit for 10 minutes. This helps it firm slightly so you can slice it neatly without crumbling.
Substitutions & Variations
Nut-free option: Replace the walnuts with toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds for crunch. For a more substantial version, try crispy chickpeas or toasted buckwheat instead.
Equipment
- Tin foil: Wrapping the celeriac in foil traps moisture as it roasts, allowing it to steam gently inside so it becomes evenly tender and silky rather than drying out.
- Baking Tray: To sit the whole celeriac in while roasting in the oven.
Storage
Allow the roasted celeriac to cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the dressing separate if possible and add it just before serving to maintain freshness and texture.
To serve again, bring to room temperature or warm gently in a low oven. Avoid microwaving if you want to preserve the slices and presentation.
In theory, you can freeze the celeriac slices, but they will lose their texture when thawed, so I do not recommend it.
FAQs
Yes. You can roast and slice the celeriac and then store it in the fridge for up to two days. When ready to eat, bring to room temperature and add the dressing just before serving.
Ideally, it should be served warm, though it tastes just as nice at room temperature, not straight out of the fridge.
Carpaccio style is defined by thin slices. When presenting this dish, we fold the celeriac slices so they should be thin enough to do this. Because we are roasting the celeriac, it makes it very easy to cut into thin slices with a sharp knife.
Yes, you can swap the nuts for a subtle flavour variation. Swap the walnuts for toasted hazelnuts, pecans or almonds, depending on what you have. Hazelnuts give a deeper autumnal flavour, while almonds keep it lighter and fresher.
Related Recipes
Here are some other inspired side dish ideas for you to try:
Pairing Suggestions
Make a meal special by pairing this roasted celeriac with these:
📖 Recipe
Roasted Celeriac with Orange, Chestnut and Walnut Dressing
Equipment
- Digital scales
Ingredients
Celeriac
- 1.3 kg Celeriac One head
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
Dressing
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 2 Oranges for Juice
- 20 g Chopped walnuts
- 100 g Chopped chestnuts
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 10 g Chopped parsley
Instructions
Celeriac
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
- Wash the celeriac well to remove any dirt. Use a veg scrubber if you have one. Pat dry with a towel.
- Chop off the bottom where the roots are. Then gently peel the celeriac; there's no need to go too deep. Refer to the photograph in the "How to Make...." section.
- Line a baking tray with foil, large enough to cover the celeriac completely. Place the celeriac in the centre of the foil.
- Add salt, pepper, and olive oil to the celeriac, then massage it to coat thoroughly. Cover with foil, ensuring it is completely wrapped, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove the celeriac from the oven. Peel away the foil, to expose the celeriac. Return to the oven to cook for a further 30 minutes to get some colour and cook through fully.
- Once the celeriac has cooked, remove from the oven and allow to rest for ten minutes.
- Transfer the celeriac onto a chopping board and cut it in half lengthwise. Then thinly slice the celeriac into half-moon shapes.
Dressing
- Wash and pat dry the parsley. Remove hard stems and roughly chop.
- Roughly chop the walnuts and chestnuts.
- Cut the oranges in half and juice them.
- In a bowl, mix the orange juice, chestnuts, walnuts, salt, olive oil and parsley.
Assembly
- Place the sliced celeriac on a plate, in a single layer, overlapping each slice with the other.
- Mix the dressing once again and drizzle it onto each slice.
- Finish with some chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Nutrition
NOTES
Food Safety
- Wash your hands regularly while preparing, handling and cooking food.
- Wipe down countertops and high-contact points regularly.
- If you cook meat and fish, do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat. Use separate chopping boards for meat and fish. Wash your chopping boards immediately after use.
- Thoroughly cook food to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods (more than 2 hours).
- Store food correctly.
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