Celery Root-Parsnip Latkes Recipe (2024)

Recipe from Noah and Rae Bernamoff

Adapted by Melissa Clark

Celery Root-Parsnip Latkes Recipe (1)

Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(324)
Notes
Read community notes

Noah Bernamoff serves his classic latkes at Mile End Deli in Brooklyn all year long. At Hanukkah, he breaks out the variations. Celery root and parsnip replace potato in this version, the sweetness of the parsnips tempered by the grassiness of the celery root. Mr. Bernamoff suggests topping these with horseradish cream. —Melissa Clark

Featured in: Hanukkah’s New Tastes, Still Rooted in Tradition

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Ingredients

Yield:About 4 dozen latkes

  • 1pound celery root, peeled and grated
  • 1pound parsnips, peeled and grated
  • 1medium onion, peeled and grated
  • cups matzo meal
  • ¾cup chopped Italian parsley
  • 5large eggs
  • 1tablespoon kosher salt, more for serving
  • ¾teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • Safflower oil

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (48 servings)

29 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 1 gram protein; 68 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Celery Root-Parsnip Latkes Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Place grated celery root, parsnips and onion in a large bowl. Sprinkle in matzo meal and toss mixture together with your hands. Add parsley, eggs, salt and pepper and combine again using your hands until ingredients are incorporated.

  2. Step

    2

    Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high. Take a heaping tablespoon of the mixture and flatten between your palms. Fry latkes, without moving them, for 4 to 5 minutes, checking that they don’t over-brown. (You should be able to fry them in batches of 11 to 12, depending on pan size.) Flip latkes, turn heat down to medium-low and fry another 4 minutes, or until well browned and tender. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with additional salt. Serve warm.

Ratings

5

out of 5

324

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Tish

I've made these for a few years and they have become my favorite latkes: the vegetables make them more tasty and less starchy than the potato version. I cut the amount of matzo meal to about 3/4 cup, but found recipe was correct, that amount of salt really is needed. These freeze beautifully, uncooked, which makes them much easier to handle when cooking--and the kitchen is clean when you start frying.

Steph

These were a hit. No laborious straining, blotting, or messy squeezing of excess liquid as you do with regular potato latkes. They held together wonderfully and had a great flavor. Though I must admit (shhh...) that I opted to fry them in chicken fat rather than the safflower oil.

Hannah

Made these for Hannukah dinner (half the recipe, though) and used a sweet and savory rice cracker brand instead of matzo meal. They came out perfectly and were eaten up in one night. Now I'm rooting through the trash, looking for the packaging the rice crackers were in so I can make the same exact recipe next year. Some fancy-pants brand, I think...

Michelle in Denmark

Really yummy and a great way to use up those root veggies from the farm box. We used carrots instead of parsnips with no ill effect, and substituted some of the parsley with minced green onion tips. Hubby thinks these taste better than potato latkes, and I agree. Be aware this makes an army-size portion of latkes!

Michelle

That's because you used potatoes! Potatoes give off a lot of liquid. If you had followed the recipe, you wouldn't have had the problem!

Kim

Absolutely delicious. I played with the recipie a bit and combined celery root with russets, and pulsed it twice through the food processor to get the pancakes finer. I also used flour and two eggs as a binder. For cooking I used ghee as its healthier than most other oils.

Edna

Rutabaga (from CSA)Parsnip (from CSA)Panko instead of matzo meal

Alicia H.

Wow! Only thing I would do differently next time is a bit more black pepper in the mix. Very tasty.

Karen

1 C matzo meal, make small so they fry quickly. Make 4 dozen!!! Freeze before frying.

Jennie

These were delicious! We couldn't find matzo meal, so we we used water crackers ground in the food processor.

how it worked

Wonderful flavor! Ground up a box of Glutino "original" crackers in lieu of the matzo meal to make these gluten-free; seemed to work fine

Paul

Just delicious, followed the recipe except I did have regular onions so I substituted with green onions.One suggestion, cook them on medium-low so the vegetables soften while browning. My hat to the chef

Lisa

This recipe is amazing and so healthy! It’s my new go-to latke recipe. Thank you for introducing me to celery root / celeriac!

Ruth

Should I defrost them before frying, if I freeze some? Pleasantly surprised and great way to use CSA veggies. Made 2/5 of the recipe like another commenter to use 2 eggs: ~13oz celery root + parsnip + rutabaga, 1 very small onion, 1/2 cup matzo meal, 1/3 cup parsley, 3/4 tsp Morton kosher salt. Used an ice cream scoop to measure. Cooked ~10 and froze ~10 for another day.

David B.

Excellent alternative to traditional potato latkes. Everyone loved them and was surprised when I said they were potato-free!

Linda

I met 2/5 of the recipe in order to use 2 eggs. Still made about 16 silver dollar sized latkes. Definite cohesion problem but still tasty even the crispy shreds.

christina

Just wow. So delicious. I also mixed and matched veggies (1 celery root, 1 lb turnips, and 1 straggler parsnip). They were packed with flavor.

Anne

We tried this last night and are disappointed. All the measurements are off: 2 pounds of shredded root vegetables yields enough latkes to serve 8-10 people. Far more eggs are needed to moisten the mix, and it needs quite a bit of salt, pepper, and even a bit of cayenne pepper to engage the senses. These soak up a lot of oil (we used olive oil), and are prone to burning, Serve with yogurt or sour cream or labne… tasty, but the recipe needs improvement.

Kat Hughes

What can I use as substitute for matzo meal?

terry94705

Forgot to halve this and ended up with a huge batch of batter. So the next day I pulled out my underused appliance and WAFFLED IT for lunch. Worked very nicely. About 8 minutes in my proctor silex Belgian waffle maker.

Barbara

Best ever. Never another potato latke in this kitchen! Followed recipe to the dot. Having no matzo, made my own. So easy, much nuttier fresh taste than purchased. Forget draining on paper towels: these were so greaseless that we tossed them back as they came off griddle - just a bit of sour cream or yogurt. Such a mass of veggies: for easier mixing, combine eggs, salt, pepper and parsley before adding to veggies. Leftovers? Duck fat fried latkes for dinner. Thanks, Steph, for schmaltz tip.

Edna

Rutabaga (from CSA)Parsnip (from CSA)Panko instead of matzo meal

foodie

I made these today exactly as written with one exception: I had no matzoh meal on hand so subbed one-for-one with panko bread crumbs. Really delicious! The family loved these. They didn’t need as much oil to fry them up as the potato variety. A great twist benefit of more fiber. These will be my new go-to when I’m craving latkes but would rather avoid the starchier potato variety - thank you, Melissa!

saintsavory

Better than potato! And kids loved them.

trish

Made these tonight subbing plain bread crumbs for matzo meal. They were delicious. This is a recipe I will return to.

McMarie

I made this dish with some intentional and accidental substitutions: rutabaga instead of celery root, rice cracker meal instead of matzah, cilantro instead of parsley, This was my first time making latkes. They were outstandingly delicious! I did freeze a lot (uncooked) so I can look forward to more tomorrow! Thanks for the recipe!

Sarah

These were both easier and faster than traditional potato latkes. My husband and even some potato-loving friends agreed. I think these will become my staple.

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Celery Root-Parsnip Latkes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is celeriac better for you than potato? ›

Celeriac can also serve as an alternative to potatoes for people who are trying to reduce their calorie or carbohydrate intake. According to the USDA, one cup of boiled celeriac pieces contains 42 calories and 9.14 g of carbohydrate. The same amount of boiled potatoes provides 134 calories and 31.2 g of carbohydrate.

Can I use celery root instead of celery? ›

While their appearances are wildly different, celery and celery root are very closely related botanically. Does this mean they can be used interchangeably in cooking? The short answer is no.

Is celery root the same as celeriac? ›

Celeriac, also known as celery root, is the bulb of a celery plant – but a different variety than the celery we're used to, with its bright, crispy stalks so necessary for soups, stocks, and salads.

What is celeriac called in america? ›

Celeriac (Apium graveolens var. rapaceum), also called celery root, knob celery, and turnip-rooted celery (although it is not a close relative of the turnip), is a variety of celery cultivated for its edible stem or hypocotyl, and shoots.

Does celeriac make you gassy? ›

Celery root is high in fiber, which can sometimes be tough on your stomach and cause gas. If you're not used to eating high-fiber foods, start with a small amount of celeriac before you serve it as a side dish or substitute it for potatoes.

Is celeriac anti inflammatory? ›

Celeriac is packed with antioxidants (which can help fight inflammation), vitamins and minerals. When raw, it is an excellent source of vitamin K, as well as vitamin B6, vitamin C, phosphorous, magnesium and calcium. It is low in carbs and high in fiber, which can help support a healthy heart and gut.

Why do chefs use celeriac? ›

Because celeriac is actually pretty special. Raw, celeriac has fantastic crunch and a super nutty, celery-like flavour that makes it perfect for salads and slaws.

Does celery root need to be peeled? ›

In this recipe it adds to the 'zombie brain' look, but if you cooking something a bit more refined you might want to take it off so it looks better. Also, many celeriac recipes involved mashing it, in which case taking the skin off aids that process.

What is the flavor of celeriac? ›

What is celeriac? The unsung hero of the vegetable world, knobbly, odd-shaped celeriac has a subtle, celery-like flavour, with nutty overtones. Try it as mash, in big-flavoured, slow-cook dishes, or in its classic form, and as they do in France, as a remoulade.

Does celeriac taste like potato? ›

Celeriac is an underrated vegetable with a nutty, celery-like flavour. It adds substance to dishes in the same way as potato and makes an ideal healthy substitute. When mashed, celeriac goes light and fluffy and has a great taste and texture.

What is the closest vegetable to celeriac? ›

Kohlrabi is high in calcium and magnesium, making it a healthy substitute for celeriac. It is similar in texture and appearance to celery root, whether cooked or raw. Kohlrabi has a flavor similar to cabbage and can be slightly peppery.

Does celery root taste like potatoes? ›

Once cooked, celery root has a very creamy texture, again similar to a creamer potato. The flavour is mildly-celery, with a very sweet and nutty taste that pairs incredibly well with savoury dishes. It's light, it's bright, it's the best mashed potatoes you'll ever have – and it's not even potatoes.

Is celeriac good or bad for you? ›

What are the health benefits? Celeriac is a source of potassium, which helps keep our blood pressure healthy. It's also a source of folate, which we need to make the red blood cells that transport oxygen around our body.

Does celeriac taste like turnip? ›

It has an earthy taste with a slight hint of celery flavor. The texture is close to a turnip or potato. Celeriac isn't just tasty, it also has some great health benefits. It's high in fiber and various vitamins and minerals.

What is the nickname for celeriac? ›

Celeriac is also known as turnip-rooted celery or knob celery.

Can celeriac replace potatoes? ›

Celery root can be eaten raw, boiled, and mashed as a mashed potato substitute, roasted, fried into French fries, or made into a serving of homemade “potato” chips.

What is the healthiest alternative to potatoes? ›

Use a whole grain such as quinoa, bulgur, couscous or brown rice in place of your potato. You can also add a whole grain roll where your potato would normally be. Whole grains contain fiber, which can help you feel full, lower blood sugar levels and may help lower cholesterol.

Can I use celeriac instead of potato? ›

Celeriac is an underrated vegetable with a nutty, celery-like flavour. It adds substance to dishes in the same way as potato and makes an ideal healthy substitute. When mashed, celeriac goes light and fluffy and has a great taste and texture.

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