Celery and Carrot Tossed with Sesame Recipe - Viet World Kitchen (2024)

By Andrea Nguyen

A couple of weeks ago while I was in Los Angeles, we went for lunch at the Beijing Pie House in Monterey Park (a Mecca for excellent Chinese food in America). My husband Rory and I started things off with silken tofu garnished with soy sauce and scallion and an order of celery with peanuts. On the face of things, these dishess may seem boring but in reality, they awaken your palate.

At a snack shop like Beijing Pie House, such side dishes prepare you for the onslaught of hearty dumplings, pan-fried meat pies, and noodle dishes. It was a hot afternoon and the savory smooth tofu and the delicately dressed crisp celery were perfect partners.

The tofu came out quickly but the kitchen took a while to make the celery salad. I wondered why didn’t they already have it done and ready to dish up? It was just blanched vegetables tossed in a few seasonings. The waiter explained that each order was made on the spot.

Aha! It’s a dead simple preparation, totally a la minute. So I gave it a whirl after we returned home and came up with my own rendition, spiked with nutty sesame oil and ground Sichuan peppercorn. Beijing Pie House used mostly celery and few pieces of carrot and some boiled peanuts, coating everything in a touch of sugar, salt, and vegetable oil. The peanuts didn’t add much so I upped the carrot. I also amped up the seasonings.

It took me all of 10 minutes to make the crisp, cooling, and colorful combination. Letting the vegetables soak for a couple minutes in just-boiled water is my way to effectively monitor and control the cooking. You don’t want limp celery and carrot. This is easy breezy cooking, perfect for summer.

Recipe

Celery and Carrot Tossed with Sesame

Instead of the sesame oil, use chile oil or go neutral with canola or vegetable oil. This is a recipe that can easily be doubled.

Yield: 2 servings as a nibble or side

  • 4 large ribs celery, cut on the diagonal into thin pieces, each a generous ⅛ inch thick and 3 inches long
  • 3 inches carrot, halved lengthwise and cut into thin piece, about half the thickness of the celery
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 pinches ground, toasted Sichuan peppercorns

Instructions

  1. Put the celery and carrot into a bowl. Bring half a kettle of water to a boil, turn off the heat. After the boiling subsides, pour enough water over the vegetables to cover. Set aside for 2 minutes, until you can bend a piece of celery so the ends nearly touch.
  2. Drain the vegetables, flush with cold water, and set aside to drain. Wipe the bowl dry, then stir together the salt, sugar and sesame oil in the bowl; don’t worry about dissolving the sugar and salt. Shake excess water from the vegetables before adding them to the bowl. Stir to coat. Set aside for a couple of minutes to develop the flavor. Taste and add extra salt or sugar.
  3. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle on the Sichuan peppercorn. Serve.

More hot-weather salads

  • Spicy Vietnamese Vegetarian Cabbage Salad (Goi Bap Cai)
  • Green Papaya Salad with Beef Jerky (Goi Du Du Kho Bo)
  • Vegan Green Papaya Salad (Goi Du Du Chay)
  • Thai Melon Salad
  • Asian Herb Rice Salad (Nasi Ulam)
  • Grilled Beef and Jicama Salad
  • Chilled Cucumber and Garlic (on Asian Dumpling Tips)

More Recipes: All

  • Vietnamese Bolognese (Bo Kho Meat Sauce)
  • Hawaiian Tofu Watercress Salad Recipe
  • Vietnamese Chile Sauce Recipe (Tuong Ot Vietnam)
  • Persimmon Spice Cookies
Celery and Carrot Tossed with Sesame Recipe - Viet World Kitchen (7)
Celery and Carrot Tossed with Sesame Recipe - Viet World Kitchen (8)
Celery and Carrot Tossed with Sesame Recipe - Viet World Kitchen (9)
Join the crew! Subscribe to my newsletter:
PASS THE FISH SAUCE

Celery and Carrot Tossed with Sesame Recipe - Viet World Kitchen (10)

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Yun Ho

    Hi Andrea:
    This recipes sounds very refreshing!! I will e-mail you cold cucumber-wakame soup recipe that you can add to your hot weather salad(?)recipes.

  2. Andrea Nguyen

    I'd love the recipe, Yun Ho! That sounds lovely. I have lots of wakame seaweed.

  3. Biki

    I made this with some char siu in steamed buns, think asian sliders. We went nuts over this salad, and have made it twice in the last 5 days. Hubby adores it, he told me that this is something he wants to see on his plate more often. yummmmmmmm

  4. Stephanie

    This was really good in a rice bowl with Korean beef and spicy broccoli.

    • Andrea Nguyen

      Thanks!

  5. Stephanie

    I literally just referenced your dumpling book for a quarantine project later in the week but was looking online for a simple Chinese celery and carrot salad for tonight - how delighted I was to find your recipe! I'll be making it tonight to go with Fuchsia Dunlop's ma po tofu. Hope you stay well - I always enjoy reading your newsletters so please keep 'em coming.

    • Andrea Nguyen

      Well, I'm extra happy that you found this little recipe to go along with the dumplings from the book. It's like a double whammy for me to know that I can help folks who have my book and also use this site. HOOOOORAY!

Celery and Carrot Tossed with Sesame Recipe - Viet World Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What is it called when you saute onions, carrots, and celery? ›

The French flavor base called mirepoix is a combination of onion, carrot and celery generally cut to the same size. It's used in a ratio that's 2 parts onion to 1 part celery and carrot. Saute in Butter.

What is mirepoix blend? ›

French mirepoix is made with celery, onions, and carrots. The traditional ratio is 1:2:1 (one part celery, two parts onions, and one part carrots). The trio serves as the foundation for many Western soups, stews, and sauces.

What is the ratio for mirepoix? ›

Usually the vegetable mixture is onions, carrots, and celery (either common 'Pascal' celery or celeriac), with the traditional ratio being 2:1:1—two parts onion, one part carrot, and one part celery.

What's the difference between soffritto and mirepoix? ›

The difference between sofrito and mirepoix is that sofrito uses tomatoes, bell pepper, and garlic while mirepoix does not. Sofrito is also fried in olive oil while mirepoix is traditionally slowly cooked in butter. You can also expect to find herbs added to sofrito but not in mirepoix.

What takes longer to saute carrots or celery? ›

Hard vegetables such as sweet potatoes and carrots can take 10-15 minutes to cook. Medium-firm vegetables like onions and celery usually take 6-8 minutes to cook.

Do you peel carrots for mirepoix? ›

For a classic mirepoix, use 2 parts onion to 1 part carrot and 1 part celery. Rinse, trim, and peel the vegetables. Chop them into uniform pieces. The shorter the cooking time of your recipe, the smaller the pieces should be, so that they effectively infuse the foods with flavor.

What is a mirepoix in English? ›

a flavoring made from diced vegetables, seasonings, herbs, and sometimes meat, often placed in a pan to cook with meat or fish. finely chopped vegetables, as onions and carrots, sometimes with meat, often used as a bed for meat that is to be braised.

What is the difference between mirepoix and the Holy Trinity? ›

The holy trinity is the Cajun and Louisiana Creole variant of mirepoix; traditional mirepoix is two parts onions, one part carrots, and one part celery, whereas the holy trinity is typically one or two parts onions, one part green bell pepper, and one part celery.

What is the Mexican mirepoix? ›

Sofrito is like the mirepoix of French cooking. Simple and easy, sofrito consists of sautéing diced garlic, vegetables and spices/herbs in olive oil on medium to high heat and used to season certain dishes.

What is a good substitute for mirepoix? ›

Battuto or Soffritto, Italy

Italian Battuto—as the Italian flavor base is called before it is cooked and becomes a soffritto—is kissing cousins to France's mirepoix. It starts with the same foundation of onions, carrots, and celery.

What is the Italian version of mirepoix? ›

Italians refer to the mirepoix, a mixture of diced carrots, celery, and onions, as soffritto.

What is Trader Joe's mirepoix? ›

Mirepoix is simply a ready-to-use blend of some basic ingredients—carrots, onions, & celery—just about every cook uses. Here, these three common ingredients have been washed, peeled, and—most importantly—chopped into a ready-to-use size, layered, and packaged in a recyclable, see-through tub.

How does mirepoix add flavor to the stock? ›

Mirepoix consists of diced carrot, celery and onion. It is sautéed briefly or left to caramelize before liquid is added. Cook it gently and the delicate flavor of the vegetables will perfume your dish. Cook the vegetables until they darken, and your dish will develop nuanced flavor and rich color.

Can you add garlic to mirepoix? ›

Mirepoix is diced onions, carrots, and celery. I often add its adjunct friend, garlic. Cupboard Quarantine Cooks: Here's how to make stuff taste good.

What is the Mexican version of mirepoix? ›

Sofrito is like the mirepoix of French cooking. Simple and easy, sofrito consists of sautéing diced garlic, vegetables and spices/herbs in olive oil on medium to high heat and used to season certain dishes.

What is sauteing in cooking vegetables? ›

Sautéing is a cooking technique which derives its name from the French verb for jumping. Sauté is a dry-heat cooking method, which involves cooking a small amount of fat in a hot pan while tossing ingredients around.

What is the Holy Trinity in Italian cooking? ›

Onions, celery, and carrots are considered “the holy trinity” for good reason: When cooked low-and-slow in olive oil, their combined flavors form an umami-packed, versatile base for any number of dishes.

What is the Holy Trinity when cooking? ›

To those who worship at the church of Louisiana cuisine, onions, peppers, and celery are their Holy Trinity. Together, these simple yet flavorful ingredients make the base of Cajun and Creole cuisine. This also makes it the foundation of the perfect menu for a New Orleans wedding or event.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Mr. See Jast

Last Updated:

Views: 6269

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (75 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Mr. See Jast

Birthday: 1999-07-30

Address: 8409 Megan Mountain, New Mathew, MT 44997-8193

Phone: +5023589614038

Job: Chief Executive

Hobby: Leather crafting, Flag Football, Candle making, Flying, Poi, Gunsmithing, Swimming

Introduction: My name is Mr. See Jast, I am a open, jolly, gorgeous, courageous, inexpensive, friendly, homely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.