Celery Stir Fry

This simple Japanese-style celery stir-fry recipe uses chili-infused oil and soy sauce to inject a ton of flavor into celery.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated March 17, 2022
Elise Bauer
Japanese-Style Celery Stir Fry

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

Celery. We take it for granted, don't we? It adds crunch to potato salads, and flavor to chicken stock and turkey stuffing; it's ever the bridesmaid, never the bride.

That's why I was intrigued when I saw a recipe for celery stir-fry in my friend Nancy Hachisu's Japanese Farm Food cookbook, a simple celery stir-fry with chili infused oil and soy sauce.

Such a simple preparation, and so so good. Try it!

Japanese-Style Celery Stir Fry in Chile-Infused Oil

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

5 More Vegetable Stir-Fry Recipes

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Celery Stir Fry

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 5 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Servings 6 servings

We found the best way to julienne the celery is to slice off the root end and any part of the celery beyond the main stalk. Cut the stalks in thirds, or if they are very long, quarters, and then cut each of those pieces in half lengthwise. This gives you a manageable, flat surface to slice into matchsticks.

Nancy's original recipe calls for using a high quality rapeseed oil (another name for canola oil) and/or light sesame oil. We added a little dark sesame oil at the finish which was just lovely, so you might want to try that too.

Recipe adapted from Nancy Hachisu's Japanese Farm Food.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons high-quality canola oil, rice bran oil, or other cooking oil

  • 3 small dried chile peppers, broken in half (can sub 1/8 teaspoon of red chili flakes)

  • 4 cups julienned celery (cut into pieces about 2 inches long)

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce (to taste)

  • 2 to 3 drops dark sesame oil (optional)

Method

  1. Heat the oil and chiles:

    Heat the oil and chiles in a wok or frying pan over high heat for 90 seconds, or until the chiles become fragrant and the seeds sizzle.

    Infusing stir-fry oil with chile in a wok

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
    stir frying celery in a wok

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
  2. Add the celery, soy, soy sauce, and optional sesame oil:

    Add the celery and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce and stir-fry one more minute. Drizzle with dark sesame oil (if using). Serve hot or at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
57 Calories
5g Fat
3g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 57
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 346mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 3g 1%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 2mg 11%
Calcium 34mg 3%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 215mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.