Celery leaves: 5 zero-waste recipes so you don't throw them away

Quando utilizziamo il sedano in cucina siamo abituati a concentrarci soprattutto sui gambi, mentre le foglie finiscono spesso nel cestino. In realtà Celery leaves are edible, aromatic, and rich in flavor e possono essere utilizzate in tante preparazioni, dalle ricette più semplici ai condimenti.

Il loro gusto è intenso e leggermente più deciso rispetto a quello del gambo, caratteristica che le rende perfette per insaporire piatti, preparare salse e pesto oppure diventare protagoniste di ricette sfiziose.

Discover how to use celery leaves in the kitchen with 5 simple and tasty recipes and give new life to a part of the vegetable that is too often wasted.

Can celery leaves be eaten?

Sì, Celery leaves are edible e possono essere utilizzate proprio come il resto dell’ortaggio. Hanno un sapore aromatico e intenso e, grazie alla loro consistenza più delicata rispetto ai gambi, possono essere consumate sia crude sia cotte.

The more tender leaves are particularly suitable for adding to salads, sauces, and dressings, while the slightly firmer ones can be used to prepare broths, soups, omelets, and other recipes.

Before using them, it is important to select the leaves: discard the withered, yellowed or damaged ones and keep the fresh, green and intact ones.

Zero Waste Tip: when you buy a bunch of celery, do not automatically separate the leaves from the stalks to then throw them away. You can store them together and decide later how to use them, turning them into a real ingredient.

Foglie e gambi di sedano: qual è la differenza?

Il sedano è un ortaggio particolarmente versatile perché ogni sua parte può trovare un utilizzo in cucina.

I celery stalks They have a crunchy texture and a fresh, aromatic flavor. They are excellent raw, in salads or with oil and salt, but also as a base for soffritti, sauces, soups, and broths.

Le celery leaves, invece, sono più tenere e hanno un sapore più intenso. Proprio per questo sono perfette per aggiungere aroma alle preparazioni senza dover utilizzare grandi quantità.

Non esiste quindi una parte “da usare” e una parte “da buttare”: con un po’ di creatività è possibile valorizzare l’intero ortaggio e ridurre gli sprechi in cucina.

Proprietà e caratteristiche delle foglie di sedano

Come il resto dell’ortaggio, anche le foglie di sedano sono caratterizzate da un’elevata presenza di acqua e da un contenuto calorico contenuto. Apportano inoltre fibre e diversi micronutrienti, tra cui vitamine e sali minerali.

Among the vitamins present we find the vitamin A, important for the maintenance of skin and vision, and vitamin K, involved in normal blood clotting processes and bone maintenance. The leaves also contain plant compounds naturally present in celery, including flavonoids and other substances with antioxidant activity.

Il loro valore, però, non è soltanto nutrizionale: utilizzare le foglie significa soprattutto make the most of a food that is often considered waste, transforming it into a resource for new recipes.

5 Zero Waste Recipes with Celery Leaves

After cleaning and selecting them, it is time to take them into the kitchen. Here are 5 ideas for using celery leaves and turning them into simple, tasty, and zero-waste recipes.

1. Celery leaf and sesame croquettes

Let's start with the croquette recipe, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, perfect as an appetizer, finger food, or an original side dish.

To prepare them you need 200 g di fiocchi d’avena, 150 g di semi di sesamo tostati, un mazzo di sedano con le foglie, mezzo bicchiere di latte vegetale, un cucchiaino di curcuma, un cucchiaio di olio extravergine d’oliva, sale e pepe.

Separate the leaves from the stalks and steam the latter for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, coarsely chop the oat flakes until you obtain a rustic flour. Combine the cooked and chopped stalks, the chopped celery leaves, the turmeric, the oil, the plant-based milk, the salt, and the pepper. Mix until you get a soft but easily workable mixture, adding more oat flour if necessary.

Shape the mixture into small croquettes with your hands and roll them in toasted sesame seeds. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle with a little oil, and bake at 200°C per circa 15-20 minuti, until they are golden brown.

2. Celery Leaf Pesto

Celery leaves are perfect for making a flavorful and unique pesto, which is ideal when you're looking for a sauce that's a little different from the usual.

Wash and dry the leaves thoroughly, then blend them together with mandorle o pinoli, parmigiano, olio extravergine d’oliva, sale e qualche goccia di succo di limone. If the mixture is too thick, add a little oil until you reach the desired consistency.

You can use celery leaf pesto to dress pasta, serve with croutons and bruschetta, or enrich vegetables, potatoes, and grains.

3. Crispy baked celery leaves

Se cerchi un’idea sfiziosa, prova a trasformare le foglie di sedano in uno snack croccante.

Wash and dry the leaves very well, then dress them with a drizzle of olio extravergine d’oliva, sale e pepe. Arrange them on a baking sheet without overlapping them and bake them in the oven at 180°C per pochi minuti, checking them frequently: being thin, they can brown quickly.

Once crispy, you can serve them as a snack, use them to garnish soups and cream soups, or crumble them directly over your dishes to add an aromatic and crunchy touch.

4. Frittata with celery leaves

Un’idea semplice per portare in tavola le foglie di sedano è utilizzarle per preparare una frittata saporita.

Finely chop the leaves after washing and drying them. In a bowl, beat the eggs with grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper, quindi aggiungi le foglie di sedano. Versa il composto in una padella con un filo d’olio e cuoci a fuoco medio fino a quando la frittata sarà ben rappresa. Girala con l’aiuto di un piatto e completa la cottura anche dall’altro lato.

You can enrich it with potatoes, zucchini, or other ingredients you already have on hand: a simple solution for creating a clean-out-the-fridge recipe and further reducing waste.

5. Vegetable broth with celery leaves and stalks

Celery leaves are also a valuable ingredient for making a good vegetable broth, especially when you want to make use of parts of the vegetables that normally risk being discarded.

Collect celery leaves and stalks, add carrots, onions, and any other vegetables you have on hand, and place everything in a pot with cold water. Slowly bring to a boil and let it simmer for about 40–50 minutes. Strain the broth and use it to make risotto, soups, or to cook grains and pasta.

È una ricetta semplice, ma estremamente versatile: puoi anche preparare una quantità maggiore di brodo e conservarlo in frigorifero per utilizzarlo nei giorni successivi oppure congelarlo già suddiviso in piccole porzioni.

A tip for Zero Waste

Even the ends of cucumbers and small trimmings left over during preparation can find new life in the kitchen. Add them to smoothies, juices, or infused waters along with lemon, ginger, and mint: you'll get a fresh and thirst-quenching drink, perfect for warmer days.

Ricorda inoltre che, se utilizzi cetrioli biologici o ben lavati, anche la buccia può diventare un ingrediente prezioso per tante ricette, evitando così inutili sprechi.

More Zero Waste ideas and recipes

• The celery è il protagonista della nostra Cereal Soup, una Bontà Classica da gustare tutto l’anno.
• Don't throw out the carrot peels: use them to prepare a sweet cake or a delicious hummus.
• I cabbage stalks black can be used to prepare a delicate pesto, perfect for flavoring a first course or topping a bruschetta.
• If you are looking for more recipes Zero wastes visit the dedicated section.