Here is a handy guide on how to cut celery different ways, into fine dice, sticks, and chopped. Learn our useful tricks and tips.

Celery on cutting board being cut into sticks, slices and fine dice

Cutting Celery

Celery is a key aromatic in plenty of recipes. However, if you’ve ever been confronted with a bunch of celery and you’re wondering which part to remove and which part to eat, wonder no more! In this handy guide, we’ll take you through the best way to cut celery into four different shapes and sizes.

Knowing how to cut celery is a great skill for cooking and snacking alike. A well cut stick of celery can go into a lunchbox for a snack, or you can add diced celery for the crunch factor in a tasty salad.

Celery on cutting board being cut on a bias.

Why Learn How to Cut Celery?

Improve your cooking repertoire so you can make all kinds of recipes. Celery is a staple of home cooking. Cutting celery confidently opens up a world of options for your cooking.
Celery is great for lunchboxes and snacks. Slicing celery into sticks makes it easy to eat and fun for kids to top with peanut butter or cream cheese. Of course, celery sticks are a classic accompaniment to buffalo wings, too!
You’ll improve your knife skills. Knowing how best to use your quality chef’s knife is a valuable skill. With all the practise you’ll get from cutting celery, you’ll become a better, more efficient cook.

Celery stalk laying flat on working surface.

How to Wash Celery Before Cutting

You’ll want to wash your celery before you set about it with your knife.

Snap each celery rib from the base of the stalk. These should break off pretty easily.
Rinse the celery under the tap, using cool running water. Run your fingers along the inside of each rib, rubbing gently to remove any lingering dirt or debris.

2 image collage snapping a rib from the stalk and then brushing away dirt with finger under running water.

How To Cut Celery

Once you’ve washed your celery, it’s cutting time.

Below, we’ve compiled the four most popular, useful ways to cut your celery. These are snacking sticks, large chunks, small diced pieces, and thin or bias slices.

Cut Celery Root and Top

Place your rinsed celery ribs on your cutting board. Use a sharp knife to trim the large white stem.
Rotate your celery, trimming the tops off at the “knuckle” where the top joins the stalk. You can throw these out or keep them for making stock later.
Now you can cut the remaining piece of celery into sticks for snacking.
Line up the celery where the edges meet up evenly, cutting each rib in half or thirds. You can make the choice depending on your preferred length.

How To Cut Celery into Large Chunks

First, line up your celery pieces and slice into chunky pieces.
Move the knife down until it is cut all the way down to the end. These larger pieces of celery are great for using in stews and soups.

Dicing Celery

First, you’re going to cut the celery lengthwise three or four times, into thin strips. Use the tip of your chef’s knife to do this.
Next, rotate and line up the strips. Cross cut them into tiny pieces. These small bits of diced celery are perfect for soups, pasta sauces, salads, and jambalaya. This is probably the most versatile cut of celery you can make.

2 image collage showing a knife slicing a stalk of celery lengthwise and then chopping into small pieces on a white cutting board

How To Cut Celery on a Bias

If you want to add a bit of wow factor and fanciness to your celery, the bias cut is an absolute must-try.
Firstly, turn your celery at a 45-degree angle on the chopping board. This is much easier (and safer!) than trying to angle your knife. Your cutting motion will be straight, but your celery is at an angle, giving you a fancy, elongated diagonal cut.
Slice your celery ribs to the desired thickness along the angle, all the way down. This is a great cut for stir fries and salads.

Celery Cutting Tips

Always use a sharp knife and a steady cutting board. You need to use a sharp knife for two reasons. Firstly, it will provide clean, easy cutting through the tough celery. Secondly, it’s safer! Dull knives require more force when cutting, and can slip quite easily. Slipping leads to injury. You can secure your cutting board by placing a damp, wet towel underneath it on your countertop, which can prevent it from slipping around.
You’ll want to hold your ribs in place using your non-cutting hand. The idea here is to firmly place your hand on the celery, a few inches from where you’re cutting. Once you reach your hand, move it further down, and continue slicing. You’ll want to keep your fingers curled away from the blade at all times when holding the celery, or any food that you’re cutting.
You can use a vegetable peeler to remove the stringy, fibrous “veins” that run through raw celery. Cooking will break these down, but you can run a peeler along the outside to remove them if you like.
Save your scraps. Wash your root end and the leafy “branches” well and set aside. These aren’t good for eating, but make excellent aromatics when making vegetable or chicken stock. You can save them in a freezer bag with other veggies to turn into stock later.

How To Use Celery Leaves

You might be surprised to learn that celery leaves can have their culinary uses. Celery leaves might not be great to snack on or throw into a pasta, but you can use celery leaves for a variety of recipes. They’re pretty useful in stock, you can grind them up in homemade pesto, or add to the spread for garlic bread. They go great in a green smoothie or a soup, too.

How To Store Cut Celery

To store your cut celery pieces, simply submerge them in water in a sealed container and place in the refrigerator. This will sustain your celery’s crispness and prevent it from drying out.

It will keep for 1-2 weeks in water in the fridge.

Can I Freeze Cut Celery?

Frozen celery loses its texture, so only freeze your cut celery if you want to use it in soups, stocks, or casseroles.

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Print Recipe

How to Cut Celery

Here is a handy guide on how to cut celery different ways, into fine dice, sticks, and chopped. Learn our useful tricks and tips.

Author: chefjar

Prep Time5

Servings:

Calories: 5kcal

Ingredients

1 head of celery

Equipment

Sharp knife

Instructions

Snap each celery rib from the base of the stalk.
Rinse the celery under the tap, using cool running water. Run your fingers along the inside of each rib, rubbing gently to remove any lingering dirt or debris.
Place your rinsed celery ribs on your cutting board. Use a sharp knife to trim the large white stem.
Rotate your celery, trimming the tops off at the “knuckle” where the top joins the stalk. You can throw these out or keep them for making stock later.

For Sticks

Line up the celery where the edges meet up evenly, cutting each rib in half or thirds. You can make the choice depending on your preferred length.

For Larger Chunks

First, line up your celery pieces and slice into chunky pieces.
Move the knife down until it is cut all the way down to the end.

For Fine Dice

First, you’re going to cut the celery lengthwise three or four times, into thin strips. Use the tip of your chef’s knife to do this.
Next, rotate and line up the strips. Cross cut them into tiny pieces.

For Bias Slices

Firstly, turn your celery at a 45-degree angle on the chopping board. This is much easier (and safer!) than trying to angle your knife. Your cutting motion will be straight, but your celery is at an angle, giving you a fancy, elongated diagonal cut.
Slice your celery ribs to the desired thickness along the angle, all the way down.

Notes

To store your cut celery pieces, simply submerge them in water in a sealed container and place in the refrigerator. This will sustain your celery’s crispness and prevent it from drying out. It will keep for 1-2 weeks in water in the fridge.

Nutrition

Course: Cooking Tutorials

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cutting celery, how to cut celery, how to cut celery sticks, how to dice celery

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