It's winter so I find myself eating more soups and stews. They can be so good on a cold day.

But IMO celery tastes horrible and only subtracts from the flavor of soup by covering up other flavors. Why is it such a common ingredient? Do people actually like enjoy or is it serving some other purpose?

(Yes I avoid it in other foods too. Not to go off topic but water chestnuts are a fantastic substitute if you like the crunch. Try them instead of celery next time you make stuffing.)

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[–] 9 points 10 months ago (1 child)

I like celery, but am really interested to learn the answer here. The other ingredient that gets added to everything is onions. Fwiw I know the answer to that one: they're full of sugar. "First, soften some onions..." is basically a way of adding sweetness to food

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 10 months ago

    Yep and when those onion sugars caramelize, which adds a ton of flavor complexity. That one makes immediate sense to me. I actually like to add onions at various stages of soupmaking (for some recipes) so you get a variety of pungency and sweetness.

    Celery though? I taste the same flavor whether it's raw or cooked to mush.

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