Celery tops are completely edible and can be used in a surprising number of ways in your kitchen.
If you’ve been tossing celery leaves and thin upper stalks into the trash, you’re throwing away one of the most flavorful parts of the plant.
So what can you do with celery tops?
Quite a lot, actually, and once you learn how useful celery tops can be, you’ll never look at them the same way again.
In this post, we’ll explore the best ways to use celery tops, from cooking and garnishing to freezing and even regrowing them.
Let’s get to it.
What Can You Do With Celery Tops?
Celery tops can be used in tons of everyday cooking tasks, and here are the best ways to put them to work.
1. Use Celery Tops in Soups and Stocks
One of the most classic things you can do with celery tops is toss them into soups and stocks.
The leaves and tender upper stems carry the same earthy, slightly peppery flavor as the stalks, but in a more concentrated form.
That means celery tops add depth to broths without any extra chopping effort.
You can use celery tops in chicken noodle soup, vegetable soup, or a hearty beef stew.
If you’re making homemade stock, celery tops are basically a free flavor booster.
2. Chop Celery Tops Into Salads
Celery tops work beautifully in salads, especially tuna salad, chicken salad, and potato salad.
They bring a fresh, herbal note that’s a lot like parsley but with a gentle celery kick.
You can finely chop celery tops and stir them right in.
What can you do with celery tops if you want something lighter?
Try adding them raw to a green salad with apples and walnuts.
The crunch and the flavor of celery tops tie everything together nicely.
3. Blend Them Into Pesto and Sauces
Celery tops can stand in for basil or parsley in a homemade pesto.
Just blend celery tops with garlic, olive oil, nuts, and parmesan, and you’ve got a bright, earthy sauce for pasta.
You can also stir chopped celery tops into tomato sauce or a cream sauce for an extra layer of flavor.
This is a smart way to use celery tops because it uses up a large handful all at once.
More Ways to Use Celery Tops
Beyond soups and salads, there are even more practical ways to use celery tops in your daily cooking.
1. Make a Quick Celery Top Salt
Drying celery tops and grinding them with coarse salt gives you celery salt with zero waste.
Spread the leaves on a baking sheet and dry them in a low oven until crisp.
Then blitz them with salt in a blender or spice grinder.
What can you do with celery tops once they’re ground?
Sprinkle this salt on fries, eggs, popcorn, or bloody marys.
2. Freeze Celery Tops for Later
Celery tops freeze really well, so you can save them whenever you cook.
Just wash, dry, and chop the tops, then pop them into a freezer bag.
You can toss frozen celery tops straight into soups and stews whenever you need them.
This is one of the easiest ways to use celery tops without any pressure to cook them right away.
3. Use Celery Tops as a Garnish
Celery tops make a lovely, feathery garnish for all kinds of dishes.
You can scatter them over roasted vegetables, grain bowls, or even deviled eggs.
They add a pop of green and a subtle fresh flavor.
So the next time you’re wondering what can you do with celery tops, remember they’re just as pretty as they are practical.
4. Regrow Celery Tops in Water
If you want to get even more out of your celery, save the base and regrow it.
Place the base in a shallow bowl of water near a sunny window.
Within a week or two, new celery tops will start sprouting from the center.
This is a fun, low-effort way to use celery tops again and again.
5. Add Celery Tops to Smoothies and Juices
Celery tops blend smoothly into green smoothies and fresh juices.
They pair well with apple, cucumber, spinach, and ginger.
So if you’re health-conscious, celery tops are a great way to add nutrients without waste.
Are Celery Tops Safe to Eat?
Yes, celery tops are perfectly safe to eat, and they’re just as nutritious as the stalks.
They contain vitamins A, C, and K along with fiber and antioxidants.
The only real concern is pesticides, so give them a good rinse before using them.
Some people find the leaves slightly bitter, but cooking mellows that out.
So if you’re asking what can you do with celery tops, the answer is simple: eat them.
So, What Can You Do With Celery Tops?
Celery tops can be used in soups, salads, pesto, sauces, seasonings, smoothies, and even regrown on your windowsill.
They’re flavorful, nutritious, and completely edible, so there’s no reason to toss them out.
Whether you freeze them for later or chop them fresh into tonight’s dinner, celery tops deserve a spot in your kitchen.
Hope this post has helped you discover what you can do with celery tops so you never waste them again.