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Most of the juice recipes on this site lean sweet. This one is the opposite, and honestly it’s my favourite kind of change of pace. Tomato celery juice is savoury, properly savoury, and it tastes a lot like the base of a Bloody Mary before anything stronger goes anywhere near it.
I started making it for the same reason you’re probably here: a glass of orange or apple juice is lovely, but it’s still a lot of sugar first thing. This one has around 70 calories per glass and about 9 grams of sugar, most of it naturally in the tomatoes. It’s hydrating, it’s cheap, and if you’ve got ripe tomatoes sitting around it takes ten minutes.
Why these ingredients work
There’s no magic in this glass, just a few everyday ingredients doing ordinary, useful things.
- Ripe tomatoes The lycopene, vitamin C and potassium. Lycopene is what makes tomatoes red, and your body absorbs more of it when the tomatoes are juiced rather than eaten whole.
- Celery Mostly water, but that water carries a little natural sodium alongside plenty of potassium. It gives the juice its savoury backbone and stops it tasting like watered-down tomato soup.
- Carrot A small one, for sweetness that doesn’t come from sugar. It rounds off the sharpness of the tomatoes and adds vitamin A.
- Lemon The squeeze that wakes the whole thing up. A little acidity lifts the tomato flavour and keeps the juice bright.
FAQ
Can I make this without a juicer?
Yes. The blender method in the recipe card does the job. Chop everything roughly, blend with a splash of water, then strain through a nut milk bag or fine-mesh sieve. You lose a little liquid to the pulp, but you gain fibre.
How many calories are in tomato celery juice?
This recipe makes two glasses and each one works out at about 70 calories and 9 grams of sugar. A typical shop-bought orange juice has more than double the sugar, so it’s a genuine swap if you’re watching your intake.
How long does homemade tomato juice keep?
Airtight in the fridge, drink it within 24 hours. The flavour dulls and the colour fades after that, and it settles as it sits, so give the bottle a shake before you pour.
More weight-loss juices: see the full weight-loss collection.
Tomato Celery Juice
Equipment
- 1 Juicer masticating or centrifugal
- 1 High-speed blender for the blender method
- 1 Nut milk bag or fine-mesh sieve to strain the blender version
- 2 Airtight glass bottles for storing
- 1 Budget cold press juicer a great value alternative
- 1 Budget blender a great value alternative
Ingredients
Juice base
- 4 medium ripe tomatoes, quartered
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 small carrot, scrubbed
- 1/2 lemon, peeled
To finish
- 1 pinch sea salt optional, to taste
- 1 pinch black pepper or cayenne optional, for a little heat
Instructions
Juicer method
- Wash the tomatoes, celery and carrot. Quarter the tomatoes and peel the lemon.
- Feed the tomatoes, celery and carrot through the juicer, alternating the celery with the softer tomato so nothing gets stuck.
- Stir in the lemon juice. Squeeze the peeled half over the finished juice, or feed it through the juicer with the rest.
- Season with salt and a pinch of black pepper if you like, then serve over ice.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight bottle in the fridge and drink within 24 hours. Shake well before drinking.
Blender method
- Roughly chop the tomatoes, celery and carrot and add to a blender with a splash of water.
- Blend on high for 45 to 60 seconds until completely smooth.
- Strain through a nut milk bag or fine-mesh sieve, pressing down to get every drop of liquid out.
- Stir in the lemon juice, season and serve over ice.
Easy to follow and the blender method worked perfectly for me.