Celery Free Classic Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Few desserts hit quite like the sweet-tart combination of ripe strawberries and tangy rhubarb tucked inside a buttery, flaky double crust. The filling gets its glossy, jammy texture from tapioca starch rather than anything fussy, and a touch of lemon zest and cinnamon rounds out the flavor beautifully. Those of us avoiding celery and celery-derived ingredients can sometimes run into trouble with pre-made pie fillings and store-bought crusts that sneak in unexpected additives, but every single component here is made from scratch with straightforward, easy-to-verify ingredients. The homemade butter crust is built from flour, sugar, salt, and cold butter — nothing hidden, nothing to second-guess. Letting the fruit filling rest before it goes into the shell gives the tapioca time to hydrate and the juices time to release, which means a filling that slices cleanly instead of running everywhere. Baking the pie on a preheated sheet in the lower third of the oven ensures the bottom crust cooks through and turns properly golden rather than staying pale and soft. Give it the full two-hour rest after baking and you'll be rewarded with clean, gorgeous slices that taste every bit as good as they look.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
For the crust
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and chilled
- 6–8 tbsp ice water
For the filling
- 3 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 3 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into ½-inch pieces
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca starch
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
For the egg wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tbsp coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 tbsp sugar, and salt. Add the chilled butter cubes and work them into the flour using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining. Drizzle in ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork after each addition, until the dough just holds together when pressed — it should not be wet or sticky. Divide the dough into two equal discs, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- 2
In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, rhubarb, 3/4 cup sugar, tapioca starch, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Toss until the fruit is evenly coated. Let the filling sit for 15 minutes while you roll out the dough — the juices will begin to release and the tapioca will start to hydrate.
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