Celery. The most popular green vegetable for countless healthy and savory dishes. Replacing it with an identical vegetable is difficult but not impossible.
If you're looking for the best celery substitute to save your recipe, you've come to the right place. I've gathered some of the best celery-based and non-celery alternatives you could use for your dish.
But before we dive into that, let's get to know this versatile vegetable first.
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Understanding Celery
Celery belongs to the same vegetable family as hemlock, known as umbellifers. This family consists of numerous poisonous plants. Thankfully (and unsurprisingly), celery is completely harmless to us.
In fact, eating celery benefits us since it contains "negative calories." That means you burn more calories than what you gain from the vegetable.
Here are all the other things you need to know about celery.
What's Celery?
Even though we mostly use celery for its stalks, it's actually an aromatic flowering plant. Aside from its poisonous relatives, celery comes from the same family as chervil, parsley, fennel, and dill.
It's been an integral part of human civilization, used for garlands, sporting contests, and medicine dating as far back as 4,000 B.C.
What Does Celery Taste Like?
Celery's mild flavor, slightly bitter taste, and crunchy texture make it an excellent ingredient for countless cooked dishes.
Like other vegetables, celery also provides a grassy and earthy flavor, but one thing that differentiates it from the rest is its slightly nutty taste.
Best Celery-Based Substitutes
The stalks are perhaps the most popular part of celery. If you're mostly looking for a similar flavor, you can use some celery-based substitutes.
1. Celery Salt
You can use celery salt to replace celery stalks and achieve a similar flavor profile. However, this would reduce the crunchy texture you want for your dish.
It's a mixture of celery seed, salt, and oleoresins. Despite the additional ingredients, celery salt tastes just like celery stalks.
You can mix it on your own using the above ingredients, but several brands also sell them in small jars.
If you use this substitute, reduce the kosher salt you must add to the recipe since you'd already get some from celery salt.
Best for sauces, soups, stews, and stir-fries.
Check out other Substitutes for Celery Salt here.
2. Ground Celery Seeds
For the same reason above, celery seeds will also work as substitutes for stalks. You get the same flavor profile but without the crunchy texture of the stalks.
One advantage of having this in stock is its long shelf life (significantly longer than fresh celery stalks). However, since they're seeds, they tend to have a stronger bitter taste than stalks.
Several brands sell them in jars. The ratio of using it as a substitute for celery stalks depends on how strong you want the celery flavor in your recipe.
Best for potato salad, casseroles, stews, and soups.
3. Celeriac
Celeriac is the root of celery, but it's not the root of every celery. Confusing? Let me explain.
We specifically grow celery for its stalks and leaves. However, there is one version of celery that we grow as a root vegetable, which means we harvest it for its roots.
The large, bulbous root has a similar flavor profile as the stalks, but the nutty flavor is more intense and noticeable.
Nonetheless, celeriac or celery root is an excellent substitute for celery because, aside from the flavor, it also gives dishes a crunchy texture.
The only downside is that you must use it immediately to preserve freshness. Use it as a substitute for celery in a 1:1 ratio.
Best for anything you'd want to use celery on.
Try it on this Maine Lobster Rolls recipe.
Other Celery Substitutes
If you run out of celery or want to replace it for whatever reason, here are some non-celery substitutes you can use for your dish.
1. Fennel Stalks
Chopped fennel stalks look just like chopped celery stalks. You already know what that means; you can almost always use them interchangeably!
Aside from appearance, the flavor profile, when raw and cooked, is also similar, and you get the same crunchiness.
However, fennel seeds, stalks, or bulbs add a licorice flavor to your dish, so make sure this is something you're not bothered with.
Best for salads, stir-fries, and soups.
2. Chinese Cabbage
Chinese cabbage, otherwise known as tender baby bok choy, is an excellent substitute for celery because of its mild flavor and slightly earthy taste.
It's also a crunchy veggie, except it turns soft when cooked. Even though they're a bit darker than celery, bok choy will provide a green color to your dish.
However, you will probably only find this in Asian markets. Use this as a substitute for celery in a 1:1 ratio.
Best for soups and stir-fries.
Try adding it to this Air Fryer Fried Rice recipe.
3. Green Bell Pepper
We use green bell peppers for just about anything, and luckily, we can add "celery substitute" to that list. It's a staple in Cajun cuisine, but its mild flavor blends smoothly with many recipes from other cuisines.
However, the main reason you can use it as a substitute for celery is its crunchiness. The flavor profile, on the other hand, is quite different.
Green bell peppers taste sweeter than celery, and the earthy flavor is almost unnoticeable. They become significantly softer when cooked, so you may want to add them raw if you want a more crunchy dish.
One advantage green bell pepper has over celery is that it's widely available in grocery stores and supermarkets.
Use it as a substitute in a 1:1 ratio, but only use half the amount if you don't want it to alter the overall taste of your dish.
Best for salads, stir-fries, fresh dishes, and sautéed dishes.
4. Green Apple
Who would've thought green apples work as substitutes for celery? It's not an exact alternative since their flavor profiles are vastly different.
However, the crunchiness and sweet taste it provides to your recipe work for snacks, smoothies, and salads (especially chicken, tuna, and potato salads!).
I love this substitute because it's widely accessible and provides tremendous health benefits. Just be sure you don't mind the slightly sour taste.
Use it as a substitute in very specific dishes in a 1:1 ratio.
Best for smoothies, stuffing, snacks, and salads.
This should help you make the Perfect Sausage Stuffing for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
5. Green Onion
Green onions are very different from celery in so many aspects. They provide a sweet and onion-like flavor and are significantly softer than celery.
However, green onions complement almost every ingredient you could imagine, allowing you to enhance the flavor of your recipe.
Therefore, I've decided you can replace celery with this vegetable in almost every dish. Start small by adding ¼ of the required amount of celery and adjust based on taste.
Best for just about anything.
6. Radish
Radishes also make great alternatives if you want that signature crunchy vegetable in your recipe.
Despite growing on land, radishes have that same watery taste you want from celery. However, they also add hints of peppery taste and spicy flavor to your dish.
Moreover, radishes have bright red exteriors and are roundish instead of straight. Ergo, there would also be significant differences in appearance if you swap celery with this vegetable.
Use around ¾ of the required amount and adjust the proportions according to taste so you wouldn't be surprised by the spicy and peppery flavors.
Best for creamy salads and vegetable dips.
You may also use radish and other types of radishes as a Substitute for Horseradish.
7. Cucumber
Cucumbers are another substitute for that celery texture. On top of this, cucumbers taste earthy and watery, like what you'd expect from celery.
However, they have relatively high water content, so you may want to adjust the proportions of other liquid ingredients in your recipe (or avoid using this as a celery substitute in cooked dishes altogether).
Cucumbers will work fine for salads, dips, and other raw dishes. Use them to replace celery in a 1:1 ratio.
Best for dips, salads, and raw dishes.
8. Green Beans
Like celery and bell pepper, green beans are crunchy when raw but turn softer when cooked. It's an incredible substitute for celery because of its texture.
Another thing I love about it is it's widely available in countless stores nationwide and for a very low price! However, you have to be okay with the noticeable change in flavor.
Nonetheless, you get the same color and slight bitterness when you use green beans to replace celery in your recipe.
Use green beans to replace celery in a 1:1 ratio.
Best for soups, fried recipes, and meat stews.
Green beans should also help you make the best Air Fryer Green Bean Casserole.
How to Use a Celery Substitute
When choosing a substitute for celery, you must consider a few things to determine whether or not it works for your recipe.
Here are the three major factors you should look for.
The Crunch
One of the many things that popularized celery is its crunch factor. It doesn't matter if you're making a salad, stir-fry, or a snack.
Celery's crunchiness will enhance your overall experience when eating these types of food. Ergo, choose a substitute that will provide this crunchiness, especially if it's important in the recipe.
The Flavor
The unique celery flavor also plays a vital role in numerous recipes. Unfortunately, the best celery substitutes that will provide this do not have that crunch factor.
I suggest using celery salt or seeds to achieve the flavor and adding crunchy vegetables that blend well with your recipe to achieve the texture.
The Color
Lastly, you must consider the color celery adds to your recipe. The color usually determines how appetizing a dish is.
It's best to stick with substitutes that resemble the color of raw celery, like fennel, green bell pepper, and bok choy, especially if celery is a main ingredient in the recipe.
Celery Substitute FAQs
Celery salt, fennel, green bell pepper, and bok choy are some of the best substitutes for celery. It all depends on your recipe and celery's role in your dish.
Aside from taste and texture, celery provides numerous vitamins and minerals to make your dish healthier. That's why you must make it a point to replace it with a highly nutritious substitute.
Yes, but instead of trying to match the amount of celery in the recipe, you should try to replace the salt requirements with celery salt in a 1:1 ratio.
Any other celery-based seasoning should work fine in a recipe that calls for celery salt. On the other hand, herb seasonings like dill (or dill substitutes) parsley, and lovage (all of which belong to the same family as celery) are excellent celery salt substitutes.
Choosing the Best Celery Substitute
Whether you're making celery soup, rice dishes, or stews, finding a suitable celery substitute should be a breeze. Feel free to refer to the options above to save your recipe.
If there are other ingredients you want to replace, visit Also The Crumbs, Please for more culinary hacks and tips.
I'll make sure you never run out of alternatives for some of the most common and rarest ingredients we use in the kitchen.
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Recipe
Celery Substitute Recipe Card
Ingredients
Option 1 (Homemade Celery Salt)
- ¼ cup celery seeds
- ¼ cup kosher or sea salt
Option 2 (Fennel Stalks)
- 1 fennel stalk
Option 3 (Chinese Cabbage)
- 1 chinese cabbage
Instructions
Option 1 (Homemade Celery Salt)
- Grind the seeds using a blender or a food processor to make ground celery seeds.
- Transfer the ground seeds to a small bowl or container and mix it with kosher or sea salt.
- Use ¼ teaspoon of celery salt to replace 2 to 3 stalks in the recipe.
Option 2 (Fennel Stalks)
- Wash the fennels thoroughly to get rid of dirt and other impurities.
- Trim the fennels by cutting/separating the leaves from the stalks.
- Slice or chop the stalks, depending on what the recipe calls for.
- Use the sliced or chopped fennel stalks as a substitute in a 1:1 ratio.
Option 3 (Chinese Cabbage)
- Rinse the Chinese cabbage and remove damaged or wilted leaves from the stalk.
- Separate the remaining leaves (for other uses) and chop off the base by cutting the white portion at the bottom of the stalks.
- Slice or chop the stalks, depending on what the recipe calls for.
- Use the sliced or chopped Chinese cabbage stalks as a substitute in a 1:1 ratio.
Notes
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