Suggestions for Celery Substitutes

Do you want to make a great soup, stew, salad, or sauce with a distinct flavor and crunch? Use celery. In practically every cuisine, celery is the most important element.

Celery has a subtle earthy and peppery flavor and a crisp texture. It may be eaten raw as a nutritious snack, pickled, in soups and stews, sautéed, roasted, or added to main meals.

Celery is a versatile vegetable that is essential in every kitchen. However, if you don’t like its flavor or have any on hand, you may substitute other vegetables.

Celery alternatives include fennel, celery root, bok choy, carrots, celery seeds, and some of the alternatives that have been discussed in this article.

The flavor may not be the same because each vegetable has its distinct flavor, but you may try and experiment for the best results. Let’s look at some different veggies that may be used as a celery alternative to enhance the flavor of your recipes.

Substitutes for Celery

Now, let’s look at the celery alternatives and utilize them correctly.

1. Fennel

Fennel has a texture comparable to celery but with a stronger flavor. It can be used in soups, stews, and other food preparations as a replacement. When fennel is cooked, it has a softer flavor comparable to celery.

2. Celeriac (celery root)

Celeriac is a celery-like root vegetable. It has a more earthy flavor than celery and may be used in soups, stews, and sauces. It may be used uncooked, although extremely thin slices are required.

3. Bok choy

Bok choy, often known as Chinese cabbage, is a vegetable used in Asian cooking. It has a celery-like texture and is abundant in vitamins, minerals, and fiber to be used in place of celery.

Bok choy leaves have a moderately bitter flavor similar to spinach and crisp white stalks. It may be eaten fresh and in soups, stews, stir-fries, and steamed dishes.

4. Carrots

Carrots are one of the celery alternatives. They have a crispy texture similar to celery, but they are sweet and unique. Carrots are high in calcium, vitamin K, vitamin A, and beta carotene, making them beneficial to your health.

They may be cooked in stews, soups, and pasta sauces or used raw like celery stalks.

5. Celery seeds

Celery seeds are spices that can be purchased whole or ground. Sauces, salads, stews, and dressings all include them. Celery seeds taste similar to celery. They are, nevertheless, slightly bitter and have an earthy taste. Because of their greater flavor, use a lower quantity when substituting them for celery.

6. Celery salt

Celery salt is prepared from powdered celery seeds and salt. It’s great in spaghetti sauces, stews, salads, and tomato soups. You need to be cautious not to oversalt the dish.

7. Jicama

Jicama is a Mexican vegetable with a mild nutty flavor and a crisp texture. It is high in vitamins and minerals, just like celery. Jicama is often consumed uncooked. Only the root of this vegetable is edible; the leaves, stalks, and blossoms are poisonous.

8. Cardoon

Cardoon is a leaf steam vegetable similar to celery but has larger leaves and a nutty, bitter flavor. As a result, it should be soaked in salty water before cooking. In prepared dishes, cardoons can be used in place of celery, but it must be cooked for a longer time.

9. Water chestnut

Water chestnut is an aquatic plant found in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Australia. It has a sweet-tart flavor that is similar to coconut and apple. It goes well in salads, stir-fries, and may be grilled, fried, or sautéed.

10. Cucumber

Cucumber may be used as a substitute for celery in salads, dressings, and dips. They are crisp and refreshing in the same way as celery is, making them a wonderful option when crunchiness is required.

Cucumbers have sweet and acidic tastes, depending on their freshness. As a result, they may be used whenever you want a fresh, crisp vegetable.

11. Parsley

Parsley has a similar flavor to celery. However, it is lighter and stronger. Remember to use it in fewer amounts because it has a stronger flavor than celery. Parsley is great in a variety of soups and sauces and incorporated with ground meat or in veggies.

12. Onions

Onions are vegetables that provide taste to a meal. Onions have a robust, rich flavor that pairs nicely with carrots and celery. Several varieties of onions perform well as a replacement for celery.

13. Bell peppers

Bell peppers are a great substitution for celery in salads, meat stews, or as a basis for meat dishes sautéed with onions and carrots. Green bell peppers have the most celery-like taste.

How to Choose Celery Substitutes

There are several replacements for various foods. Which substitutes do you use depends on what you’re trying to achieve: texture, flavor, spice, or if you simply just need a green vegetable alternative.

• Texture

The texture is vital when making soups, stews, or sauces. Fennel, carrots, garlic, onion, shallots, leeks, scallions, or bell peppers can be used in place of celery.

• Flavor

Celery has a distinct taste. To nearly match that desired flavor, use cucumber, apple, cabbage, water chestnuts, jicama, kale, radish, or cauliflower for celery.

• Seasoning

If you don’t have celery, use black pepper, dill seed, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, cilantro, white pepper, or smoky paprika as a substitute.

• Green vegetable 

Celery can be replaced with bok choy, broccoli, asparagus, spinach, green beans, kale, arugula, zucchini, brussels sprouts, or lettuce. Celery salt and celery seed are two celery–based spices that can be used to replace celery.

Celery seed is derived from wild celery seeds, similar to typical celery but has a stronger flavor. It may be found in sauces, salad dressings, and dry rubs.

Celery salt is a spice prepared from powdered celery seed and salt. It is commonly used in salads, pig roast, tomato soups, and rice.

• Soup Celery Substitute

You can add fennel, carrots, onion, or garlic when cooking soup. For each stalk of celery, use 12 chopped cups of these veggies.

• Stuffing Celery Substitute

Fennel stalks, celery seeds, and celery salt are among celery replacements in the stuffing.

Celery substitutes Q&A

Can you use cucumber instead of celery?

Cucumber has a crisp texture and may be used in place of celery in salads, dressings, or dips.

What veggie is similar to celery?

Cardoons are similar to celery. However, they should be cooked for longer than celery before consuming.

Can I substitute parsley with celery?

You may use parsley as a substitute for celery. If you must, then remember to use it in moderation because it has a stronger flavor than celery.

Can I use celery seed instead of celery?

Yes, you may use celery seed instead of celery. 1/2 cup ground celery seed for every 2 tablespoons of chopped celery would make for a proportionate substitute.

Final Thoughts

Celery is a vegetable that may be used in soups, stir-fries, steamed, roasted, raw, or any other cuisine that you can think of. Use it if you like it. However, if you don’t have it, you may always use one of the replacements that we have recommended.