Today we’re going to take a good long look at how to choose a good celery alternative. You may need to skip celery due to an allergy or intolerance, or perhaps you’re all out. No matter the case, we’ll look at the best celery substitutes based on the type of recipe you’re working with.
Be sure to use the table of contents to jump around as you see fit.
What Is Celery
Celery is a plant that’s grown for human consumption (though, some humans would say we should just leave it in the ground). Its scientific name is Apium graveolens. Interestingly, there are three cultivar groups as well: Dulce Group, Secalinum Group, and Rapaceum Group. The different groups refer to different types of celery.
The most common type of celery you’ll see in stores are long, green, firm stems that have leaves on top that look similar to flat leaf parsley. If you shop a really good farmer’s market or specialty grocery store, you may also see Chinese celery.
What Does Celery Taste Like
It’s so important to understand what you’re working with, so you can choose the best alternative. The flavor profile of celery can be described as mildly sweet, mildly bitter, and overall, a subtle yet balanced flavor.
Celery can also deliver a fresh sensation when eaten raw due to the water content (but not nearly as watery as a cucumber, it’s more like the wateriness of raw zucchini). It’s also a little salty (don’t think French fries, think just a little hint at the back of your palate), and pairs well with a range of dips including peanut butter, nut butters, and seed butters.
In terms of texture, when eaten raw, celery is incredibly crunchy and very fibrous (think: the stings that come loose as you bite into celery stalks). I’d say that the fibers are a hallmark feature of celery, but also one of the reasons a lot of people don’t enjoy eating it.
When cooked, celery takes on a softer texture, but this requires a decent amount of cooking. To speed up the process, you can use thinner slices, but that doesn’t matter for us today since we won’t be using celery at all.
Celery Flavor Variables
One neat thing about the flavour of celery is that it can vary based on three key factors: age, storage method, and which part of the celery plant you’re eating.
When you think about some fruits such as bananas, the flavour can intensify in a good way as it ages. Some fruits such as apples tend to ride the wave pretty evenly. Vegetables such as carrots tend to ride the wave as well. Celery however tends to lose flavour as it ages.
When you purchase (or dig up) super fresh celery, the sweetness (albeit mild) is much more present when compared to celery that’s been in your fridge for a week.
Chinese Celery
Chinese celery (also called leaf celery) has similar properties to the regular celery you’ll see at the grocery store. However, the texture is softer, and it releases more water when cooked. As a very general rule, you can cook Chinese celery for a shorter amount of time when using it in place of regular celery.
The stalks are thinner, and it tends to have a more pungent aroma. It’s a bit sweetener when cooked and more peppery when raw. The stems are hollow, which makes it a lot less rigid in comparison to standard celery (and also contributes to the moisture content).
Some feel that Chinese celery is very reminiscent to wild celery, yet, it will make a fantastic addition to your savory dinner. Whilst it’s more common to see this ingredient in Asian recipes, it’s a great option to try if you feel like adding something new to your go-to recipes.
Celery Substitutes & Celery Alternatives
For home cooking, choosing a good substitute is going to vary by recipe, but here are some good ideas to get you started. Keep in mind, each celery alternative is going to bring a bit of a different flavour to the table. There’s no real 1:1 perfect celery replacement, but, you can absolutely bring in some of the texture and flavor notes.
Best Celery Substitute for Savory Raw Applications
There are a variety of vegetables that can take the place of raw celery, whether for snacking or for texture in your potato salad. Here’s a list, with notes.
Romaine Lettuce Stems
The stems or romaine, sometimes called romaine ribs, are hands down one of the best raw celery alternatives. In fact, you can get away with using just the stems with dips including peanut butter and almond butter.
The crunch is out of this world amazing, and there’s notes of sweetness, freshness from the water content, and overall, it’s just a fantastic eating experience. It lacks the bitterness of celery, so if that’s important to you, combine this with a little chopped arugula (rocket).
Arugula will bring in some pepper notes along with a touch of bitter. If you chop it down nice and fine, then sprinkle on top of your romaine stems, you’ll have a *chef’s kiss* on your hands.
Curly Kale
Curly kale is a specific variety of kale that delivers on the texture and some of the bitterness of celery. Its flavour is more pungent, so don’t use a truck tonne. This is a great celery alternative for potato salad, in small amounts.
I don’t suggest using this for raw applications where the celery is the star of the show (like with a dip).
Chard
Like kale, chard (and even collard greens) can bring in some crunchy and bitter notes that celery would have brought to the table. There’s zero sweetness, so if that’s important to you, sprinkle a little cane sugar (caster sugar is the best since it’s super fine).
Only use greens in place of celery in applications such as potato salad where there are a lot of other ingredients to distract the palate.
Jicama
I honestly think jicama is one of the world’s most underrated ingredients. It’s so fresh, crunchy, and tasty. In fact, there’s a brand that sells jicama “taco shells” at some grocery stores (it’s just discs of jicama that can be easily held in your hand like a taco shell).
Anywhere you’d use fresh celery, you can use fresh jicama. Know that the water content is higher, so pat this veggie down before using it. In case you manage food allergies, know that jicama is part of the legume family.
Watermelon Radish
You can use watermelon radish slices to add a crunchy, bitter note to your recipes. It has an amazing colour, and is a fantastic celery alternative in salads.
Baby Bok Choy
The sliced stems of baby bok choy have a look that’s pretty close to celery. They lack the sweetness and fibrous nature of celery, but will bring an amazing crunchy texture and a hint of bitterness.
These stems work for all raw applications where celery isn’t the star of the show. You wouldn’t use it as a snack in your lunch (like celery + dip), but you can use it pretty much everywhere else.
Celery Alternative for Snacking
If you’re looking for a great raw celery alternative for celery + dip or celery + protein (like a meat stick), romaine is going to be the top choice.
The stems are fantastic for dipping, and it pairs beautifully with savory snack foods such as mini cheese wheels or meat sticks, which are both good sources of protein and fat (which keeps you fuller, longer).
Making Broth & Stock Without Celery
A lot of broth and stock recipes call for celery. First, know that you can skip the celery. Your broth isn’t going to suddenly taste like muddled water because you left the celery out.
If you choose to skip the celery, boost all of the other ingredients, and you’ll be fine. Broth and stock is often a base for other foods such as soup, and the other flavours are going to support your celery free broth.
If you really want to bring in notes of celery, add fennel and tarragon to your both and stocks during the cooking process. Be sure to strain these out with the other ingredients at the end.
Aromatic Celery Alternative
Aromatics are ingredients that release an amazing smell, or aroma, as they cook. You’ll see them called for in recipes from potatoes to pasta to stew, and everything in between.
Fennel and ginger are going to be the best ways to bring back some qualities of celery. You’ll want to use diced fennel bulb, but not too much. It has a natural licorice flavor, and anise notes, which can overpower the dish if you use too much.
Garlic is another aromatic that can bring back delicious flavor notes, however, it won’t scream celery. At all. Only use a little so the recipe has a hint of garlic, rather than a punch of garlic.
Celery Leaf Substitutes
Celery leaf, not to be confused with leaf celery (AKA Chinese celery) can add herbaceous notes to your recipe, and is a wonderful garnish.
You have many options to bring in herb qualities including (ordered from best to choice to so-so choice):
- Flat Leaf Parsley
- Chopped Lovage
- Chopped Watercress
- Chopped Fresh Tarragon
- Chopped Baby Spinach
Best Celery Seed Substitutes
Celery seed can be replaced by dill seeds, fennel seeds, and caraway seeds. You’ll want to use a 1:1 ratio.
If the recipe calls for more than a teaspoon of celery seed, make sure you LOVE the swap before fully committing.
Each of these seeds will bring different flavour notes to your dishes, but not in a bad way. If you’re new to these spices, I recommend making a 1/4 batch of your recipe to start, that way, you know if you like the swap, without risking a huge amount of food waste.
Not Good Celery Swaps
OK, we’ve talked a lot about the best celery alternative and knowing when to use each substitute. Now, here’s a quick list of ingredients that aren’t the best celery swaps to make.
Asparagus
This has a very pungent taste and smell that’s not in the celery ballpark. Additionally, asparagus is a polarizing ingredient and some people won’t go near it.
Bell Peppers
Bell pepper isn’t the worst choice, but the flavor profile is different enough that it’s not a great choice either.
Cilantro
For about 25% of people, cilantro tastes like soap, and this is due a a DNA marker they carry. For that reason alone, I wouldn’t risk using cilantro (coriander) unless you know everyone at the table LOVES it.
Leeks, Onion, Scallions, Shallots
These allium members are great at replacing one another in recipes, but not celery. However, if a recipe already calls for one of these ingredients, you can omit the celery and use more of said ingredient.
Sure, you’re not bringing in celery flavour, however, you’re boosting the existing flavour content and that’s going to be a win for your taste buds.
Know When to Skip the Celery
As a chef, here’s the big “secret” I can let you in on: most people can’t tell that the celery flavor is missing when you leave it out of the recipe.
Knowing that, and depending on your recipe, one of the best tips I can give you is this: skip the celery and move on with your life.
It’s rare that a recipe made without celery screams “call emergency services because the celery is missing and the recipe is ruined”. Celery doesn’t hold that kind of weight or volume in most recipes, and unless this is an old family favourite that you grew up on, there’s a really good chance you won’t even miss it.
If you’re feeling like you want to replace the flavour with *something*, use more of the base ingredients that are called for such as onion and carrot.
More About Celery & Celery Allergy Info
If you have a celery allergy, there’s helpful information below. However, this article on managing a celery allergy is going to give you extensive, helpful information.
Different Names for Celery
Different forms of celery can have different names, and you may see them on food packages. These are the names to be aware of:
- Celery
- Celery Seed (technically, celery seeds are a very small fruit, but that’s semantics)
- Celeriac
- Leaf Celery (also called Chinese Celery and Nan Ling Celery)
- Stalk Celery
Edible Parts of Celery
- Celery Hearts (refers to the tender shoots in the center of celery)
- Celery Juice
- Celery Leaves
- Celery Root
- Celery Seeds
- Celery Stalks
Celery Allergy: List of Foods to Avoid
When you’re managing a celery allergy, know that there are foods that naturally contain celery products. When you see these food products, you’ll know right away that celery allergens are present.
- Bloody Mary (common in the spice mix, and also served raw with the drink)
- Celery Salt
- Holy Trinity (a term in Cajun cuisine that’s a combo of celery, onions, and bell peppers)
- Old Bay Seasoning
- Mirepoix (combination of carrots, celery, and onion)
- Soffritto (Italian cuisine term for carrot, onions, and celery)
- Waldorf Salad
Hidden Sources of Celery: List of Foods That Can Contain Celery & Celery Seed
This is not an exhaustive list. Celery is used in a wide range of applications, especially in savory foods.
You usually won’t find celery in baked goods, tortillas, packaged snacks, and sweet treats. However, is the brand uses natural flavors, celery may be present.
Just because a product type is on this list doesn’t guarantee the presence of celery (or the opposite). It means that you need to really, really, really read ingredient labels carefully in non-top 14 countries.
- Bacon (usually as celery juice)
- Bouillon
- Broths & Stocks
- Chips (as part of the flavoring agents)
- Cold Pressed Green Juices
- Cured Meats
- Fried Foods (in the batter)
- Ketchup
- Marmite (the natural flavouring contains celery)
- Meat Marinades
- Natural Flavors
- Pasta Sauce
- Pepperoni & Sausages (not always, but it can be present)
- Pizza Sauce
- Salad Dressings
- Salads (celery seed as a topping)
- Sauces
- Spice Mixtures (also called spice blends)
- Spice Rubs (spices for BBQ and other meats)
- Soups
- Stews
- Stock Cubes (also called Bouillon Cubes)
- Supplements (especially vitamins with a “vegetable blend” added to boost the nutritional value)
- Vegetable Juice
Celery Free Product Recommendations
If you stumbled upon this article because you have a celery allergy, here are a few items that are free from celery (that normally contain celery). For more celery free products, please refer to my thorough article on managing a celery allergy (use the table of contents to jump to products you can purchase).
Bacon Without Celery: Northstar Bison (under the pork section of the menu)
Celery Free Ketchup: Meridian Organic Tomato Ketchup
Copycat Old Bay Seasoning: The Kitchin has a recipe, and you can customize it for your needs.
Stock Cubes Without Celery: Marigold Organic Yeast Free Stock Cubes (this product only, their powders contain celery)
Answering Your Celery Substitute Questions
What’s the best replacement for celery in soffritto?
Usually, a soffritto will include a combination of onion, garlic, celery, peppers, tomatoes, and herbs. First, know that you can omit the celery and honestly, you won’t notice a huge flavour shift (unlike if you were to remove the onion and garlic).
A combo approach of extra onion, a little sliced fennel, and sliced endive would make a delicious addition to your sofrito.
The fennel will bring a hint of licorice flavor whilst the endive is going to bring a little bitterness to the table. You could also use chopped frisée or radicchio instead of the endive. Endive, frisée, and radicchio are different varieties of chicory, and that whole collection of plants can deliver earthy, slightly bitter flavors to your dish.
Is turnip a good celery alternative?
Maybe. There are times when it will work well, such as a cooked application where the celery isn’t the star. On the other hand, if the celery is supposed to be raw, turnip isn’t your best choice.
Should you choose to use turnip, use Tokyo turnips, as these are sweeter. They can be eaten raw, but they won’t scream celery when you do.
Instead, cut them down to be about the size of diced celery and use them in a cooked application. To boost the swap, add a little chopped arugula (rocket) and a pinch or two of caster sugar.
