Are you running low on celery and unsure of what to use as a substitute? If you find yourself in this situation, we have various celery substitute options and instructions on how to use them.
The choice of substitute will depend on your specific circumstances.
For instance, if you need a replacement for raw celery, cucumber can be a suitable option. However, remember that cooked cucumber is not ideal for soups or stews.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a substitute in cooked dishes, fennel stalk is an excellent choice to replace celery.
Take a look at our helpful tips below for the best alternatives to celery.
1. Carrot
Ratio: ½ cup carrots to 1 cup celery
Best Used In Cooking (soups and stews)
Carrots are one of those vegetables which people usually have in their fridge, making them one of the best substitutes for celery.
When substituting carrots for celery, do keep in mind that carrots have a slightly sweet taste to them. They do also have that earthy taste that is similar to celery as well. This makes carrots an interesting substitute for celery.
Another advantage of using carrots as a substitute is that they will have that familiar crunch, much like the crunch of celery.
2. Bok Choy
Ratio: 1:1 (1 cup to 1 cup)
Best Used In Cooking or Raw
Bok Choy is a great substitute for celery since it does not have an overpowering taste, and it also has that crunch that you get from celery.
It’s also not that hard to find in your local market. Bok Choy is also known as Chinese Cabbage.
From afar, you might actually mistake it for Romain lettuce because of its shape, but this is actually part of the family of broccoli. The uniqueness of this vegetable will also up your dish.
3. Cabbage
Ratio: 1:1 (1 cup to 1 cup)
Best Used In Cooking or Raw
You can use cabbage as a substitute for celery in cooking, but I prefer it as a substitute for celery in raw foods such as salads.
Cabbage is another vegetable that people normally have stocked because of how often you find it in dishes.
This is also one of those vegetables that almost everyone can tolerate making it a great alternative for picky eaters.
It’s also a great introduction for kids to vegetables.
4. Water Chestnut
Ratio: 1:1 (1 cup to 1 cup)
Best Used In Cooking or Raw
This is white and crunchy and does not really have a taste of its own, so you’ll still have that texture of celery without the weird taste.
Water chestnuts are one of the common ingredients you would find in Chinese food.
You may eat water chestnuts raw make sure to wash and peel them well.
5. Cucumber
Ratio: 1:1 (1 cup to 1 cup)
Best Used In Cooking or Raw
Cucumber is actually one of the first vegetables I substituted for celery in salads or raw recipes. I wouldn’t use it as a substitute for cooking.
The fact that the two have almost the same color makes it perfect.
The fact that it is also mostly tasteless makes it perfect for those who are sensitive to different tastes.
6. Green Apple
Ratio: 1:1 (1 cup to 1 cup)
Best Used In Raw
Green apples are a terrific substitute for celery because they have a similar texture and that familiar crunch. It is important to remember that green apples are sweeter than celery which can be key in deciding when and where to substitute them.
While I recommend green apples as a raw substitute for celery, you can use it in casseroles and soups if you desire. If you do use it in cooking, add a dash of celery salt to enhance the flavor profile a bit.
7. Fennel Stalk
Ratio: 1:1 (1 cup to 1 cup)
Best Used In Cooking or Raw
This great alternative to celery is best for cooked dishes, especially if you will be cooking with seafood.
This would give you almost exactly the same texture that celery gives.
While you can use fennel stalk raw, it has a bitterness to it and will be stronger than celery. So I much prefer to use fennel as a replacement for celery when cooking soups or stews.
More Cooking Substitution Tips
We really want to make cooking easy for all of us non-chefs out there.
We don’t always have a perfectly stocked kitchen.
That is why we are passionate about cooking substitution tips.
Here are a few more than you can check out today!
- The Best Tarragon Substitute: What You Need To Know
- Ranch Style Beans Substitute
- Gochugaru Substitute
- A Shallot Substitute: Two Options That Are in Most Kitchens
How To Cook Celery Better?
When cooking for a large group, it can be challenging to please everyone.
This is especially true if you’re cooking with ingredients like celery.
If you want to make celery more appetizing for your friends that dislike it, here are some easy ways to do so.
1. Cut The Celery Very Small Pieces
Some may argue that this is basically deception, but as someone who has a love-hate relationship with celery, I can say that this is effective.
Mincing celery and adding it to the dish will help disguise its taste.
The fact that I was not able to see it stopped me from refusing the food from the get-go.
Although the taste might still be there, it’s not so overpowering.
2. Cut It Into Interesting Shapes
This tip is more for kids. Cutting celery and most vegetables in different shapes would make it more interesting.
It would also allow you to be more creative with your dishes.
3. Place It In Unusual Containers
Placing it inside containers like mugs and mason jars will also make dishes with celery look more appetizing.
It will definitely catch anyone’s eye and might even give that first push into truly trying celery.
The bottom line
Fortunately, there are quite a few substitute options for celery, and they are easy to find in the grocery store. More times than not, you will have one of these choices in your kitchen already.
I hope that my list will help you find the perfect substitute for you.
If you have other tips and substitutes that you have tried, please comment below!
Best Celery Substitute
The best substitute for celery does depend on whether you need raw celery or if you are using celery in cooking. We will provide you with options for both.
Ingredients
- 1/2 c carrots
- 1 c fennel stalk
Instructions
Best Celery Substitute
1. Fennel is the best celery substitute for cooking. You can use it in a 1:1 ratio in cooking. It has a bitter taste when raw and maybe a bit strong in flavor as a result, but you can use it as a raw replacement for celery if you desire.
Easy Celery Substitute:
1. Carrots are an easy substitute for raw and cooked celery. Carrots are sweeter than celery but provide that earthy flavor that celery also provides. Carrots also provide that familiar crunch. Use carrots in a 1:1 ratio in raw and cooking.