10 Amazing Celery Substitutes

Celery is known by many as a low-carb vegetable that you eat when you want to lose weight. Needless to say if you are not in the weight loss track, then there is a high chance that you are not familiar with what celery is.

What is Celery?

Celery is a long crunchy green vegetable. It is part of the Apiaceae family just like carrots and parsley. It is often confused with celeriac, but the latter refers to the roots of celery itself.

Celery is famous for its high fiber content. Fiber is important in keeping both the digestive and cardiovascular systems healthy. To be precise, a high-fiber diet is linked to lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels. Celery is also known to help reduce inflammation in the body. This vegetable contains apigenin which is a famous anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent used in traditional Chinese medicine.

When it comes to cooking, celery is an established staple in cooking all kinds of dishes. It is often found as a main ingredient in soups, stocks, and stir fry.

Top 10 Celery Substitutes

If celery is healthy, why should you find a substitute for it? While there is no denying how important celery is, there are some people who cannot stand the taste of it. It can be too strong for them that having celery in a dish renders it inedible. Of course, you would not want that.

Fortunately, there are a few celery substitutes that you can use for your recipes. However, take note that these celery replacements cannot be interchanged with each other. There are some that can only be used as a celery substitute in soups, while some are just for stir fry.

Here are the 10 celery replacements you can use:

• Carrot

A family member of celery, carrots are a great alternative for celery’s crunchiness. It is mildly sweet and can be steamed until it is soft unlike the stalks of the celery. If you are looking for a celery substitute in terms of crispiness, carrots are your best choice. Just expect your dish to be a little bit sweeter as compared to when you have celery in it.

Additionally, you can steam the carrots and slice them into strips to make for a healthy snack. All you need is a tasty dip to go with it.

• Bok Choy

Bok choy, or Chinese cabbage as a lot of people call it, is a common celery substitute in Asian dishes. Bok choy looks like an elongated cabbage with wide green leaves and a bulb at the bottom. Think of Romaine lettuce with a celery-looking bottom.

Bok choy consists of 95% water and has vitamins A, C, and K. You can use this for your dishes when you are going for a low-carb diet. This is also a good alternative for when you are making stir fry.

• Green Apple

Green apple is a lightly tasting fruit. It’s easy to love because of its sweet and sometimes sour taste. Just like celery, green apple is crunchy which makes for the perfect snack whenever you feel like munching on something. You can consume one whole green apple in the morning as a replacement for your celery and dip breakfast. Tip: Place the green apple a night before consuming it to have a cool and juicy bite.

• Cucumber

While not as crunchy as celery, cucumber is a low-carb vegetable that you can eat with your salads or as a snack. It tastes mildly sweet, so it is easier to consume by kids and teenagers who do not want bitter-tasting veggies.

Cucumber can only be used as a celery replacement when you are using it on salads. Other than that, you can’t rely on cucumber for added flavor in viands and soups.

• Leeks

Leeks have a stronger taste than other celery alternatives. It has a milder onion-like taste which makes it a good ingredient when you are making soups and stocks. For making soups, chop the leeks into small pieces so it is not too strong when someone bites it.

• Water Chestnut

Water chestnuts is the more unpopular celery replacement. It is sometimes called the Chinese water chestnut because it is used in a number of Asian cuisines, although its origins are not proven to be from China. Nonetheless, water chestnuts can be used as a substitute for celery in Asian dishes, especially stir fries, salads, and woks.

• Jicama

Another unusual alternative is jicama. Jicama is a Mexican yam bean which is often considered as a potato or a turnip. It is very crunchy which makes it a great snack to munch on just like celery. It is mildly sweet and nutty, sometimes giving an “earthy” flavor. This can be used as a substitute for celery in salads.

• Celery Seeds

Celery seeds are often used as spices because of the taste it gives. It can be bought in stores as a whole or as ground seeds. Since they are often used as a spice, celery seeds can be a substitute for almost any celery-made dish. It can be a replacement in soups, stews, and other viands.

• Celeriac

If there is one celery replacement you need for cooked dishes, it’s this. Celeriac has a strong flavor just like celery. The only difference is that it has a subtle nutty flavor. Celeriac has a distinct appearance which makes it an interesting vegetable to buy. You can cut it into strips or use it as a mash for your side dish.

• Fennel Stalks

Fennel stalks are one of the substitutes that can have a strong taste. Although it doesn’t taste like celery, it has a strong and aromatic scent that can sometimes make people wrinkle their nose. But don’t worry, when cooked, fennel stalks have a milder taste. This is why it’s only recommended to use this as a substitute if you are doing cooked celery recipes.

There you have it, 10 amazing celery substitutes that can give variety to your dishes and snacks. With these alternatives, you won’t have to worry about celery running out.