Celery is a vegetable that doesn’t take the starring role in most dishes but certainly should. Typically, celery is the co-star in salads, soups, or stews, and its nutritional and flavor benefits are overlooked.
Raw celery provides a crisp, crunchy texture and slightly salty flavor. According to Fine Cooking, celery is used in cooked recipes and ” plays a big role in mirepoix, the aromatic vegetable base that begins many soups, stews, and braises.”
Celery is high in vitamin A, vitamin K, folic acid, beta-carotene, and potassium. Fresh celery can be chopped or diced and blended into a juice.
Contents
Celery Salt
Celery salt is a seasoned salt made from table salt and ground seeds or flakes from celery. It is used as a flavor in many recipes.
Celery Salt Substitutions
Making homemade celery salt from celery seed or dried celery flakes is possible. Other seasonings can be used to replace celery salt in a pinch.
1. Homemade Celery Salt Substitute
The ratio is two parts salt and one part ground celery seeds, flakes, ground celery, or stalks to make celery salt.
- Flakes are made by chopping the celery leaves, spreading them on a baking sheet, and roasting in a 200-degree oven for twenty minutes.
- To create a powder from celery seeds or flakes, use a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
Once seeds or flakes are ground into a powder, mix with salt.
= 1 teaspoon celery powder plus 2 teaspoons salt (kosher or table)
2. Dill Seed Substitute
An herb that comes from the same family as celery is dill. Dill can be ground into powder and mixed with salt.
= 1 teaspoon dill powder plus 2 teaspoons salt (kosher or table)
3. Caraway or Fennel Seed Substitute
Caraway and fennel are sweeter in flavor than celery and are used as a substitute for celery salt. They are delicious in meat dishes, but the sweeter taste means using less than the recipe asks.
Put the caraway or fennel seeds in a seed grinder or mortar and pestle, grind to powder, then mix with salt.
= 1 teaspoon caraway or fennel powder plus 2 teaspoons salt (kosher or table)
4. Nigella Seed Substitute
Nigella seeds are from different plant families and have a similar flavor to celery. Their aroma is intense, and they are found at grocery stores featuring Indian spices.
Use a seed grinder or mortar and pestle to grind the seeds into powder.
= 1 teaspoon nigella seed powder plus 2 teaspoons salt (kosher or table)
FAQ
What can I substitute for celery salt?
You can use fresh celery to season dishes, make homemade celery salt, or create a salt with powdered dill seeds, caraway, fennel seeds, or nigella seeds. Onion salt may be used, but the taste will be very different.
Is celery salt better than regular salt?
As a seasoning, celery salt will add additional flavor to dishes, but it is still salt. If you are on a sodium-restricted diet, you may choose to use powdered celery seeds or fresh celery.
Can I substitute celery salt for celery seed?
If a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of celery seed, you will substitute 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 teaspoons of celery salt.
