Out of Celery, one case

Can you substitute celery seed for celery?

4 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 4 options

Use Celery seed

¼ tsp for every stalk of celery

For flavor only, yes. Start with ¼ teaspoon of celery seed for each stalk of celery (about ½ cup chopped) in soups, stews, stuffing and dressings, then taste and add up to ½ teaspoon. Celery seed is strong and slightly bitter, and it brings none of the crunch or bulk. In tuna salad, potato salad or a stir-fry, pair it with a crunchy vegetable or choose a different swap.

Verdict —: You'll taste it
The tweak —: Start with ¼ tsp per stalk, taste after it has cooked or stood for 10 minutes, and add up to ½ tsp. Crush the seeds lightly for a smooth soup or sauce.
Best for —: soups, stews and stock
Pantry —: Likely in your cupboard

One casethe full celery card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Celery substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of 1 stalk celery	Verdict
1	Celery seedsoups, stews and stock	¼ tspYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
2	Celery seed + diced fennel or jicamatuna, chicken and egg salad	¼ tsp seed + ½ cup diced vegetableTweak it	Tweak it
3	Celery saltsoups and stews	½ tspYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
4	Fennel bulbmirepoix, soups and stews	½ cup choppedTweak it	Tweak it

What changesWhat changes, option by option4 options

Celery seed

concentrated celery, earthy and slightly bitter

The tiny dried seeds of a celery relative, with a concentrated celery flavor and a slightly bitter, warm edge. They season the dish the way celery would and add nothing to chew.

Best for: soups, stews and stock, stuffing and dressing, coleslaw dressing, brines and pickles, tomato juice drinks and barbecue rubs
Prep: Start with ¼ tsp per stalk, taste after it has cooked or stood for 10 minutes, and add up to ½ tsp. Crush the seeds lightly for a smooth soup or sauce.
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: Anywhere celery is there for crunch or volume: chicken salad, a stir-fry, ants on a log, a crudité plate. Too much turns a dish bitter, so do not jump straight to a spoonful.

A recipe for 4 that calls for 2 stalks needs about ½ tsp to start.

Celery seed + diced fennel or jicama

celery flavor with the vegetable's own mild taste

The seed supplies the celery flavor and a crisp vegetable supplies the crunch and bulk. Together they cover both jobs.

Best for: tuna, chicken and egg salad, potato salad, stuffing and stir-fries
Prep: Dice the vegetable the size the celery would have been and stir the seed into the dressing or cooking liquid.
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: Fennel adds a mild anise note, which fades when cooked. Jicama and cucumber are for cold dishes only: jicama stays crisp but bland when heated, and cucumber goes soft.

Celery salt

celery and salt

Ground celery seed mixed with salt, with salt as the larger part. It gives the same flavor in a weaker form and seasons the dish at the same time.

Best for: soups and stews, potato salad and egg salad dressing, Bloody Marys and Chicago-style hot dogs
Prep: Start with ½ tsp per stalk and hold back the recipe's salt until the end, then salt to taste.
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: It is mostly salt, so adding enough for a strong celery flavor oversalts the dish. No crunch or bulk.

Fennel bulb

mild, sweet anise raw; close to celery once cooked

The closest fresh vegetable for texture: it is crisp raw and softens like celery when cooked. Use it when the dish needs celery as a vegetable, not only as a seasoning.

Best for: mirepoix, soups and stews, stuffing, salads and slaws
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: Raw, it tastes faintly of licorice, which some people dislike. That flavor mostly cooks out.

Tips for substituting celery

5 tips

Start low: ¼ tsp of celery seed per stalk, and no more than ½ tsp per stalk in total. It is easier to add than to fix a bitter pot.
In soups and stews, add the seed with the liquid so it has at least 15 minutes to soften and release its flavor.
In a mirepoix or soup base, make up the missing volume with extra onion and carrot, about ½ cup more for each stalk left out.
In cold salads, stir the seed into the mayonnaise or dressing and let it stand 15 to 30 minutes before serving so the flavor spreads.
Whole seeds show as dark specks. For a pale cream soup or a smooth sauce, grind them or strain the liquid.

Questions

5 questions

How much celery seed replaces 1 cup of chopped celery?

One cup of chopped celery is about 2 stalks, so start with ½ teaspoon of celery seed, taste, and add up to 1 teaspoon. That replaces the flavor only. If the dish needs the volume, add a cup of another chopped vegetable such as fennel, onion or carrot.

Can I use celery seed in place of celery in potato salad or tuna salad?

For the flavor, yes: about ¼ teaspoon per stalk, stirred into the dressing. The salad will be missing its crunch, so add diced fennel, jicama, cucumber, radish or green apple in the amount of celery the recipe called for.

Is celery seed the same thing as celery?

It comes from a close relative: wild celery, also called smallage, grown for its seeds. The flavor is the same family, much more concentrated and a little bitter. Ground celery seed is the same spice milled fine, and celery salt is that powder mixed with salt.

Is celery seed safe for someone with a celery allergy?

No. Celery seed, celery salt, celery leaves and celeriac all count as celery for allergy purposes. For someone who avoids celery because of an allergy, use fennel, jicama or cucumber and leave the seed out.

Can I use celery in place of celery seed instead?

Sometimes. Finely chopped celery leaves and tender inner stalks give a milder version of the flavor in soups, slaws and salads. They add moisture and bulk, so they do not work in a dry rub, a pickle brine spice mix or a bread dough.