A celery seed substitute is occasionally necessary for the kitchen, for while celery seed isn’t the most common ingredient in cooking, it does provide a distinct flavor to certain meals.
Celery Seed
Celery seeds are used in many different ways, from cooking to medicine, and contains a number of unique properties. Celery seed has the strong taste of celery and tastes slightly bitter with both fresh and sweet aromas. It is used as a flavoring additive in soups, stocks, and sauces, it can be ground with other spices to make rubs, or used to flavor leafy, grain, or potato salads. Luckily, if you can’t find celery seed, there are plenty of natural combinations that can provide similar results. [1]
Best Celery Seed Substitute
Celery seed does a lot for your meals, but if you run out of it, here is the list you can select the easiest available celery seed substitute from. The best celery seed substitute is fresh celery. You can also use celery stalk, its leaves, or the root.
Celery Stalk, Leaf, and Root
For flavoring purposes, there’s no better celery seed substitute than fresh celery. Dice the stalks or the tops into the salad, dry the leaves for seasoning, or cook the root with other vegetables and meats.
Celery Salt
Celery salt is just a mixture of crushed celery seeds and salt. Use this blend in place of celery seeds, but reduce any additional salt in your recipe. [2]
Fresh Dill or Dill Seed
Dill may have a stronger and sharper aroma than celery seed, but you’ll find that most dishes that taste good with celery seed work with dill as well.
Fennel, Caraway, or Star Anise
For pickling or making bone broth, turn to these subtle licorice flavors. Just a few of each will add depth that complements savory ingredients.
Capsaicin, Ginger, or Feverfew
Use these in powders, teas, or tinctures in place of pharmaceutical pain relievers. Capsaicin is the chemical that makes peppers spicy, so cook with chilies for a bonus headache and inflammation relief. [3]
Sativa, Dandelion, Parsley or Hibiscus
These herbs and spices are diuretics that help to expel excess salt and water from the body. Doctors trust these natural remedies, and Nigella sativa may be as effective as leading pharmaceutical prescriptions when it comes to detoxifying the body. So if you cannot find celery seeds, use any of these! [4]
Turmeric, Garlic, or Black Pepper
Add any of these in place of celery seeds and enjoy a variety of flavors that may also aid joint function and prevent chronic inflammation that may lead to more serious issues as you age.
