Celery salt is something I like to use in my potato salad and other salads for extra freshness and a beautiful grassy taste. It gives a slightly bitter and peppery finish to my salad.
However, this salt is also used in many dishes as a seasoning. You can add it to your soups, salads, marinades, sauces, rice, veggies, stews, and as a rub for meats. Or as an ingredient in spice mixes and cocktails.
Celery salt is made from grounded wild celery seeds and is a pretty good substitute for salt in your dishes. Not only it gives saltiness to dishes but it also adds a refreshing celery flavor.
If you are using celery salt you will have to reduce the regular salt added to your dish because celery salt contains two parts salt and one part grounded celery seeds. Celery salt works well with garlic powder, ginger, parsley, black pepper, paprika, and dry mustard.
If you don’t have celery salt on hand, some other spices which have a similar flavor to celery can be a pretty good substitute for celery salt.
You can use different replacements including celery leaves or stalks mixed with salt, dill seeds, lovage seeds, fennel seeds, parsley leaves, cilantro leaves, carrot greens, or some of the substitutes below.
Celery Salt Substitutes
One of the best substitutes for celery salt is homemade. All you need is celery seeds and salt. However, if you don’t have celery seeds or you don’t like their strong flavor, you can utilize some other substitute from the following list.
1. Celery seeds and salt
For a homemade celery salt grind the seeds in a spice grinder or food processor, and mix them with the salt. If you want a smoother texture, you can grind them together.
That way you will always have fresh celery salt in your home. The best part? You can also adjust the amount of the salt and celery seeds to your taste.
You can add this salt in your salads, stews, soups, dressings, or as a seasoning for seafood, meats, and poultry. Celery salt is also used as a flavoring in juices and cocktails.
2. Celery leaves and stalks
Celery leaves and stalks have less flavor than celery seeds. Therefore, you will need to use a larger amount to reach a similar flavor.
You can either chop the leaves and stalks into small pieces and add them to your meal. Or dry them in your dehydrator or oven at a low temperature, grind them and add some salt. Use this celery salt the same as you would use the one made with celery seeds.
3. Celeriac leaves and stalks
Celeriac is a type of celery with an edible root. It has a similar taste to celery with a crispy and hard texture. You can either roast, boil, steam, grill, saute, mash, or fry it.
Fresh celeriac is used in salads and slaws. However, it can be also added in soups and stews. It Is a good substitute for celery salt because it adds a similar celery flavor to dishes.
4. Lovage seeds and salt
Lovage herb is similar to celery, a member of the parsley family with a strong celery flavor with parsley and anise hint. The roots are used as a veggie, the leaves as a herb, and the seeds as a spice.
Leaves and roots work well in many salads, stews, and soups. You can also crush the seeds and add them to pastries, biscuits, bread, and cheeses.
If you like to make lovage salt you can use both dried seeds or leaves. Simply grind the seeds or leaves and mix them with salt at a 1:2 ratio (1 part seeds or leaves 2parts salt).
5. Dill seeds and salt
Dill is a herb from the celery family whose leaves and seeds are used for flavoring food. Its leaves can be used fresh or dried in soups, dips, salads, sauces. However, it works well with seafood too.
Dills seeds have a similar but lighter flavor than caraway and you can use them crushed or whole in soups, bread, vegetable dishes, salad dressings, or pickles. If you want to utilize dill seeds as a substitute for celery salt you can grind and mix them with salt.
Mix 1 tablespoon of ground dill seeds with 2 tablespoons of salt. If you want finer texture you can grind them again together. Add this versatile salt in sauces, soups, meats, veggies, or other dishes of your choosing.
6. Fennel seeds and salt
Fennel is known as a very aromatic herb with an anise-licorice-like flavor used in cooking. And as one of the ingredients in absinthe. Its bulb, leaves, and seeds (fruit) are used in many dishes.
The bulb is very crispy and can be used as a vegetable. You can use it grilled, sauteed, braised, stewed, or raw. The young leaves can be used in salads, sauces, pasta, stir-fries, and soups.
Fennel seeds (whole or grounded) are a popular spice. They work well in both sweet and savory dishes. Mix 2 tablespoons of salt with 1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds and grind them. If you want a stronger flavor, just toast the fennel seed in a skillet for 2 minutes and grind them afterward. You can use this mixture as a substitute for celery salt in your dishes.
7. Caraway seeds and salt
Caraway seeds have a strong anise flavor and are used in many sweet and savory dishes. You can use them whole or ground for stronger flavor.
They pair well with cabbage, pork, and garlic but can be also used in curries, vegetables, salads, sauces, soups, stews, casseroles, and desserts.
As a substitute for celery salt, you can make caraway salt. Use 1 tablespoon caraway seeds and 2 tablespoons salt mix them and grind to a fine powder.
8. Parsley leaves
Parsley leaves are used as a garnish and as a spice. There are two types of parsley including flat-leaf and curly-leaf and they a both used in cooking. The leaves have a fresh, light flavor. You can use them fresh or dried in soups, veggies, salads, or mixed with ground meat.
Mix 1 tablespoon dried parsley leaves with 2 tablespoons salt and you will get parsley salt. You can use it as a substitute for celery salt in any dish to add light parsley flavor.
9. Cilantro leaves
Cilantro is best when is used fresh. These leaves with strong citrus and a little peppery flavor are from the coriander plant.
The seeds of this plant have a different flavor than the leaves and they’re a great spice. You can use fresh cilantro in salads, sauces, vegetables, chicken meat, and fish.
Mix 1 tablespoon of dried cilantro leaves with 2 tablespoons of salt. If the leaves are fresh, you can either dry them in the oven or food dehydrator. Use it as you will use cilantro in dishes.
10. Carrot greens
Carrot greens are the visible greens over the soil at the spot where carrots are grown with a slightly bitter flavor of parsley and celery. You can add them to different sauces, marinades, stews, rice soups, juices, and smoothies.
Simply mix 1 tablespoon of carrot greens with 2 tablespoons salt and use it as a substitute for celery salt. They have a similar flavor to celery, so they make for a great substitute.
Related Questions
Can you replace celery with celery salt?
Yes, you can replace celery with celery salt because the salt has dried celery seeds and a similar flavor. Just remember to reduce the amount of regular salt in your dish.
What is the difference between celery seed and celery salt?
Celery salt is made of celery seeds and salt. Therefore the only difference is the added salt in the celery salt.
What is the difference between celery salt and salt?
Celery salt contains celery seeds and salt and has a celery flavor. And salt is just simply salt.
Final Thoughts
Celery salt is a staple in many cuisines because of the fresh celery flavor. However, if you don’t have this salt on hand, use some of the substitutes mentioned throughout this article.
Keep in mind that they contain salt so be careful when you are using them. Don’t add too much because you will get a too salty dish. And if there is additional salt in your recipe you will have to reduce its amount.