Salt is a seasoning that we add to all recipes, sometimes even desserts. However, have you ever wondered if there are elevated versions of it? Yes there are, and celery salt is one of them! If you have run out of celery salt then do read this article as it has the best celery salt substitutes.
Celery salt is preferred by many cooks, both amateur and professional. It adds an extra flavor to your regular old seasoning and is vital in certain recipes. However, when a situation arises where you run out of it, this article can be your guide to find the best celery salt substitutes.
Now you must be wondering, what can be a good substitute for such a peculiar ingredient? The best celery salt substitutes are celery seeds and salt, celery powder, celery leaves, lovage, dill and salt, fennel seeds and salt, nigella seeds, and of course, plain old salt!
Although, I know that it’s a possibility that some of you may have just come to this article looking for a substitute after reading the ingredient in a recipe. So, to make it easier for you to pick your substitute, let me share a little bit of information on celery salt in the next section.
Quick Peek: Celery Salt
In this section, you will get to know everything about celery salt. The section has information on what exactly the ingredient is, what its texture and flavor is like, its uses and also nutritional values and potential health benefits.
What Is Celery Salt?
Celery salt is a seasoned salt made with two primary ingredients; table salt and celery seeds. Sometimes, instead of using celery seeds, many people also use dry celery stalks and leaves to make celery salt. It is a common flavoring ingredient in various recipes.
To make celery salt, the celery seeds or leaves and stalks are blended with table salt, usually in a 2:1 ratio. It is said to be patented on July 7, 1936 in the United States and has found its place all over the world, ever since.
Describing Celery Salt: Flavor And Texture
The texture of celery salt is almost the same as that of regular table salt. However, it does have a different color, which is almost brown, due to the addition of celery seeds, leaves, or dried stalks in it.
When we talk about the flavor of celery salt, it initially tastes almost the same as regular salt. However, after a while, you will get a building flavor of celery in it. The flavor is often described as mildly peppery and grassy, with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
Uses Of Celery Salt
Celery salt, being a seasoning agent just like salt, is used in the same way as regular table salt is used. It can be added to any dish in place of regular salt to add an extra layer of flavor. Celery salt tends to work well in recipes with a lot of onions and carrots.
Moreover, you can add celery salt to various cold salads such as egg salad, potato salad, tuna salad, and coleslaw to give them a more enhanced flavor. You can also add it to soups, sauces, stews, and casseroles to improve their flavor.
Other than that, celery salt can be used in breading various fried recipes, such as fried chicken or various vegetables, to give them a deeper flavor than regular salt does. Lastly, celery salt is also an important ingredient in cocktails like Bloody Mary and Caesar cocktails.
Celery Salt On The Health Radar | Looking Through The Wellness Telescope
Celery salt, being a seasoning agent, is used in small quantities in most recipes. Moreover, salt does not have any nutritional value linked to it. So, let me break it down for you and tell you some of the health benefits linked to celery seeds to get a better idea.
Celery seeds are low in calories and extremely rich in various nutrients. Some of these nutrients are fibers, calcium, zinc, manganese, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus. As celery salt is rich in calcium, it has been linked to supporting bone health.
Moreover, celery seeds are also rich in iron which helps the body with producing red blood cells. As celery seeds are rich in magnesium, there have been studies that suggest that they may help improve blood sugar levels.
Certain studies have also suggested that celery salt may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, however, there is not enough evidence on that. As celery salt is essentially celery seeds mixed with table salt, you can expect similar health benefits from the same.
Why Use A Substitute For Celery Salt?
After reading all the health benefits linked to celery salt, I am sure many of you may not want to use a substitute and just go buy celery salt instead. However, let me tell you this, there are a lot of reasons to use celery salt for sure, but there are reasons why you can use a substitute.
Firstly, celery salt is more expensive than regular table salt. I know, and I agree that by expensive it doesn’t mean that there is a huge margin between the two. However, many people like sticking to a budget when it comes to groceries.
So, if by any chance you are one of those people who thinks investing in salt that is more expensive is a waste, I have many substitute options for you. These options will work equally well, and I guarantee you that they won’t mess with your budget.
Moreover, celery salt has a slightly bitter aftertaste. Yes, celery salt is a great ingredient that will enhance the flavor of any recipe. But, not everyone is fond of the flavor of celery or the bitter aftertaste that the salt offers.
So, in a situation like this, there are substitutes that you can use which will work equally well in place of celery salt and will not leave a lingering aftertaste in your mouth. Lastly, if you are a regular user of celery salt but just forgot to stock up this one time, you can use a substitute.
I do believe that this much information on celery salt is good to go for most of you. So, now without wasting any further time, let me introduce you to the best celery salt substitutes.
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9 Best Celery Salt Substitutes
In this section, you will find all the best substitutes you can use in place of celery salt. You will get to know the flavor profile of these substitutes and how they can work in recipes, along with their ratios of substitution.
1. Celery Seeds And Salt
This is the best substitute that you can use in place of celery salt to get the exact same flavor. As celery salt is essentially made of celery seeds and table salt, this combination will work extremely well in place of store-bought celery salt.
Using a combination of these two ingredients is essentially like making your own celery salt. All you need to do is either grind the celery seeds with a mortar and pestle or pulverize them in a food processor.
Once the seeds are ground into a fine powder, mix two parts of this powder with one part of your favorite salt, whether it is table salt, rock salt, or sea salt. This will give you an extremely fresh and ready-to-use substitute that you can use in any recipe doing a direct swap.
2. Celery Leaves And Stalks
Celery is an aromatic vegetable added to most recipes to give them a depth of flavor. As celery salt is also sometimes made with dried celery stalks, this substitute option can work if you have fresh celery on hand.
While using fresh celery leaves and stalks in place of celery salt in any recipe, you will have to be prepared for the added texture they provide. Celery is extremely fibrous and will make any dish have a thicker consistency.
This option is good to use for sauces, soups, and stews where you can capture the flavor of celery and also have a great added texture. Use five teaspoons of chopped celery leaves or stalks for every teaspoon of celery salt and adjust the salt content accordingly.
3. Celery Powder
Celery powder is made by dehydrating celery stalks and leaves and then grinding them into a fine powder. Though this option has a milder flavor than celery seeds, it can be used as a celery salt substitute in various recipes.
Celery powder is often used as an ingredient in meat rubs as it contains nitrates. However, you can use celery powder in a number of recipes like soups, stews, sauces, salads, marinades, and, of course, meat rubs too.
As celery powder is milder in flavor and lowers in salt content, you will have to use a little more to make up for the flavor. For substitution, you can follow a 3:1 ratio, where you combine three parts of celery powder with one part of your favorite salt.
4. Lovage
Lovage is a part of the same family as celery and is often referred to as wild celery. Lovage usually has a stronger flavor than celery with hints of anise. However, if you do like a stronger flavor, lovage is a great substitute for celery salt.
While using lovage as a substitute for celery salt, you can either use its leaves and stalks or lovage seeds. Lovage seeds will have a more concentrated flavor and will generally give a flavor closer to celery.
To make the salt mixture with lovage, you will have to follow slightly different proportions. Use 1 part of ground lovage seeds combined with two parts of your favorite salt, and do a direct swap with celery salt in any recipe.
5. Fennel Seeds
Fennel seeds are very popularly used in many recipes around the world. Though they have anise and licorice-like flavor, fennel seeds can be used as a substitute for celery salt if you are looking for a more complex flavoring agent.
Fennel seeds and bulbs actually pair really well with most types of meats. Fennel seeds have a more concentrated flavor than bulbs and are quite often used in meat rubs. So, for meat, fennel seeds are a great substitute option.
Fennel seeds will only make a great substitute for celery salt in your recipes if you are actively looking for a stronger flavoring agent. To make fennel salt, combine one part of ground fennel seeds with two parts of salt and do a direct swap with celery salt.
6. Dill
Dill is a fragrant herb from the same family as celery. The flavor of dill is quite comparable to that of celery, and hence, you can use a combination of dill with salt as a substitute for celery salt.
Dill can be used in either fresh or dried form. Dill tends to work really well, especially with salmon and various other types of seafood. So, if you need a substitute for celery salt in seafood recipes, dill can be the perfect option.
Two parts of dill mixed with one part of salt will do the trick. This mixture will also work very well in various meat rubs, sauces, soups, stews, marinades, and salad dressings. For substitution, you can follow a standard 1:1 ratio.
7. Caraway Seeds
Caraway seeds have a combination of various flavor profiles, ranging from licorice and anise to slightly sweet with peppery and citrus notes. Though not an exact match in terms of flavor, caraway seeds can make a decent celery salt substitute.
Caraway seeds are actually a very versatile ingredient, used not only in savory food but also in desserts. Caraway seeds pair well with most types of meats and also vegetables. So, this is a substitute with a slightly more complex flavor.
To make a substitute for celery salt, combine two parts of salt with one part of ground caraway seeds, and that should work. However, this combination should not be used in cocktails that use celery salt as their flavor will get altered.
8. Nigella Seeds
Nigella seeds are small black seeds with a touch of bitterness and peppery flavor. As per the slightly bitter taste that these seeds have, similar to celery, they can be used as a substitute for celery salt.
Nigella seeds are quite commonly used in Middle Eastern and Indian cooking. These little seeds will work well in place of celery salt, especially in curries. However, you can crush them and also use them in various other recipes.
You can use one part of crushed nigella seeds mixed with two parts of salt in soups, stews, marinades, salad dressings, and meat rubs too. They will provide the bitter aftertaste, and you can do a direct swap during substitution.
9. Salt
The simplest substitute of them all. If you have run out of every other option and only have salt left in your cabinet, you don’t need to worry. Plain salt will suffice as a substitute for celery salt.
Salt can be used as a substitute for celery salt in two instances. One is if you don’t have any other option, and the second is if you don’t really want to use a complex option. Any type of salt will work in place of celery salt.
Plus, salt is versatile and can be added to absolutely any recipe without worrying too much. You won’t get the grassy or peppery flavor of celery, but to make up for that, you can always combine with equal amounts of pepper and do a direct swap with celery salt.
Short Recap For Best Celery Salt Substitutes
Those are some great substitute options that you can use in place of celery salt. I know most of you have picked your favorite substitute. But I also know that some of you might still be confused about what to pick. So, I am making it easier for everyone by classifying further.
Best Celery Salt Substitutes When You Want The Same Flavor:
- Celery Seeds And Salt
- Celery Leaves And Stalks
- Celery Powder
Best Celery Salt Substitutes When You Want A Different Flavor:
- Caraway Seeds
- Lovage
- Fennel
The best celery salt substitute when you are out of all options is salt.
How To Substitute Celery Salt In A Recipe
Calery Salt Substitutes
Ingredients
- Celery Seeds And Salt
- Celery Leaves And Stalks
- Celery Powder
- Lovage
- Fennel Seeds
- Dill
- Caraway Seeds
- Nigella Seeds
- Salt
Instructions
- Go through the substitutes and see which one seems fit for the recipe.
- Collect your ingredients and use your preferred substitute.
- Use the substitute in the required amount and proceed to make the dish according to the recipe.
Final Word
Celery salt is a great seasoning added to quite a lot of recipes. In fact, many recipes particularly want you to use celery salt in place of regular salt. However, this salt has a slightly bitter aftertaste coming from celery that is not liked by many.
The bottom line is, if you are one of those people who does not really enjoy the flavor of celery salt, there are a lot of substitutes that you can use in its place. Quite a lot of substitute options given actually have a different flavor as compared to celery.
So, if you are just looking for a flavor enhancer for your dish, but it does not have to be celery, you can use one of the various other substitute options given. My advice? Try using fennel seeds if you are looking for a different flavor, as they will leave you with a very tasty dish!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is celery salt good for?
Celery salt is a great flavor enhancer for salads, soups and even some cocktails.
What is celery salt made of?
Celery salt is made of ground celery seeds and table salt.
Is celery salt healthier than regular salt?
As celery salt is made with celery seeds, which do have many health benefits linked to them, you can say it is a little healthier. However, there is not enough evidence to prove this.
Is celery salt good for blood pressure?
Not celery salt, but celery seeds have been linked to lowering blood pressure.
