What Vegetable Tastes Like Celery? Uncovering the Best Alternatives

December 11, 2025 •

4 min read

According to botanists, celery belongs to the Apiaceae family, a group of flowering plants that also includes carrots, parsley, and fennel. If you need a substitute with a similar flavor profile, finding what vegetable tastes like celery can be a simple switch with a few key options.

Quick Summary

Several vegetables, including celeriac, fennel, and lovage, offer a distinct celery-like flavor, providing excellent substitutes for recipes. Options range from strong, earthy roots to mild, crunchy bulbs. The best choice depends on whether you need a raw or cooked application.

Key Points

Celeriac: The root of the celery plant, offering a nutty, sweet, and earthy flavor with a more intense celery taste than the stalks.
Fennel: The bulb of this vegetable has a mild, anise-like flavor when raw that softens and sweetens considerably when cooked.
Lovage: A potent herb with a flavor profile very similar to celery, but much more intense; use sparingly for seasoning.
Bok Choy: Offers a mild, peppery taste and a crunchy texture, making it a good substitute for celery's texture in cooked dishes.
Green Bell Pepper: A good option for replicating a celery-like crunch and mild, vegetal flavor in cooked applications like soups and stews.
Substitution Depends on Use: The best alternative depends on whether you need a substitute for raw crunch (fennel, celeriac) or cooked flavor (celeriac, lovage).

Top Vegetables with a Celery-Like Flavor

When seeking a replacement for celery, it's essential to consider both flavor and texture. Some vegetables mimic celery's aromatic notes, while others can replicate its signature crunch. The most popular alternatives come from the same botanical family, but others offer a similar profile in specific applications. Here are some of the best vegetables to consider.

Celeriac: The Best Celery Root Replacement

Celeriac, or celery root, is a bulbous, knobby root vegetable that is a cultivated variety of the same plant as stalk celery.

Flavor Profile: Celeriac has an earthy, nutty, and slightly sweeter flavor than regular celery, with a distinct celery-like aroma.
Texture and Use: Raw, it's firm and crunchy, making it excellent when grated into slaws or salads. When cooked, it becomes creamy and can be mashed, roasted, or puréed, offering a versatile potato-like consistency without the high starch content.

Fennel: The Anise-Scented Stand-in

Fennel is a vegetable characterized by its white bulb, green stalks, and feathery fronds.

Flavor Profile: Fennel has a recognizable anise or licorice-like flavor that mellows significantly when cooked. The taste also contains a similar grassy freshness to celery, making it a viable substitute in many dishes.
Texture and Use: The bulb offers a fresh, crunchy texture when raw, perfect for salads. The stalks are also edible and can be cooked down in soups and stews.

Lovage: A Potent Herb for a Celery Kick

Lovage is a tall, perennial herb closely related to celery, with a much more intense flavor.

Flavor Profile: The flavor is described as a strong, sweet celery taste with a hint of anise and parsley. A little goes a long way, so it should be used sparingly.
Texture and Use: Both the leaves and stalks are edible. Young leaves can be added to salads, while the stalks can be chopped and used in cooked dishes like soups and stews.

Other Crunchy and Flavorful Options

Bok Choy: The white bulb and green leaves of bok choy offer a mild, slightly peppery flavor and a satisfying crunch, especially in stir-fries and soups.
Green Bell Pepper: For a similar crunch and mild, grassy, slightly bitter note, green bell peppers can be used in cooked applications like the Louisiana "holy trinity" of cooking.
Cucumber: With its high water content and crisp texture, cucumber is an excellent raw substitute in salads and juices where crunch and freshness are key, though its flavor is less complex.

Comparison of Celery Alternatives


Vegetable	Raw Flavor Profile	Cooked Flavor Profile	Best Use for Celery Flavor	Best Use for Celery Texture
Celeriac	Earthy, sweet, nutty, celery-like	Milder, sweeter, subtle celery	Soups, stews, purees, mashes	Slaws, salads, purees
Fennel	Anise, licorice, fresh, crunchy	Mellows significantly, sweeter	Soups, stews, sautés	Slaws, salads, gratins
Lovage	Strong, sweet, intense celery	Concentrated celery flavor	Flavoring soups, stocks	Not ideal; mostly for flavor
Bok Choy	Mild, peppery, cabbage-like	Milder, slightly sweet	Cooked dishes, stir-fries	Stir-fries, soups, salads
Green Bell Pepper	Grassy, slightly bitter	Mellows, adds vegetal depth	Cooked bases (e.g., mirepoix)	Soups, stews, stir-fries

How to Choose the Right Celery Substitute

Selecting the right substitute depends on the recipe and what you are trying to achieve.

For Raw Crunch: If you are making a salad, slaw, or a snack and need to replicate celery's crispness, finely grated celeriac or thinly sliced fennel bulb are excellent choices. Cucumber also works well for a high-water, mild crunch.

For Cooked Flavor: When building a flavor base for soups, stews, or a mirepoix (the classic blend of celery, onions, and carrots), celeriac and fennel are the best choices. Both integrate seamlessly and provide that distinctive aromatic depth. Lovage, with its intense flavor, should be used with a light touch to avoid overpowering the dish.

For Texture and Mouthfeel: If replicating the texture is more important than the exact flavor, especially in a stir-fry, bok choy or green bell pepper are effective. They both stand up well to heat and add a satisfying, cooked vegetable texture.

Conclusion: A World of Celery-Like Flavors

While finding an exact replica for celery's unique flavor and texture can be challenging, a wide range of vegetables and herbs can serve as effective substitutes. Celeriac is arguably the closest match, with a robust, earthy celery-like taste, while fennel offers a milder, anise-infused flavor that works wonderfully when cooked. Lovage delivers a potent, concentrated dose of celery aroma, perfect for adding depth to cooked dishes. By understanding the specific profile of each alternative, home cooks can easily replace celery and adapt their favorite recipes without compromising on taste.

For more in-depth information on cooking with celeriac, a detailed guide is available on the Forks Over Knives website, detailing its preparation and uses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Celeriac, also known as celery root, is the closest match, as it is a variety of the same plant cultivated for its root. It has an earthy, nutty, and slightly sweeter celery-like flavor.

For soups and stews, celeriac and fennel are excellent substitutes. They both provide a similar aromatic depth and their flavors mellow nicely during the cooking process.

Yes, you can use thinly sliced or grated raw fennel bulb to replace celery in a salad. It adds a satisfying crunch, though it will also introduce a mild, anise-like flavor.

Lovage has a much more potent celery-like flavor than regular celery, so it should be used in smaller quantities. It is best used for flavoring soups, stocks, and stews, not for replicating the texture of celery stalks.

For raw crunch, consider using finely grated celeriac, thinly sliced fennel bulb, or chopped cucumber. These options provide a refreshing crispness similar to celery.

No, celeriac (celery root) and celery stalks come from the same botanical species but are different cultivated varieties. Celeriac is grown for its root, and its stalks are typically not eaten.

For a classic mirepoix base (the mix of onion, celery, and carrots), celeriac or fennel bulb are ideal replacements. They offer a great aromatic flavor that complements the other ingredients.