For those who had never heard about celeriac and were in front of a recipe implying its use, don’t worry! First of all it is easily replaceable and moreover it is a variety of celery having the initial part of the root very enlarged, to the point of forming a compact globe of about 15-20 cm of diameter.
Inside it is white and firm, it is edible and has a taste of… celery! It is also called “Verona celery” but it is less known than common celery. It is however used a lot in soups and it can be left both raw and cooked. A dish in which celeriac should not be missing is “capricious salad”, very used at Christmas time. But how can it be substituted? First of all with common celery, or even with fennel or onion, or laurel or parsley.
Common celery
Celery is the first substitute for celeriac and is perfect to use as an alternative. Celeriac is slightly less caloric than common celery but the latter is also anti-inflammatory, diuretic and depurative.
Great to use even on chicken, as well as on chicken salads.
Fennel
Despite the fact that the taste of celeriac is different from that of fennel, even this can easily replace it. Many soups and salads in fact are prepared with fennel as well as several risottos.
Onion
Onion can replace both normal celery and celeriac without any problem: the one who likes its taste can also use it on chicken as well as on capricious salad.
Laurel
Laurel has a special taste and is great for flavoring meat and fish. If some recipes must be followed by using celeriac, don’t worry: laurel is widely used to replace it, just think for example to the many meat dishes that can involve this ingredient.
Parsley
Parsley is an excellent substitute for celeriac, especially when it comes to meat: think for example about stews. There are many ways to flavor them and an alternative to celeriac is to chop parsley and use it as a flavoring.
