Were I live you can't get celery. I want to make chicken soup, what can I replace the celery with?

Question

I live in Egypt and the ground never gets cold enough to grow it. If you do find it it is really expensive and not the nice long pail green kind but a small dark green with a nasty taste.

Answer 1

the whole idea of celery in chicken soup is that it is one of the 3 parts of mirepoix (the base vegetables: onion, carrot, celery).
You put the mirepoix (3 base veggies) in a pot with some oil, heat it, and saute the veggies to get some flavor into the soup. Then saute the meat, add the water, some seasonings, and voila you have a tasty soup.
So you don't have celery. Don't use it. All it does is become mushy and soft anyways. Want that cool-to-the-tongue celery flavor? Try celery salt, celeriac (aka celery root), a touch of mint chiffonade, or heck, get creative and just try any veggie you can get your hands on. Peas. Sugar snap peas, tomatoes. (hey tomato chicken soup, and add some elbow noodles, why not?) Whatever. You'll be fine. It'll taste great.

Answer 2

I don't know of a substitute, but perhaps a camping outfitter such as big-5 may have some dehydrated celery or soups for campers, or maybe you can get someone with a dehydrator to send you some that has been put in an airtight sealed bag and shipped to where you live. good luck

celery seed or celery salt spice meybe.

http://www.mccormick.com/

Answer 3

The best thing is substituting with Celery Seed. I would say about 1/4-1 tsp (depending on how fresh it is) per stalk. Just use your taste buds to tell. There is really no other substitute for celery.

Answer 4

Well where i live, its frigging hot... but still there are celery around. Probably go look for them in supermarkets or something like that.
Personally, I use other vegetables, whether there is or isnt celery available.

Answer 5

Celery Salt, gives the same flavor.

Answer 6

Condensed celery soup or celery seed.

Answer 7

try a tamarindos soup base, by Knorr.

it won't replace celery, but it's got good flavor.

nothing can replace celery, so you'll have to settle for other ingredients.

Answer 8

I agree with the above...Why can't you get celery? I found it really odd you said that, but then realized you stated "where I live" where is that and why? Sorry I just like "useless information" and I'm curious...

Thank you for "feeding" my brain :)

Answer 9

Cabbage? Beets?

Answer 10

you really dont have to use celery, it will still be good.