BEST Cream of Celery Soup

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.

Leave the canned stuff on the shelf because NOTHING compares to homemade!  This homemade cream of celery soup recipe is made from scratch, is easy to make, and the flavor will absolutely “wow” you!

Fantastic as a stand-alone soup or used in any recipe calling for canned condensed cream of celery soup.  Clean, pure, delicious!

Most of us appreciate and enjoy the luxury of convenience from time to time, but we all know there is NO comparison between store-bought canned “cream of” soups and homemade.  No comparison in flavor.  No comparison in the purity and healthiness of the ingredients.  And I would never even consider eating the canned stuff as an actual soup.  Mixing it together with a bunch of other ingredients as part of a recipe is one thing (and still only something I have done on very rare occasions while turning a blind eye to the ingredients list), but mixing it with milk, heating it up and eating it plain?  *gag*  I still can’t fathom how my husband thinks that canned cream of chicken soup tastes good.  Again, a very rare indulgence, but still.  Ugh!  I asked Todd if it’s okay if I reveal this fact about him to the world.  His response, [laughing] “Sure, go right ahead, I’m not ashamed of that!”  *sigh*

This cream of celery soup is sublime.  I whipped it up to use as the base for a Creamy Cabbage & Kielbasa Soup I was developing for dinner that evening (oh so good and recipe to come!) but it was so good that I was really tempted to eat it plain and just make something else for dinner.  

For best results, be sure to use good quality celery that’s very fresh and full of flavor.  When it comes to celery, organic really is best.  Non-organic commercial celery usually just tastes like a crunchy stalk of water with a “hint” of celery.  So get the good stuff from your local farmer’s market.  And there have been many times when I’ve been surprised to find the organic celery selling for the same price as, or not much more than, non-organic.  

This recipe also provides an excellent base for many other “cream of” vegetables soups.  Substitute mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, etc, for the celery.

So without further ado, let’s get started!

Cream of Celery Soup Recipe

Very finely dice the onion and celery and mince the garlic.

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven and cook the onion, celery and garlic over medium-high heat until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes.

Stir in the flour and cook for another minute.

Add the broth and milk.  For even richer results substitute cream for some of the milk.

Stir immediately to prevent the flour from clumping.  Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a simmer.  Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add salt to taste.

The end result is a perfectly delicious cream of celery soup you can enjoy on its own or use in place of bought condensed soup for any recipe calling for it.

Enjoy!

Be sure to also try our Cream of Mushroom Soup!

What’s the Best Dutch Oven to Use?

For this recipe, I recommend using a Dutch oven because it seals in the flavors and heats evenly, ensuring consistent cooking results. I love this 6-quart, budget-friendly option from Lodge, which you can get on Amazon for around $80. Or, if you’re looking for a worthy splurge, I also have this one from Le Creuset, which sells for around $300.

BEST Cream of Celery Soup

By Kimberly Killebrew

Leave the canned stuff on the shelf because NOTHING compares to homemade!

4.95 from 298 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine All, American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 231 kcal

Equipment

• Dutch oven

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 small yellow onion ,finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 cups very finely chopped good quality flavorful celery (about 5 large ribs, organic recommended for optimal flavor).
• 1 large clove garlic ,minced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1 1/2 cups good quality chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk (or use 3/4 cup milk and 3/4 cup cream for even tastier results)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions

 

• Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot over medium-high heat and cook the onions, celery and garlic until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the flour and cook for another minute. Add the chicken broth and milk/cream and stir until the mixture is smooth. Increase the heat and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste.
• If using as a base for other recipes, this soup will keep in the fridge for at least 3-4 days.

Notes

One batch of this soup is roughly the equivalent (in quantity) of 2 cans prepared canned condensed cream of celery soup ("prepared" meaning 2 cans of added milk). Enjoy as a stand-alone soup or use in any recipe calling for prepared canned condensed cream of celery soup.

If you have recipes that call for "undiluted" (no added liquids) canned condensed cream of celery soup you can make a more diluted, concentrated version of this recipe by cutting down on the amount of liquids and flour (by as much as half) and leaving the other ingredient quantities the same. The soup will be thicker, more like a puree, and the flavor will be more concentrated.  Then you can use it as recipes calling for the undiluted canned soup direct.

Nutrition

Calories: 231kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 6gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 790mgPotassium: 379mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 730IUVitamin C: 3.8mgCalcium: 137mgIron: 0.8mg

Keyword Cream of Celery Soup

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!

Read more about me...