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!
BEST Cream of Celery Soup
Ingredients
- 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
Nutrition
Laura says
Hello! Can I use vegetable broth, instead of chicken broth? What impact do you think it would have on the soup?
Thank you,
Laura
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Laura, yes you can use absolutely vegetable broth. Chicken broth has a richer flavor but vegetable broth will produce yummy results also.
Andrea Guiler says
Can I use coconut milk instead of milk? I need to use it if possible as it is unsweetened
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Andrea, yes you can, as long as you’re fine with the coconut flavor. Alternatively you use can use nut, rice or soy milk.
Fallon says
Hi! Thanks for the recipe! Can I substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth? Thanks for your help!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Absolutely, Fallon!
Don says
Was unable to use my celery and hoped to find a use for it other than compost in a few days.Your recipe seemed easy…so..and it’s simple AND delicious, thank you.Last time ever for the canned versions!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hooray! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Don, thank you!
Joyce Fountaine says
I’m going to try this with corn starch instead of flour for my people who have celiac disease.
Elaine says
Can this be canned and therefore be made shelf stable?
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Elaine, this recipe hasn’t been tested for canning.
Larissa Kurpius-Brock says
This recipe was so straightforward, perfectly written, organized, and done. A definite keeper. Thanks so much for taking the time to right, photograph and share. Will be having with wild hog chops and scalped potatoes tomorrow! Although I do agree it was amazing just on its own.
Larissa Kurpius-Brock says
*write 🤦🏼♀️ lol
Sandi says
Love this soup on its own or as a base
Can it be frozen?
Only 2 of us and I have a large bag of celery I want to save before greenhouse has more
Thankyou
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you so much, Sandi! Yes, we’ve had several readers report back that they’ve frozen this with good results.
Janet wood says
I loved this recipe although I didn’t use quite the amount of salt stated. I make everything from scratch and often use this as a base for chicken and vegetable and pasta bakes.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you, Janet, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Loretta Monkres says
Can you put the celery, onion in the food pro?
A less chunky approach 😉
Kimberly Killebrew says
You bet, Loretta!
Lisa Cosentino says
I have a few recipes that call for “undiluted” cream of celery soup. I don’t like using canned. Is there a way to make this more like “undiluted”? One recipe calls for adding sour cream in place of other liquids. The other calls for adding only 1/2 cup of milk. Your thoughts? Thank you, Lisa C.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Lisa, you can make a more diluted, concentrated version of this soup 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 those recipes direct.
Georgianne says
This is absolutely delicious! I will never buy can! Everything is better homemade. I have made this many times now and shared with family & friends.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you so much, Georgianne, I’m thrilled that it’s become a regular!
Anonymous says
Too much salt imo. I’d start with 1/2tsp. Can always add more to taste
Tam says
This was outstanding. Had a large bag of organic celery I didn’t want to go to waste! Perfect for the soggy weather we’re having. I added some tabasco in my soup mug as I like spicy.
Kimberly Killebrew says
I’m so glad you like it, Pam, thank you!
Holly says
Delicious!! I added a bit more stock and used an immersion blender to make it totally smooth. Wonderful!
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you, Holly, I’m happy you enjoyed it!
Lorraine says
Super easy to make, my husband won’t eat celery but he loves this soup, perfect for a cold day. I use half milk and cream and blend it till its smother and creamy ……. Thanks for the recipe
Kimberly Killebrew says
Wonderful, Lorraine, thank you so much for the feedback!