Leave the canned stuff on the shelf because NOTHING compares to homemade!Ā 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. Ā 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. Ā No comparison in flavor. Ā No comparison in the purity and healthiness of the ingredients. Ā And I would never even consider eating the canned stuff as an actual soup. Ā 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? Ā *gag* Ā I still can’t fathom how my husband thinks that canned cream of chicken soup tastes good. Ā Again, a very rare indulgence, but still. Ā Ugh! Ā I asked Todd if it’s okay if I reveal this fact about him to the world. Ā His response, [laughing] “Sure, go right ahead, I’m not ashamed of that!” Ā *sigh*
This cream of celery soup is sublime. Ā 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. Ā
For best results, be sure to use good quality celery that’s very fresh and full of flavor. Ā When it comes to celery, organic really is best. Ā Non-organic commercial celery usually just tastes like a crunchy stalk of water with a “hint” of celery. Ā So get the good stuff from your local farmer’s market. Ā 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. Ā
This recipe also provides an excellent base for many other “cream of” vegetables soups. Ā 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.
Ā
Stir in the flour and cook for another minute.
Add the broth and milk. Ā For even richer results substitute cream for some of the milk.
Stir immediately to prevent the flour from clumping. Ā Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Ā 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
IslandAngel says
5 stars for sure … added a shallot and purĆ©ed in vitamix , awesome, easy recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much, IslandAngel!
BJ says
I am a devout carnivore, and yet I make this soup at least 2-3 times a month! It is delicious!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, BJ! :)
Jen says
This was nice and flavorful I ran the soup through an immersion blender and added a little extra garlic. The soup is quite thick with the whole milk and heavy cream in combo. Would be better a little thinner. But it’s a good use of extra celery!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Jen, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Anonymous says
Amazing soup instead of flour I added small container of Philadelphia Herb & Garlic Cream Cheese and Cream instead of milk. š
Allison says
I made this soup and pureed it…delicious!! Is the nutritional info for the entire recipe or per serving?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Allison! It’s for one serving (four servings total).
Dree says
This soup recipe is delish!! But If you really want to take this to another level, use celery root! Sublime!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Dree! I LOVE celery root – agreed, that would make a great addition or substitution.
Reba says
This soup is delicious!!! I make my own cashew cream which I used in place of the milk products. Iāll use it as a base for other cream soups now. I have never left a review…. but this needs a review!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks you so much, Reba, I really appreciate the feedback!
Cindy says
Do I need a Dutch Oven for these 5 star results? I don’t own one :(
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Not at all, Cindy :) Whatever you have will work just fine. Happy cooking!
Olivia says
I plan to mAke this today and throw in some small frozen shrimp because Iām not a fan of pure cream of vegetable soups as a stand alone dish unless Iām a patient in the hospital and have no other choice than cream of potatoes or tomatoes. Yuck!!
I do like the simplicity of your recipe and plan to enjoy my creamy soup on this cold Jan day. I plan to substitute Maryland old bay season instead of the salt. . Thanks
Louis herrero says
My dear wife is out of town and she left fresh celery in the fridge. I googled and tried your recipe. Absolutely delicious!thank you, I am now spoiled.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, Louis, thank you! You’ll need to surprise your wife with a bowl of it when she gets back :)
Bluffton Native says
Looking for an option to the canned stuff to use in a recipe. What can I say other than delicious. The wife had a small bowl and said 5 stars. Now to use it for the original purpose. Looking forward to adopting this for cream of mushroom, broccoli or whatever I think of. Thanks so much for this recipe Kimberly!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you both enjoyed it, thank you!
zuzu says
Simple ingredients, fabulous taste. As a kid, my favorite soup was the cream of celery in the familiar red and white can. As an adult, I try to eat more healthfully. It was a pleasure to find this. It satisfied a years long craving and has since become part of my repertoire. Sometimes I add potatoes and it tastes like clam chowder without the clams. My husband likes the potatoes, I prefer the cream of celery version. Thank you so much for posting this!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s fantastic, Zuzu, I’m so happy to hear that, thank you!
Faisal says
I made cream of mushroom soup using this recipe (replacing celery with Cremini mushrooms) and it was DELICIOUS! The seasoning was perfect. It was buttery and creamy; savory and just a little sweet (from the onions and 1/2 tsp of sugar). I will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Faisal, thanks so much for the feedback!
Frank Keller says
What change in taste/flavor will using regular bleached all purpose flour instead of unbleached be? Thanks much for your recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Frank, no difference whatsoever, use whichever you have on hand. Happy cooking!
Penny says
Absolutely wonderful! Highly recommend to all. My husband said it tastes just like his great grandmother’s!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Penny, thanks so much!
BarbMrgich says
Can I make this recipe gluten free?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Barb, you can thicken it with something like cornstarch instead.
Mary says
Cornstarch gives a different texture, I would use potato flour or cassava flour instead.
DD says
I just made this using Bob’s Redmill 1 for 1 GF flour and it worked well.