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. Â 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. Â No comparison in flavor. Â No comparison in the purity and healthiness of the ingredients. Â And I would never even consider eating the canned stuff as an actual soup. Â 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? Â *gag* Â I still can’t fathom how my husband thinks that canned cream of chicken soup tastes good. Â Again, a very rare indulgence, but still. Â Ugh! Â I asked Todd if it’s okay if I reveal this fact about him to the world. Â His response, [laughing] “Sure, go right ahead, I’m not ashamed of that!” Â *sigh*
This cream of celery soup is sublime. Â 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. Â
For best results, be sure to use good quality celery that’s very fresh and full of flavor. Â When it comes to celery, organic really is best. Â Non-organic commercial celery usually just tastes like a crunchy stalk of water with a “hint” of celery. Â So get the good stuff from your local farmer’s market. Â 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. Â
This recipe also provides an excellent base for many other “cream of” vegetables soups. Â 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.
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Stir in the flour and cook for another minute.
Add the broth and milk. Â For even richer results substitute cream for some of the milk.
Stir immediately to prevent the flour from clumping. Â Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Â 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
Erica says
This is outstanding. Double it for a regular soup pot size (not the larger size dutch oven). Spices: salt, pepper, garlic salt, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley. Use liberally. Absolutely delicious, comforting, and full of immune boosting ingredients. I skipped the sugar and used two full cartons of broth and milk. 100% organic.
Shannon says
Does this freeze well?
Shannon says
Also, this recipe is INSANELY delicious…trying to control myself to not eat the entire pot. Need it for my chicken casserole tomorrow!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Shannon, I’m so glad you like it – thank you! :)
Sam says
Do you have canning directions for this recipe . I’m hoping to can some but can’t seem to find any directions for that .
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Shannon, it generally isn’t recommended to freeze soups that contain milk or cream because they tend to get grainy in texture once they’re defrosted and reheated. I did have a reader report that it froze well for her – you could try it with a small amount first.
KRISTEN JONES says
Sorry to say that I found this very bland. I couldn’t get organic celery…maybe that makes all the difference. I then tried adding some chicken base, and some parsley, and used the half milk/half cream… but it didn’t really help it.
KRISTEN says
I found that a dash of nutmeg helped!
Erica says
This happened to me the first time. The secret is the combination of salt, pepper, garlic salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Use liberally.
Beverly S. says
AWESOME. I had all the ingredients for this luckily. And it turned out fantastic thank you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, Beverly, thanks so much!
Maria Stocks says
This current situation is making me be more creative with what I have and luckily, I had most of this ingredients. Only subs: I used chicken stock instead of broth and pea milk (Ripple) instead of milk. Delicious!!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s awesome, Maria, I’m so glad you were able to make it work and am happy you enjoyed it – thank you!
ElizaW says
Wow, thank you for saving my dinner tonight! I needed cream of celery soup for a rice pilaf recipe, and being holded up in home due to the current situation, I wasn’t sure what to do. Luckily, I had all the ingredients. I only buy organic fruits and veggies so it was a win-win. I used white pepper instead for added depth of flavor.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, ElizaW, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Rochelle says
Can this soup be frozen?
Gale says
Inherited 5 heads of celery. What the hell do you do with that much celery?
Turns out that this recipe is an excellent way to get rid of it. The current situation is making me get creative. Thank you for an excellent recipe.
By the way, I forgot to add the sugar until after the first bowl, I don’t think it needed it.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Gale, I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup and found a delicious way to use up all that celery – thanks for the feedback! :)
Marilyn J Corbett says
This is a delicious soup. I have never made home made cream of celery. I will be making it again and I used the half cream and half milk because I had cream to use up. Thank you for a great recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Marilyn, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Jocelyn says
Really REALLY liked this soup. Very easy to make and vastly superior to anything canned. I included celery leaves at the end which really enhanced the celery flavour. I have wild lovage growing in my garden, so I will try including some in my next batch. The only thing I didn’t like was the garlic – will give it a miss next time. Also left out the sugar which was not missed.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Jocelyn, thank you! I have lovage in my garden as well and it’s a great touch for this soup.
Minta Dishman says
how long would you pressure can this soup and would you still cook it or let pressure canning cook it. Thanks
Sharon Peters says
can this soup be canned for later use?
Maraya says
Because the milk and cream are simmered for a while, I was wondering if the soup forms a skin as it cools.
Noel Santaloci says
Great soup!!! Wish we had more!! I added green onion parsley and mushrooms and used an emulsion blender at the end loved cant wait to make again…thank u!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s awesome, Noel, thanks so much for the feedback!
Shanna says
Welll – that was fantastic. I have to admit that I did not use good quality celery – my whole purpose in making this was to use up the nearly dead celery in my crisper and some leftover cream. Holy smokes! Delicious! I made some mini alterations – didn’t add sugar, did sprinkle in a little sweet paprika and crushed red pepper. Used vegetable broth and dropped in some drippings from the last time I roasted a chicken (I keep them frozen in little blocks). Otherwise, just as written and it’s a WINNER!!! Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Shanna, thanks so much for the feedback!
Janelle says
5 Stars…Awesome… Delicious and easy.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Janelle!
Dawn says
When Daring said this was the best soup, she was not being truthful. IT IS THE ONLY SOUP. Excellent. I used bay seasoning, and sprinkled some spicy dust. YUMMIE
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Dawn, I’m thrilled you enjoyed it! :)