BEST Cream of Celery Soup
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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!
Homemade Cream of Celery Soup
This homemade Cream of Celery Soup is fantastic as a stand-alone soup or used in any recipe calling for canned condensed cream of celery soup. Made from scratch and utterly 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.
Cream of Celery Soup Recipe
Let’s get started!
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 my Cream of Mushroom Soup!
What’s the Best Dutch Oven to Use?
For this recipe, while you can use any heavy stock pot I like to use 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.
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BEST Cream of Celery Soup
Equipment
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.This soup will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet April 3, 2014
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!
So easy and so delicious.
I made this but subbed homemade soymilk because that’s what I had. It was DELICIOUS!!! I chopped my celery instead of finely diced out of laziness and then blended it. It didn’t actually yield very much (about 20oz?) so next time I will double it because it was so good I gave some to a friend and then wanted more.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Shelby, thank you!
I just made this and it’s delicious! I used cashew cream with a dash of lemon instead of dairy – top notch!
The recipe says that milk and cream can be used. I was wondering what kind of cream this recipe calls for? I am interested in making it.
Hi Jacqueline, you can use heavy cream or half and half.
I have made this several times and it is so good. Even my celery hating husband loves it.
Thank you, Stacy, I’m so glad you both enjoyed it!
I just made this soup it was delicious.i added corn starch instead of flour to thicken. I love celery nd I used very fresh celery ….
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Judy, thanks so much!
can you hot water bath this to can
Hi Bettylou, no this is not safe to be canned in a water bath.
Can you use the celery leaves in this soup
Hi Valerie, you sure can.
That’s where all the flavor is
Absolutely the best cream of celery soup I’ve ever made! Very tasty as well as very easy!!!
Wonderful, Roxanne, thank you so much!
Really yummy. I cut the butter and milk a bit to make it lighter. Still super flavorful.
New to cooking. I’m just wondering if I can make this in a slow cooker. Thanks
Would not think you will need to as it’s quick to make
This is indeed the best celery soup recipe I have ever tried! I’ve made it twice now in one week – it’s so good! To make it low-carb/keto friendly, I dropped the sugar completely and, instead of flour, I used a 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum, a thickener that doesn’t affect blood sugar like flour does.
For Thermomix users: 3 sec/ Sp 7 for onions, garlic, and celery chunks; add butter; 7 min/80C/Sp 2 degrees; add broth, cream or milk, xanthan gum; 15 min/85C/Sp 2; blend at 10 for finish if you want it less chunky.
Thank you so much for the feedback, Tammi, I’m happy you enjoyed it!
I am just enjoying this delicious soup. It was a little thicker than I like, but I thinned it with a bit more broth. Just a personal preference. The flavour is perfect! Thanks so much.
Thanks so much, Jody, I’m happy you enjoyed it!
I made this recipe today with the intent of freezing it for future use. But my husband and I could not stop eating it and sharing it with the grands. This is a great recipe and one I’ll use over and over. Thank you 😊💓
Fantastic, Deb, thank you so much!
Dear Daring! Dare to dare! I used RICE flour added to thicken the translucent vegetable mixture, and I used powdered milk added to the water in the blender, then added powdered chicken consomé which contains salt, before adding to the veg.- flour in the Dutch oven. ( P.S. maybe you should explain this term to the uninitiated!) Then, noting that the soup needed. little thickening, I added 3 tbsp. of instant mashed potato flour. Thereupon, I let simmer 10-15 minutes, but covered. Came out a bit thick, but deliciously chunky! To note also: there always seems to be too much celery available, when you have bought the entire bunch, as is usually the case. So please indicate that it is ok to drastically increase the amount of celery. I used the greener outside stalks, saving the paler, more tender inner ones, including the “heart” for crispy appetizers. The French call this “crudités” meaning “raw things”. As a boy, at home with my family in Canada, we loved raw carrot sticks, celery stalks, even raw radishes, green pepper slivers, often served at dinner in my mom’s crystal leaf-shaped dish. We called these “pushers” for we ate them while waiting for dessert, to make room in our stomach for what was to come! There was never anything left when dessert arrived! P.S. Rice flour is better for thickening because it does not form lumps.It is used here in Mexico to make “Atole”, a thickened milk-based drink served hot, and flavored with vanilla, etc. to have with Tamales at night. I could just go on and on…Buen Provecho, Bon Appetit! Saludos, Brian in Guadalajara
Hi Brian, thanks so much for the feedback on those substitutions and I’m happy it was a hit!
Yum. Go to recipe!!!