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!
WOW SO AWESOME LOVE IT
USED ONE CUP CREAMO AND HALF CUP WATER
I had celery ready in my garden and tried this recipe today. Amazing results with little effort required so thanks for the great recipe.
Thank you so much, Mary!
Love this recipe! Easy and so tasty. Reminds me of my childhood.
Wonderful! Thanks so much for the feedback, Jess!
Can you can cream soups?
Hi Beverly, this recipe hasn’t been tested for canning.
Excellent recipe. So easy and tasty. Instead of cream or milk, I added 3 small potatoes cubed into the soup and came out perfect.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Sylvie, thank you for the feedback!
I add a bunch of dill to my celery soup
I make soup often and since I hadn’t made this one before, I made half a recipe to try. I had to stop myself from eating all of it at once. This is definitely company worthy. I’m delighted to have a use for the excess celery since we have to purchase so much when recipes call for one rib. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Lila, thank you! :)
Never one to follow a recipe 100% – I used 1/2 cup buttermilk with 1 cup of cream, and added a dollop of sour cream when serving the soup, and sprinkled onion greens on top. Perfection!
Fantastic, Ron, I’m so glad you enjoyed it and appreciate the feedback, thank you!
Some recipes call for can of celery soup without the milk…I guess you’d just do all but the milk for that?
Also, any tips on which flour to use for gluten free?
I have just made it and it is EXCELLENT!! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Thank you so much, Bernetta!
Can you freeze thus? Have a large quantity of celery. Want to make something I can freeze.
Hi Deana, it’s generally not recommended to freeze soups or sauces with milk because the milk curdles and turns grainy when thawed. That said, I’ve had a few readers comment that they freeze it and are happy with the results.
I’d never even heard of cream of celery soup before finding this recipe! But wow, this was the absolute best way to use up the rest of my whole milk and celery that clearly needed to get used last week… Absolutely delicious, I will be making this again on purpose next time.
Thank you, Allison, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I have just made the celery soup and although it’s very tasty I’m a little confused concerning how much stock to use as there is nothing that indicates the amount.
Is it ment to be the same amount as the milk?
Hi Donna, the quantity of chicken broth is listed directly above the milk in the list of ingredients – it’s 1 1/2 cups so yes, the same as the milk.
Love this recipe.It’s simple and quick. I added nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor.
Very happy with this recipe! It tastes like “Thanksgiving” to me.
As a matter of fact, I use it as a base for Green Bean Casserole because I have a mushroom allergy in the house. I make the following modifications:
I use 3/4 cup half-n-half and 3/4 cup whole milk
I add 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika and nutmeg
Finally, I reserve an extra 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth to add in to reach desired thickness.
Every batch is a little different based on the water in the onions/celery and the flour. Some are perfect consistency, some need a whole extra 1 1/2 cups of broth.
This is my go-to cream of celery soup, though I omit the sugar. I share it with my college students as something easy they can make in their dorm kitchens (and most can’t cook!); they love it, too. I recently acquired an immersion blender since my fine chopping skills are questionable. It’s a great base to change the spice combo. I did an achiote inspired blend, and I enjoyed it immensely. Add 1/2 tsp each ground spices: annato pepper, coriander, cumin, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Always with a side of homemade cornbread.
Thank you so much, LaKeisha, I’m thrilled that it’s become a regular and thank you also for sharing it with your students! And your flavor twist sounds delish!
That’s sounds delicious!!! I will definitely be trying, thank you fir sharing!!!