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
Anonymous says
I m in luv with ur recipes.. Ur thorough demo pics..god bless u..
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, I really appreciate that! :)
Carol says
Thanks for the recipe. I made my version vegan by using garlic infused coconut oil, almond milk, organic veggie stock, carrots, baby bella mushrooms and hemp hearts. I also did not add salt or sugar. Your recipe didn’t need either. Again, thanks for inspiring me to create.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Carol, thanks for your feedback on your veganized version.
Nicole says
Curious if anyone has tried freezing this yet (with or without the milk added). We use Campbell’s Cream of Celery and Cream of Chicken condensed soups in EVERYTHING and I’ve just recently become aware of how many unhealthy and suspicious ingredients are in them….I’d love to make a big batch and keep on the freezer to use as needed.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Definitely, Nicole! Yes, you can freeze it. Freeze it without the milk/cream and then add the milk/creak when you reheat the soup. Happy soup-making!
Paula Weidner says
I like how the soup turned out. It’s very creamy. I froze some for those recipes that require canned. Thank you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, thanks for your feedback, Paula!
jennifer says
Delicious! Added 1 chicken bouillon, 2 cups water, skipped the salt and used mostly cooking cream with a little milk. Thick, creamy, easy :) LOVE IT!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed it, Jennifer, thank you!
jennifer says
Hi Kimberly, trying it with broccoli this time. Do i need to steam the broccoli first or just through them in (from frozen)?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jennifer, you don’t need to steam it but do thaw and drain it first. Happy cooking!
Sharen Valentine says
I made the cream of celery soup today for my family and it was a huge hit. I used about 1/2 cup milk and 1 cup cream and it was heavenly!! Can’t wait to make it again. And it was super easy. I’ll never eat cream of celery soup out of a can again.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
YES!!!! So glad it was hit, Sharen – thanks so much for the feedback!
Jennifer says
Hi Kimberly. To make mushroom soup, how would I do that using this base?
Do u suggest chicken bouillon or veg broth? Which one yields the most flavour?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jennifer, you would simply substitute chopped fresh mushrooms in place of the celery and make it exactly the same way. You can use either chicken or vegetable broth, but I would probably go with chicken. And I would definitely use some heavy cream :)
Lisa says
How long/well does it keep in the Fridge? I’d love to make a larger batch and had individual servings ready to go. Do you suggest freezing it as is or freezing the broth portion and adding the dairy after reheating it? Thanks!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Lisa, it will keep in the fridge for at least 3 days. And like you noted, you can freeze it without the the milk/cream and then add it later. Happy cooking!
TomR says
I have just made this soup and it is perfect, even though, in the spirit of being daring, I broke the rules. I used dried garlic and onion rather than fresh. I used 2% milk rather than whole. These are the things I have on hand. Perhaps next time I’ll do it the “right” way (having a Wusthof knife would help in that process ), but the beauty of this recipe is that (a) it is simple, and (b) it can handle my less-than-optimal substitutions.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Exactly, TomR! And in the end all that really matters is that it tastes good! And speaking of the knife, be sure to enter the giveaway on my chicken post for a chance to win it!
Bridget says
My husband needs to be gluten free. Do you have any suggestions for using cornstarch instead of flour? Thanks!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Bridget! Yes, use half the amount of cornstarch and dissolve it in the broth or milk before adding it.
Anonymous says
Should have done this……had lumps!
Michelle says
Found your recipe when looking for a recipe to finish up celery from another recipe. Made it exactly as written with whole milk…it is delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Michelle, thanks so much!
melly says
thanks! :) we aren’t big milk drinkers but i’m a big coffee drinker and ALWAYS have half & half in my fridge.
melly says
could you use half & half instead of the milk?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
You bet, Melly, and it will taste even better that way! :)
Ginger says
Yes u can,that is the way we make it, it comes out velvity smooth & tasty,!
Bette says
I used heavy whipping cream, left out sugar and flour, pureed in my blender. It came out wonderful!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Bette, so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Marion H Brown says
Bette – I did the same and it was sooo delicious!
Diana says
Sounds so yummy. I’m going to try stopping at the add broth and freeze. Will let you know how it works.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Diana! Enjoy!
Wendy says
Looks like it could be frozen if you made it without the cream or milk, which tends to separate when frozen. I’m going to try it, then add the milk when it is reheated …what do you think?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That sounds like a great plan, Wendy!