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!
Fantastic as a stand-alone soup or used in any recipe calling for canned condensed cream of celery soup. 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. 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.
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.
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 our Cream of Mushroom Soup!
What’s the Best Dutch Oven to Use?
For this recipe, I recommend using 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.
- If using as a base for other recipes, this soup will keep in the fridge for at least 3-4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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! Simple but delicious soup! I made as directed just used a tad less flour (1/4 cup) I found it to be a little thicker,so I just thinned with a bit more broth and it was so good.I still have more celery so I’ll definitely make this again:)
Fantastic, Sam, thank you so much for the feedback, I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it!
Love this soup. It tastes really clean but it’s satisfying too. Is there a gluten free flour that subs OK in this? My sons best friend is coeliac…
Thank you so much, Chris! For the smoothest texture I would recommend cornstarch as a substitute. Omit the flour and then at the very end you’ll dissolve some cornstarch in a little water or broth, stir it into the soup, and simmer for a minute or two until slightly thickened. I would start with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in 2-3 tablespoons of water/broth and you can add more if needed.
THUMBS UP! Finally. A recipe for cream soup that is actually creamy. Not watery.
Along with a good amount of vegetable in it so you can taste the flavor of the
type of soup. I used 3 cups of whole milk ( needed to use it up ) and a dollop of cream.
Instead of chicken stock or bouillon I used 2 teaspoons of VEGETA all purpose seasoning
and the listed pepper, salt and sugar. YUM! The hubs Loved it. ( He didn’t even add any
salt or pepper at the table which he usually does. ) I will now use this recipe as my
go-to standard for cream of soups. Anxious to try mushroom, broccoli, carrot, etc.
Wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Marie, and I appreciate the feedback! Happy cooking and please let us know what you think of the other soups when you’ve tried them!
Mmmmm. New way to make scalloped potatoes.Fantastic
Oooh, that’s brilliant, Judy!
This recipe is SO good. No more canned cream of celery for me.
Thank you so much, Richard!
My goto recipe to use up leftover celery. There’s always celery left over, even when I try to find creative uses for it. Now I have this recipe and whatever is leftover is dedicated to this soup. I’ve made it with only 3 stalks, and with up to 8 stalks – it’s good every time. Even when the celery is limp. This soup reminds me of a country gravy, it’s so delicious and decadent. I do find myself adding more milk to thin it out & stretch it out to feed to more mouths. There’s hardly ever leftovers. Thank you for this game changing recipe!
I really appreciate that, Ginny, and I’m so thrilled that this has become a regular! <3
Second time making to the recipe but added a can of cream corn and shredded jalapeño cheddar as a garnish I wanted to add a pic but sadly not an option
That sounds like a winning combination, Karynjbj!
I thoroughly enjoyed this soup! The convenience of making it quickly and not sacrifciing the taste.Fantastic!
Made is exactly as suggested EXCEPT I omitted the sugar (personal preference). The flavor is SO good and exactly as I had hoped. This is a keeper, thank you!
Thank you, Jen, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I just made this, it’s so good! Wondering if it freezes well?
Thank you, Denise! I’ve never tried freezing this but I’ve had several readers report that it freezes well.
The sugar ruined it. I made it exactly as the recipe said and it was way too sweet.
A 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in a whole pot of soup “ruined it” and made it “way too sweet”? I’m not even sure how that’s possible unless J Oakley is really a pseudonym for “The Princess and the Pea!” ;)
Only explanation for this comment is you read the recipe incorrectly. .5 of a teaspoon sugar is not going to change the flavour profile of this soup.
Absolutely loved this soup. So simple and the ingredients are all staples in my home. I only changed the recipe a little, by adding 1/4 cup of shredded carrot, just to add some colour.
Thank you, Kay, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Sooo goood! Thank you!
Thank you, Chris! :)
Really needs pimping unless you are a fan of bland hospital style food. Needs more garlic, celery salt, worchester sauce and even some grated sharp cheddar cheese. Not a great soup.
I made the recipe just a few days ago, and honestly I couldn’t DISAGREE with you more. I went to culinary school, so my normal is to add a little bit of this, and a little bit of that, but I made this recipe exactly as is, and it was delicious. My husband claims he hates celery, and he absolutely loved this.
Thank you so much, Justin, I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it and appreciate the feedback!
Simple and delicious! I had a bunch of celery to use up this worked out well! I used really good quality butter and a mix of cream and milk. To make it a full meal I added a can of white kidney beans at the end and it’s perfect.
Delicious. I ate the whole thing
I’ve made this a dozen times. So great! My husband’s favorite.
Thank you so much, Penny!