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!
This was really good but i made just a couple of adjustments, added 1/2 c more milk cuz the chicken flavor was coming through to much and i added about 1 tsp of celery seed. I also pureed half of the soup so it wasnt so chunky. Didnt want the rest of the celery just laying around so I pureed the rest of the celery, hearts and all with another 1/3 c milk(my soup was really thick) and put through a sieve, it gave it even more of a celery flavor and added a nice light green color.
That’s great, Carey, I’m so glad you enjoyed it and were able to adjust it to your full liking, thanks for the feedback!
This soup was really delicious. The rain was pouring down outside with thunder and lightning which made us want comfort food. It really delivered. Thank you
I’m so glad, Jennifer, thank you! <3
So good! Will never buy canned again! Can this be frozen?
Thank you so much, Karen! I haven’t tried but I’ve had a multiple readers report good success with freezing it.
Superb! Michelin Stars worthy!
Awesome, thank you so much Michele!
Holy smokes that was good!!! it’s one of my favorite soups and I’ve been meaning to make it for years but have just been a bit lazy. I love the simplicity of the recipe. I zapped the veggies in the food processor (more laziness). Thank you so much. I hope I can
I had to leave a comment about this recipe, it’s just too good! I had lots of celery to go through and I thought that a cream would be good. This recipe is a gem. I had some 35٪ cream left over (a bit less than a cup) and used 3,25% milk. I used a bit more salt and pepper than what is says, and also added some dried oregano. This is one of the best soup/cream I’ve cooked. It is delicious! I “pureed” it to make it more creamy. I will definitely print the recipe and keep it for multiple uses! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Annie, thank you very much for the feedback!
I didn’t have chicken broth so I used only milk and was really nhamy!
Thank you, Diana, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I am so proud of myself and happy, happy, happy!!! I love Cream of Celery soup. My mom used to make it, but she didn’t share her recipe….at least not that I can remember. Just so happens, I had 3 stalks of celery in the fridge (my house looks like “Nature’s Bounty” right now with all the fruits and veggies). So I found this recipe and it is sooooo delicious. Car in the shop this weekend so I’m stuck at home…and so in honor of my beautiful momma who could cook so good, I made my favorite Cream of Celery soup!
Oh I’m so glad, Kimberly, I’ve no doubt your momma is feeling proud of you too! <3 Thanks so much for the feedback!
Can’t say enough good things about this soup, even my husband and son who hate celery love it. Quick, easy and delish !!
Oh I’m so glad, Lorraine, thank you! :)
Kimberley, just made my 2nd batch to finish off the liquids. It was so good. I will make a double batch next time with 900 ml of broth and 1 litre of milk. I will also be looking through your other recipes!
Hi, can you please let me know how much chicken stock/broth the recipe calls for? Thank you
Hi Richard, the recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth.
I had a ton of celery I bought at Costco that needed to be used up. I made your soup for dinner last night and it was AMAZING!!!! So fast, so easy and SO DELICIOUS!!! I’m making another pot of it for lunch today, it is that GOOD!
Oh I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Doris, thank you so much! <3
This looks wonderful. Have you ever frozen what you did not need for a recipe?
Thank you, Angela! I haven’t personally frozen it but have had numerous readers report back that it freezes well. Happy cooking! <3
Delicious! I made it easy on myself and used the food processor to chop everything up. It came out great! Thanks!
Fantastic, Mandy, thanks so much!
Yes! I love my ninja! Used it, also to chop up all my celery, onion and garlic! Best thing I ever bought!!
Outstanding. My mom helped me grow the celery and we are in love with the results. This soup just makes one feel good!! Thanks for sharing
That is so awesome, Louise, nothing beats homegrown veggies! I’m so glad you enjoyed this soup, thank you!