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!
Just made this soup and it was delicious. I also added a spoonful of creme fresh
Made this using all the ingredients listed and my own homemade bone broth. I wanted a somewhat creamier texture so I use my immersion blender to smooth it out. I also used some celery that was passed it’s crispy prime but was still in fine condition. Waste not want nott is my motto.🙂
Very quick and easy – and so delicious!
Tried this recipe because I have a gluten allergy . It was excellent and a perfect taste.
I didn’t have canned cream of celery, I found this recipe – and I will never buy canned again. Absolutely delicious. I did reduce the other liquids in the casserole I was making to compensate for the fact that this soup is not a condensed form like the canned one. This recipe saved the day!
I’m so glad, Kathy, thank you! :)
This is the best basis for any vegetable cream soup. For the celery soup I added 1-1/2 T of Dijon and 1 T Sherry and cayenne to taste. I’ve also added canned Artichokes. This recipe is great on its own.
Thank you so much, Renee, I really appreciate the feedback!
This might be a silly question but if I am using this soup to add to a recipe that calls for 1 can of condensed cream of celery soup, then I would only use half of this recipe correct? (I think what has me confused is the note mentioning “prepared” meaning two cans of added milk.) I am not adding any milk besides the 1.5 cups the recipe calls for?
Hi Jenn, a can of condensed cream of celery soup will be more concentrated than one can worth of this homemade soup. One can of soup plus one can of milk (which is how the canned stuff is prepared) will be comparable to the equivalent amount of this homemade soup. You can use just 1.5 cups of this homemade soup in place of the 10.5 ounce can of soup, but the flavor likely won’t be as strong. Adding a little extra salt may be sufficient.
Ok so what I should do is use 2 cups of this homemade recipe in place of a 10.5 oz of condensed can soup? I don’t know why this has me confused. I made the soup today and it is delicious!!! Making chicken and dumplings in the Ninja Foodi tomorrow, this will be my first big meal in it, and I don’t want to mess anything up.
Hi Jenn, I’m not sure what you’re making with it but if the recipe calls for 10.5 ounces then I’d use that same amount of the homemade soup (10.5 ounces = about 1 1/3 cups) otherwise you’ll end up with more liquid than the recipe calls for. I’m happy you enjoyed the soup, thank you!
Great cream of celery soup. Creamy, tasty and very easy and fast to make.