This easy recipe for Creamy Celery Soup has no cream, making it a low-fat, vegan version of cream of celery soup that’s healthy & delicious.
This celery soup is really tasty. I have friends who love it, even if they’re not usually fans of celery. The best part is that it’s a healthier take on creamy soups. It’s smooth and thick, just like the creamy soups we all love, but it has 90% fewer calories!
I’ve discovered a method to create wonderfully creamy soups without using any cream, significantly reducing the calorie count. The secret? Incorporating potatoes makes a thicker soup while also creating a creamy consistency. I love this method so much, I’ve used it to create my Creamy Broccoli Soup, Cauliflower Saffron Soup and my Easy Carrot Soup.
Why This Recipe Works
- Using a generous amount of celery that cooks in the stock, along with fresh aromatics and herbs, creates a full-bodied celery flavor without needing a lot of complicated ingredients.
- Using potatoes to thicken the soup gives it more substance and a smoother, silkier texture.
- Pureeing the celery soup with the potato results in a creamy soup without the added fat.
Ingredient Notes
- Celery: To avoid stringy celery, use the more tender celery stalks that are closer to the middle of the head. Lighter-colored celery is less likely to have though strings.
- Oil: Choose a light, healthy oil, such as olive or canola oil, that won’t overpower the soup’s flavors.
- Onion: We prefer a yellow onion for its mild sweetness, but you can also use white, red, or even shallots to create your own flavor profile.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is preferred for its superior flavor, but it can be substituted with garlic powder or prechopped garlic if you prefer.
- Chicken or Vegetable Stock: Opt for low-sodium versions to control the soup’s saltiness. It’s found in the soup aisle.
- Potatoes: Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes are ideal for their starchy quality, contributing to the soup’s creaminess.
- Parsley: Fresh parsley adds a burst of freshness. You can also experiment with other fresh herbs to create your own unique flavors.
- Salt and Pepper: We prefer kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
Celery Buying Guide
Opt for celery that’s light-colored and crisp, with stalks that are firm and tightly packed.
Ensure you buy celery with leaves attached, as they’re full of flavor. The leaves themselves should be a vibrant, pale green without any wilting or browning, indicating freshness and quality.
Prepping Celery For The Smoothest Soup
Some celery stalks can be quite stringy, and these tough bits can make your soup’s texture less smooth.
To test if your celery is stringy (which can be unpleasant for some), break it in half by hand before chopping. If you see the strings sticking out of the break (see photo below).
To de-string the celery, first wash it, then use a vegetable peeler to shave off the strings from the back of each stalk. Alternatively, you can break the celery into pieces and yank out the stringy ribs that become visible. For a clearer demonstration, you can find this helpful video on YouTube that provides a step-by-step guide.
Erren’s Top Tips
- Prep Your Celery: Use a vegetable peeler to remove the strings from the celery to ensure a smoother soup.
- Chop Evenly: Cut the celery and potatoes into similar-sized pieces so they cook at the same rate. The potatoes can be cut into quarters as they cook faster than celery.
- Simmer Gently: Cook the soup on low heat after it reaches boiling to allow the flavors to meld without overcooking the vegetables.
- Blend Well: Use an immersion blender for a creamy texture. If you don’t have one, a regular blender works, too; just be careful with the hot liquid.
- Taste as You Go: Season with salt and pepper during cooking, but always taste before adding more – you can always add, but you can’t take away!
- Reserve Some Liquid: Set aside some of the cooking stock before blending. You can add it back if the soup is too thick.
- Save Some Celery: Keep a few spoonfuls of the cooked celery to add texture to the soup after blending.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
To store leftovers: Cool your celery soup for about 30 minutes then place it in airtight containers, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To Freeze: For longer storage, freeze the soup in freezer-safe containers, leaving some space at the top, for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove, adding water or stock if it’s too thick.
Did you make this?
Stay Updated
Receive new recipes & dinner ideas straight to your inbox!
Let’s Make Creamy Celery Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
- 2 lbs fresh celery cleaned and chopped (see post for removing strings)
- 1 qt chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 lb potatoes peeled the potato and cut it into quarters
- a good handful of fresh parsley roughly chopped, including stems
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop the celery into roughly the same-sized pieces, about an inch – 1.5 inches, Don’t worry about precision as the soup is going to be puréed anyway. You just want it to cook evenly.
- In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft.
- Add the garlic and cook another minute before adding the celery, stock, potato, and parsley. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
- Cover, lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the celery and potatoes are soft enough that they can easily be pureed (But don’t let them get too mushy).
- Remove the soup from heat. If necessary, using a ladle, remove enough stock so that the celery is just covered. Set any reserved stock aside.
- Remove some of the chopped celery with a slotted spoon (1-2 spoonfuls) and set aside.
- Purée the soup with a stick blender in the pot – adding the reserved stock little by little until the soup reaches the desired consistency.
- Add the reserved celery, mix to combine and serve hot.
Tips + Notes
- If you don’t have a stick blender, a food processor or blender would work just as well to puree the soup.
- To avoid stringy celery, use the more tender celery stalks that are closer to the middle of the head. Lighter colored celery is less likely to have though strings.
- To test if your celery is stringy (which for some can be unpleasant), before cutting the celery, break it in half by hand. If you see the strings sticking out of the break (see photo above), peel the celery to remove the strings.
- To remove the strings from the celery, clean and peel the back of the stalk with a vegetable peeler (for more detailed instructions, you can see this video on YouTube) or just by snapping your celery into sections and pulling out the exposed, stringy ribs.
Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in 2014 but published again in 2018 to include step-by-step directions, nutritional information, new photos, and a video.
Bonnie Haisten says
I did not have potatoes on hand so I used instant potatoes instead to thicken the soup. Works great and tasted delicious.
Erren Hart says
Great thinking, Bonnie! I must admit I’ve done that too! Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Maria says
Made this and it’s delicious! I also liked the fact that you didn’t use any cream!
Love your Cook Mode on your site. I wish every blogger out there would implement that!
Thanks so much!
Erren Hart says
Hi Maria, I’m so happy you enjoyed it so much and the cook mode was useful! Thanks for stopping back to share your review! 🙂
Christy Jayne says
Thanks for the recipe! I freeze our celery pulp after juicing, so i just used 2lbs of pulp and I put it right in the pressure cooker frozen with the potatoes after I sautéd the onion and garlic! Pressure cooked for 11mins before blending right in the pot. Tasty! Thanks again.
Erren Hart says
So glad you enjoyed it and you found a way to make it your own! Thank you for taking the time to let me know!
Angelina Smith says
This recipe is INCREDIBLE! THANKSSSSS!
Erren Hart says
You are very welcome 🙂
Agnes Loving says
I’ve fallen in love with this recipe! Was left with too much celery after a prior recipe and found this one . My only change was I used two small sweet potatoes for the nutritional benefits.
Erren Hart says
That’s wonderful feedback, Agnes! Thanks so much for taking the time!
Roger says
Great recipe! Allowed me to use up a bunch of celery before its went over the hill. I garnished it with some grated nutmeg. Really good.
Erren Hart says
Thanks so much for sharing your experience! Glad you enjoyed the soup so much!
Dorraine says
Delishhh, simple and healthy!!! I threw in a little dill with the parsley and added about a 1/4-1/2 tsp of bacon fat with the olive oil. Also peeled the outside of the celery. Thank you for the recipe. It will be a fun one to experiment with!
Erren's Kitchen says
Sounds delicious Dorraine, glad you liked it, it is a great recipe to play around with 🙂
Bethany Morgun says
This recipe is truly delicious! I made it about a year ago and have been thinking about it since. I made it again tonight, and it was once again breathtaking.
I, sadly, only had dried parsley, but no other substitutions.
Thanks for this wonderful soup!
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m so glad you like it Bethany, I’m sure it’s just fine with dried parsley 🙂
Carole in Herts says
Lovely simple, no fuss, no long selection of ingredients….The best!
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you Carole, I love to hear this 🙂
nancy says
Can any of the soups be put in a food processor to puree? My processor heats and easy to serve, so at what point can I put ingredients into the processor? Love these recipes, want soups with flavor!
Erren Hart says
Sure! You can use a food processor. Depending on size, you may have to do it in batches to avoid leaks that can cause burns.