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.
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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.
Leslee says
Looking to make this for a first course for Christmas Eve. My 86 year old is a huge fan of all things celery. With the big prime rib dinner, the no cream idea seemed a nice, lighter way to start. Big question: can I make it ahead? I am worried the reserve celery might get soggy. Thanks and can’t wait to make it.
Erren says
Hi Leslee, I understand your concern with the reserve celery, but as the soup is a pureed soup, the celery has to soft. I don’t think making it ahead will effect it. I have made it ahead and froze it as well as chilling in the fridge and it’s been just as good as fresh. Hope this helps.
Hali says
Lovely!! Made this using sweet potatoes and coconut oil. It’s a keeper!
Erren says
Wow Hali, great variation! I’m going to try that one!
Deb Parks says
I’m making it now and noticed that the recipe never says when to add the broth. Saute celery first? With the potatoes?
joe daues says
2 lbs celery? is that about one head of celery? or must I get a scale to measure?
1 lb potato, is that about one russet or 2 golden yukons?
would be a lot easier if size of vegs were given
Erren says
It’s 2 heads and 2 large potatoes. I got a lot of complaints that I didn’t have exact weights so I just re-wrote the recipe!
Dawna says
I just made this recipe as we had an over abundance of celery from our garden. It was delicious and I added croutons and raw pumpkin seeds as a garnish to each bowl. I will be making this again!
Erren says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Dawna! And wish fresh celery! Sounds great!
Charlie says
Do you use the leaves as well, or only the stems?
Erren says
Hi Charlie, I love using the leaves for soups. Leave them on. It just adds to the flavor.
Marvin says
I used the entire stalk.
Helen Brooks says
Great Celery Soup – it was yum!
Erren says
Awesome! So glad you liked it! 😁
Marvin says
I made the celery soup and it is/was fab!
Erren says
Wonderful! 😊
Penny says
Made this for dinner and got thumbs up. Added more garlic and lots of pepper and salt to taste
Erren says
Awesome! Always wonderful to hear! ?
Ursula.nye@gmail.com says
I am going to try it sounds delicious
Erren says
I just made it myself yesterday! It’s a favorite of mine! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Veronica Madore says
How did you get it not have strings from the celery and can you freeze it? It tastes great and I was thinking cumin would be a neat flavour alternative as well!
Erren says
Hi Veronica, Sorry for the late reply. I’m just finding out that the app I use on my phone to reply to comments isn’t working and a bunch went unanswered even though I did reply at the time. I think the stringy celery has to do with how green the celery is. Lighter celery tends to be less tough. If you do have darker celery, try chopping it smaller in the beginning. It should resolve the problem.
I have some in my freezer right now. The only problem I find with freeing is it sometimes ends up watery. Celery has a lot of water in it anyway so freezing will make it even more so. It’s still good, but not as thick and silky in texture. Hope this helps!
Diane Foubert says
I peel my celery to get rid of the strings–just use a potato peeler