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.
Janice says
This soup is delicious and creamy, and easy to make. I didn’t have potatoes on hand and so I used two sweet potatoes instead. As a lover of celery, I’m thrilled to have this recipe in my winter arsenal. Thank you!
Erren says
Sounds great, Janice! I’m so glad you found a way to make it work for you and enjoyed it! Thanks so much for letting me know!
Debbra Morphy says
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elizabeth shipley says
To make it no fat, you could saute the onions in a little veggie broth and eliminate all the oil which I have done in the past and no one knew the difference.
Erren says
Great information, Elizabeth. Thanks!
Mfeld says
Made this today! Was very good. Didn’t make a whole lot but thats ok, next time I will just double it!
Kat says
I made this today. Delicious! I through all the ingredients in a crockpot and let it cook all day. I used organic fingerling potatoes. I didn’t peel them. I didn’t saute anything.I did destring the celery by pulling the strings back with a knife. I added two bay leaves and cooked it on low all day. I came home, pulled out the bay leaves. I pureed with an immersion blender. It came out delicious and creamy. I will make this again.
Erren says
Sounds great, Kat! I love hearing how people make my recipes work for them.
Linda says
Oops! Previously wrote that a portion of this soup was 0 Weight Watchers Smart Points. After checking the nutritional count, I stand corrected! It is 6 points. I am sure this is due to the concentration of the natural sugars in the pureed veggies. But 6 healthy, low fat points is better that some of the canned soups out there that also have preservatives. By the way, I just made this and it is a new go-to for me. It is delicious!
Linda says
This is a great recipe for those who are on a Weight Watchers diet. On Smart points, it’s 0 points per serving and only 189 calories, which aren’t usually counted on Weight Watchers, but I keep them in consideration. So..Woo-Hoo! Going to try this tonight, as I accidentally overstocked my fridge with celery.
Judy Mata says
Overstocked celery is why I came looking as well. This recipe looks Great! I have a couple of potatoes and some onions the need to be used up. This should be GREAT with nice sourdough garlic bread or grilled cheese sandwiches for lunches this week. We are at-hope Seniors, and I am always looking for way to use up everything I can. Celery in the full stalk is one of those items that often go to waste. Not this time. Excellent. Thank you very much, and for everyone’s suggestions as well. I’m going to add a bay leaf to mine.
Erren says
Hi Judy. Hope you enjoyed it!
janice says
pot of soup still warm but missing 1 large bowlful…very satisfying yet not heavy. i left the soup chunky & for seasoning used 1 tsp pink sea salt and several grinds of fresh black pepper. guessing the flavor will intensify overnight but as is it is SO GOOD. this one’s a keeper! thank you for sharing.
Erren says
So happy you like it, Janice! It’s a favorite of mine too 😊
Philip LaMely says
Let me say, this is the second time in preparing this soup. My wife was impressed with the flavor. As for me, I appreciate learning new techniques that add for creativity of flavor in my world of cooking. Thanks…this was an excellent recipe.
Erren says
You’re very welcome. I’m glad you both enjoyed the recipe!
Al says
Delicious soup, I made one addition of one medium carrot.
Erren says
Hi Al, I’ve done that before too! Delicious!
Al says
I should add we enjoyed it unpureed, we’ve made it five weeks in a row now. Mmm, mmm, good!
Erren says
Awesome! Thanks for letting me know! 😀