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.
Mary Ann Appignani says
I going to make this for my daughter , who is vegan and dairy intolerant…I know I would love it also:)
Erren's Kitchen says
I hope you both enjoy it, Mary!
Maureen Sylvester says
One of my favorites
Erren's Kitchen says
That is so nice to hear Maureen!
Hannah says
This has overtaken my previously favourite soup (carrot and coriander) and is the most requested by the family. Quick and easy and yummy!! Also, no cream! Excellent!
We all happy, thanks.
Erren's Kitchen says
How amazing to hear, thank you for your feedback also!
Carmen says
Was looking for an idea of what to do with leftover celery besides chopping it up for a veggie soup and needing to buy things to go with it. Found your recipe and instantly said aha! Perfect solution and very simple. I made it for my baby girl. Blended it in my ninja. She loved it! Ate an entire bowl. I also snuck a couple spoonfuls too. 😜 Thanks
Erren's Kitchen says
That is awesome to hear Carmen, I’m glad you both enjoyed it!
Zoë says
Loved the soup! I added half a green pepper and two courgettes, given I had them in the fridge and thought I’d throw them in, made a nice thick soup!
Erren's Kitchen says
That is the great thing about Soups, you can literally throw in anything cant you Zoe!
Rebecca Richardson says
Delicious, just wish I had read beyond the recipe to the hint about strings first. 😔 Oh well, now I know for next time.
Erren's Kitchen says
This is how we live and learn, I have to make mistakes whilst doing recipes also!
Ana says
I just made it anr it was very good! I also added a spoonful of cream cheese to it when i blended it to give it a bit of creaminess and made it even tastier, but without the cream cheese it was still really tasty!
Erren's Kitchen says
That sounds good Ana, I’m glad you enjoyed!
Dee says
Definitely worth a 5 star rating. I’ve made Celery Soup once before and it was ok. Looked at this recipe and another and so glad I went with this one. Followed directions exactly and was delighted that it tasted so good! Thank you. 🙂
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you, Dee I’m glad you liked it!
Norma says
First time making celery soup. I never even tried celery soup. This soup was over the top delicious. I make many kinds of soup and I am sorry that I never thought of celery soup. I will certainly make it again. Who says you can’t learn anything at 75.
Thank you
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you for your feedback, Norma, your feedback was awesome to read!
Linny says
I love this soup! It’s the third time I’ve made it in as many weeks. We get a veg box delivered from our local farm so try to cook with what we have in the box. I wash the potatoes and leave the skin on as they are full of goodness and they add a lovely extra texture. I don’t ladle the stock out and feed back in as I don’t have time. I just add a bit more water half way through cooking or once blended if needed. If you don’t have fresh parsley, a spoon of dried herbs you like, works well. I have didn’t years throwing out celery after buying for one stock, not any more! Thank you.
Erren's Kitchen says
No thank you, yours sounds just as good!