This celery soup is light, comforting and full of delicate flavor. It’s also incredibly easy to make with just a handful of everyday ingredients. It’s the kind of easy homemade soup that’s perfect for a light lunch or cozy dinner.
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Celery is often used as a background ingredient or flavor base in soups, stews and sauces, but in this recipe it gets to shine as the star ingredient. Mainly in traditional European cuisine celery ribs are used to add flavor to soups. But did you know that celery leaves are full of flavor and can perfectly be used for garnish?
This is the kind of soup that’s perfect when you want something warm and nourishing without spending hours in the kitchen. It’s simple enough for a weekday lunch but elegant enough to serve as a starter for dinner.
It only requires a handful of simple ingredients, the potato makes it naturally smooth and creamy and it’s easy to make ahead and store for later.
Celery soup ingredients
- Celery: Celery is the main ingredient in this soup and gives it its fresh, slightly peppery flavor. Make sure to wash the stalks well and chop them evenly so they cook at the same rate. Both green and white celery can be used.
- Garlic and onion: These add depth and savory flavor to the soup base.
- Potato: The potato helps thicken the soup and gives it a naturally creamy texture once blended. A floury potato, like Russet works best because it breaks down easily while cooking.
- Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil to sauté the celery and aromatics but butter works fine as well.
- Stock: Opt for vegetable stock to keep it vegetarian, but chicken stock works fine as well, depending on your preference.
- Seasoning: I keep the seasoning simple by adding salt and cracked black pepper.
- Sesame seeds (garnish): Lightly toasted sesame seeds combine perfectly with the peppery flavor of celery. Add just before serving.
- Parsley (garnish): Fresh parsley adds a bright fresh flavor to this soup and extra color. Add just before serving for the best taste.
Recipe variations
Here are a few variations to give this soup of celery extra flavor or an interesting twist:
- Add other vegetables: Adding carrots, leeks, parsnips or celery root gives it extra depth and sweetness.
- Make it spicy: Add a sprinkle of chili flakes for some extra heat.
- Make it creamy: Add a dash of cream or coconut milk for a creamy celery soup.
- Add crunchy toppings: Sprinkle with homemade croutons, crispy roasted chickpeas or a crumble of bacon or dried ham.
- Herb boost: Finish with fresh chives, cilantro, celery leaves, thyme or dill for a different herbal flavor.
Cooking tips
To make the best celery soup recipe, here are some cooking tips to follow:
- Sauté the vegetables: Sauté the celery, onion and garlic in oil or butter until fragrant to develop more flavor.
- Blend carefully: An immersion blender is easiest, but a countertop blender works too. But with a blender you may have to work in batches.
- Adjust consistency: If your soup is too thick after blending, just add a little extra stock or water.
How to store
If you have leftovers, let the soup cool to room temperature and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
This celery soup also freezes very well. Allow it to cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. When reheating, add a bit of stock or water, if needed, to bring the soup back to your preferred consistency.
More soup recipes to try
- Brussels sprout soup with mustard and bacon
- Savoy cabbage and lentil soup
- Roasted cauliflower soup
- Leek and potato soup
Celery Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium onions diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 8 stalks celery cleaned and diced
- 1 large potato peeled and diced
- 3¼ cups (750 ml) vegetable or chicken stock
- salt to taste
- cracked black pepper to taste
Garnish
- sesame seeds toasted
- fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Then add the celery, garlic and potatoes and sauté for another 5 minutes until fragrant and soft.
- Pour in the stock along with the salt and pepper and bring everything to a boil. Once boiling, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 15–20 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft.
- Remove the pot from the heat and blend the soup with a handheld or immersion blender until smooth. (See notes if using a countertop blender.) Add a little more liquid if the soup is too thick.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the soup warm and garnish with lightly toasted sesame seeds and chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
- Sauté: Alternatively use butter to sauté the vegetables instead of oil.
- Blending the soup: You can also transfer the soup to a countertop blender, working in batches if needed, and blend until smooth. Add a little extra liquid if the texture is too thick.
- Garnish: The celery leaves are edible and can also be used as garnish instead of parsley.
- Leftovers: Store any leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Make sure your freezer is set to at least 0°F (-18°C).
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment with rating below and share a picture with the hashtag #thetastychilli and tag me on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
