My potato celery soup is the perfect vehicle for Saltine crackers in front of the TV on a cold day. It’s hearty – yet refined, and so velvety smooth. These are the flavors of my childhood. Every spoonful reminds me that cream of celery soup can be both nourishing and full of nostalgia.

cream of potato and celery soup

I grew up loving cream of celery soup. While other kids were opening hot thermoses of chicken noodle soup or cream of mushroom after figure skating practice, I was begging my mom to open a can of Campbell’s cream of celery. Sure, it was just a can of condensed soup, but it tasted better when she made it. I lived for the little pieces of chopped celery she added for texture that would cook as she heated the soup up.

In my grown up homemade version, I use blended potatoes to create a velvety creaminess. And I pan-fry garlic and onions for a rustic, hearty depth of flavor. From making creamy French cauliflower soup to Asian soups, garlic and onions are the building blocks I rely on most. But in this soup recipe, it’s those bits of celery still make the kid in me want to crush crackers on top and go watch cartoons. I hope you love this one as much as I do!

Table of Contents

Ingredients

Scroll to the bottom of this page for the full recipe steps and measurements.

  • Garlic and Onions: I finely chop and pan fry these aromatics in a bit of oil.
  • Olive Oil: A good first press extra virgin olive oil shouldn’t break the bank. But I can always taste the difference when I use good quality oil.
  • Potatoes: I prefer Yukon Gold potatoes for their natural sweetness. These are my potatoes of choice for everything from making homemade French fries – to creamy crock pot potato soup. Russet potatoes work as well.
  • Celery: You’ll need about 6 stalks total for this recipe.
  • Vegetable Broth: I naturally gravitate to savory vegetable broth. But this soup also works with low-sodium chicken broth. Your choice.
  • Milk: While I use 2% milk, you can use whatever dairy you have handy. Vegans can use unsweetened oat milk instead.
  • Green Onions: Finely chop these as a garnish.
  • Salt and Pepper: To taste.

Expert Tip

If your celery is super fibrous, you can fix that with a vegetable peeler. Those tough, stringy fibers are actually only on the outside of the celery, near the surface. The interior is crisp and much smoother. Run a vegetable peeler along the entire stalk from tip to tip and shave away those tough outer fibers. When my mom showed me this trick as a kid, it changed everything.

How to Make Potato Celery Soup

  1. Boil the potatoes. Bring a pot of water to boil and add the peeled and chopped potato pieces. Boil until fully cooked (usually takes me 7-10 minutes). Test with a knife or fork. Drain and set them aside.
  2. Sautee garlic and onions. Medium pot, medium high heat, olive oil, garlic and onions. Sautee for 2-3 minutes, until the onions are translucent. (This is my favorite smell in the world!)
  3. Add 4 celery stalks. Roughly chop 4 of the celery stalks and add them to the pot with your garlic and onions. Sautee for 2 additional minutes.
  4. Add veggie broth to the pot. Stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to simmer and cover with a lid for 20 minutes.
  5. Cook remaining celery. In a separate small pot, fill with water and a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Slice the 2 remaining celery stalks into small pieces and add to the boiling water. Lower heat to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Test at the 10 minute mark. It shouldn’t be crunchy, but you don’t want it to disintegrate. Drain the celery bits and set aside.
  6. Blend the soup. Transfer the cooked soup to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Return blended soup to the soup pot. Add milk, cooked celery bits and stir well.
  7. Season and serve. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with chopped green onions. Serve hot.

Recipe Variations

This rustic potato celery soup is simple by design. The mild, salty, herbal flavors are stock perfect. But that doesn’t mean I don’t play around with it from time to time. Here are a few simple variations I’ve tried.

  • Make it spicy. When I’m feeling a little fiery, I’ll add 1/4 teaspoon of red chili pepper flakes to the pot when I’m sautéing the garlic and onions.
  • Use chicken broth. Low-sodium chicken broth adds another savory, comforting dimension. I do this in wintertime. And I use the veggie broth in the spring and summer.
  • Use other diced veggies as toppings. I’ve tried this soup with diced caramelized mushrooms as a garnish. They add an umami element.
  • Top with croutons. Just like soup crackers, but a little more fancy. But you don’t need to make croutons from scratch! Confession: I just salvage the crouton packet from a store bought salad-kit. Done and dusted.

Storage

Transfer leftovers to an airtight storage container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

  • Let the soup cool to room temperature before refrigerating.
  • Reheat potato celery soup in the microwave – or in a pot on the stovetop.

While pureed potato soup freezes fairly well, potato soup containing dairy does not. The texture gets weird and gummy, and separation can occur. While you can technically freeze it for up to 3 months, if you used cow’s milk I don’t recommend it.

What to Serve With Creamy Soups

Perhaps it’s the nature of soup… Or maybe I just have simple tastes. But I naturally gravitate to sandwiches and salads when soup is on the menu. If you’re like me, here’s what I recommend.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need to wait to add the milk to the soup until the end?

It’s fairly easy to over-boil and burn milk. Plus, if the heat is on too high, dairy can bubble over the edge of soup pot, creating a mess you’ll need an entire box of Magic Erasers (and a ton of elbow grease) to clean up. Adding it at the end introduces creaminess to the soup, minus the potential of burned flavor and cleaning hassle.

Can I use an immersion blender instead?

Definitely! Immersion blenders are great – and cleanup is a breeze. Way less dishes to do after enjoying your soup. However, if silky texture is important to you, you may need to spend a bit more time blending with an immersion blender as bits of unblended veggies may hiding from you in the pot.

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cream of potato and celery soup

Creamy Potato Celery Soup

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 9 reviews
  • Author: Caroline Phelps
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Boiling
  • Cuisine: French
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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Description

Try my silky and comforting cream of potato and celery soup. I promise – it’s so easy to whip up!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium size onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium size potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 6 celery stalks
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 1/2 cup 2% milk or unsweetened oat milk (for vegan)
  • 4 green onions, thinly chopped
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Boil the potatoes. Bring a medium pot of water to boil and add the potatoes. Boil the potatoes until they are fully cooked – about 7 to 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  2. Saute the garlic and onion. Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium high heat, add the olive oil, garlic and onions. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until onions are translucent.
  3. Add 4 celery stalks. Slice 4 celery stalks and add them to the pot. Cook for 2 minutes. 
  4. Simmer the broth. Add the vegetable broth, stir and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes, or until the celery is tender. 
  5. Cook the remaining celery. Meanwhile, fill a small pot with water and 1 teaspoon of salt, and bring to a boil. Slice the remaining 2 celery stalks into small pieces and add them to the boiling water. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Drain the celery and set it aside.
  6. Blend the soup. Transfer the broth and potatoes to a blender and blend until smooth (you may need to do this in batches). Return the blended soup to the pot along with the celery and milk, and stir.
  7. Season and serve. Season with salt and pepper, top with a few scallions, and serve..

Notes

Leftovers: Let the soup cool to room temperature and transfer it to an airtight storage container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 227
  • Sugar: 11.6g
  • Sodium: 964.3mg
  • Fat: 9.2g
  • Saturated Fat: 2.2g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 1g
  • Trans Fat: 0.1g
  • Carbohydrates: 31.9g
  • Fiber: 4.7g
  • Protein: 6g
  • Cholesterol: 7.4mg
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Caroline Caron Phelps

Meet The Author: Caroline Phelps

Caroline Caron-Phelps is a recipe creator, food blogger, and photographer. She showcases delicious, authentic Asian recipes, especially Japanese, Korean, and Chinese, with beautiful photography, easy-to-follow instructions, videos, and practical recipe variations. Caroline has been featured on Bon Appetit, Shape Magazine, Self, Today Show, and more.

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Questions and Reviews

  2. I just made this soup . It turn out great. I have a lot of celery that needed to be used. 

    Reply

  4. Love recipes that are both simple and delicious! I veganized it by using almond milk instead. I cooked this is the slowcooker overnight and puréed in the morning. Also added a little butternut squash purée, couple leaves kale and a small chunk of tomato as this stuff needed to be used up lol. Thanks for a great recipe!



    Reply

  5. Yum! I doubled the celery and potato and added 50% extra stock to serve more people. The flavours took me back to my childhood.



    Reply

    1. In much of the center of the US, we call them spring onions, too. “Scallions” is used mostly along the East Coast and New England. Not sure about California and the Northwest.

      Reply

  7. I planned on making potato soup and lookesd it up on Google n wala …
    I made a 4 lb pot same recipe as yours .. I made it same as you 35/=40
    Years ago … I woke up at 5am put a fresh pot of coffee on and started my soup..



    Reply

  8. Good recipe! Only change I’d make it to add an additional medium potato to thicken it up a little bit more, as well, I added smoked paprika and that was a good addition! Thanks.



    Reply

  9. I’ve been wondering what scallions too but I found the description in the comments section. This recipe is lit. I love soups so much too and will definitely try this one! Thank you so much for sharing!



    Reply

  10. I cooked this today and my family loved it! I thought it would last for a couple more days but they ate it for lunch and dinner. Will make this again and try your other recipes on this website! 🙂

    Reply

    1. Thank you Melanie! I unfortunately stopped posting nutritional facts on my recipes because I didn’t trust the calorie counters available online.

      Reply