Creamy Potato Celery Soup

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

• Nicoise Salad
• Cucumber Sandwiches With Tzatziki Sauce
• Strawberry, Tomatillo and Watermelon Salad
• My Mom’s Tuna Sandwich (The Best!)
• Tempeh Katsu Sandwich

Frequently Asked Questions

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