Homemade Cream of Celery Soup Recipe

This Homemade Cream of Celery Soup recipe is so much better than the canned variety! It’s got a fresh taste that’s makes it a superior option. No metallic taste!

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I don’t know about you, but I can tell something’s a little off with canned cream of soups. They have a very processed, almost metallic flavor that’s a little off-putting.

A few years ago I learned how to make a homemade creamy celery soup to take its place and I’ve never looked back. This homemade convenience food is the perfect addition to all your favorite chicken casserole recipes. I love swapping it in for the canned version in my childhood favorite, Easy Chicken Divan with Curry.

Consider this recipe a cream of soup base recipe. You can make all kinds of “cream of” soup recipes by swapping out the celery for other ingredients. 

Why Make This

It’s a perfect substitute for the canned soup in casseroles. This recipe is perfect for cooking and using in recipes that call for canned cream soup, like this Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole Recipe.

It’s easy. It comes together quickly on the stove and is perfect for freezing, making it one of those great Pantry Staples You Can Make Yourself.

It’s simple to make a lot at once. Make a bulk batch and freeze the soup in 2-cup portions. It will be easy to substitute it in your favorite recipes that call for cream of celery soup.

It’s delicious on its own. Yes, you can eat Cream of Celery Soup as its own dish. If you’re not wild about celery, scroll down for some amazing variations that allow you to make any “cream of” soup! You can also use it as a soup starter, like in this Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup.

It’s a great use for sad celery. If your celery is on its way out, make soup! Avoid food waste and enjoy celery in a new way.

Sure, you can buy the canned variety but when you make your own cream of celery soup from scratch without the metallic taste, why not. This homemade version tastes better and costs less money!

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this homemade Cream of Celery Soup recipe:

butter – You need some fat to make your roux. I like to use butter, but you can substitute your favorite cooking oil or plant based butter if you prefer. You can also use margarine or lard, but the flavors will be very different.

flour – Flour is what helps thicken the cream soup. I use unbleached, all-purpose flour, but you can also use a gluten-free blend as well. I’ve tested this recipe with Cup 4 Cup Multi-purpose GF Blend, and it worked fine.

milk – You can use any fat content milk you like or even heavy cream if you’re living the high life. Plant based milk can also be used, such as almond or coconut milk, keeping in mind that the flavor will be altered slightly. This is one of my favorite recipes that use a lot of milk so it doesn’t go to waste.

broth – Use the broth you typically use for cooking, either vegetable or chicken. Making homemade Vegetable Broth or Chicken Stock will likely keep down the costs.

fresh parmesan cheese – This adds a little salty creaminess. You can also use romano or asiago if that’s what you have.

chopped celery (or dried celery flakes) – This is what makes this soup “cream of celery”. See below for other variations.

salt and pepper – Homemade cream of celery soup will taste a lot less salty than the canned versions. Add more to taste according to your preferences.

Optional: if you like, you can add a bay leaf to the pot while it’s simmering. It will add a bit of bitterness that offsets the richness of the cream.

Variations

Vegan: use a plant butter or cooking oil, a plant-based milk, and vegetable broth.

Gluten-free: substitute a gluten-free flour blend for the flour. Be sure to whisk constantly to eliminate lumps.

Cream of soups: There are a number of cream of soups on the market, commercially. Usually they’re full of preservatives and excess salt and fat. You can make a number of homemade cream soups based on this basic recipe.

• cream of mushroom soup: substitute chopped and sautéed mushrooms for the celery.
• cream of chicken soup: substitute finely chopped cooked chicken for the celery and use chicken broth instead of vegetable.
• cream of asparagus soup: substitute finely chopped cooked asparagus for the celery.
• cream of bacon soup: substitute finely chopped cooked bacon for the celery.
• cream of broccoli soup: substitute finely chopped cooked broccoli florets for the celery.
• cream of potato soup soup: substitute finely chopped cooked potato for the celery.
• cream of onion soup: substitute sautéed, chopped onion for the celery

This sauce is a great substitute for canned soup in Tuna Noodle Casserole.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here’s how to make this easy recipe:

1. In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook until the mixture bubbles.
2. Whisk in the milk and the vegetable broth, stirring constantly to incorporate the roux with the liquid
3. Stir in the celery and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve as is, or use in your recipe. If you’d like a smoother soup, you can use an immersion blender to blend the bits of celery.

To use as a soup starter: Saute any onion and other aromatics you’d like to include in your soup. Then add the Cream of Celery as well as a broth or stock. You can add chopped meat or fish, cooked noodles or rice, and whatever chopped vegetables you’d like to include.

Pro tip: If you’re short on stove space for some reason, you can prep the soup in the instant pot, using the saute function. Just be sure to adjust the heat so that the roux doesn’t burn.

Freezing Instructions

Here’s how to freeze it:

Canned cream of celery soup is so popular because opening a can saves time over making a fresh sauce. 

You can have the best of both worlds — a homemade sauce and convenience — when you make a bulk batch of the creamed soup and freeze it in 2-cup portions. This size is the equivalent of a can.

How to freeze homemade creamed soups:

1. Prepare the soup as directed in the recipe.
2. Divide it into 2-cup portions, using Soupercubes or your favorite pint container.
3. Chill the containers until very cold.
4. Store the containers in the freezer until ready to use. If you’re using Soupercubes, once the soup is frozen, you can pop the cubes out of the molds and transfer them to a freezer bag for space-saving storage.

To use the frozen soup: thaw in the refrigerator or microwave and whisk well to recombine. Proceed with your recipe.

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More Pantry Staples You Can Make Yourself

Canned cream of celery soup is a pantry staple for many. Now you know how to make it yourself. See what else you can make without buying the box or can!

This post was originally March 2, 2011. It has been updated for content and clarity.