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!
Want to save this post?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, I’ll send you budget recipes and money-saving tips every week!
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.
Pro tip: Do you have the best kitchen tools for making soup?
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make this easy recipe:
- In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook until the mixture bubbles.
- Whisk in the milk and the vegetable broth, stirring constantly to incorporate the roux with the liquid
- Stir in the celery and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- 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:
- Prepare the soup as directed in the recipe.
- Divide it into 2-cup portions, using Soupercubes or your favorite pint container.
- Chill the containers until very cold.
- 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.
TLDR? Watch this web story.
FAQs
Basically cream of celery soup is a white sauce that features cooked, chopped celery and vegetable broth.
Yes, this can be a soup to enjoy on its own, especially if it’s homemade. You can also use it as a sauce in casseroles or as a soup starter.
Yes! While this recipe calls for flour, you can substitute a gluten-free flour blend for the flour. Just be sure to whisk constantly to eliminate lumps.
Yes, use a plant butter or cooking oil, a plant-based milk, and vegetable broth.
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!
Tell us what you think!
We love to hear your experiences with Good Cheap Eats. Click the STARS on the recipe card or leave a STARRED comment to let us know what you think of the recipe.
Homemade Cream Of Celery Soup
Equipment
- sauce pan
- wire whisk
- single-serve airtight containers
- soupercubes
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup vegetable broth or chicken stock
- ½ cup milk
- 1 rib celery chopped (about ¼ cup)
- 2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese (shredded)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a saucepot over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook until the mixture bubbles.¼ cup butter, ¼ cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
- Whisk in the chicken stock and the milk until smooth. Add the celery and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens to a sauce consistency, about 10 to 15 minutes.1 ½ cup vegetable broth, ½ cup milk, 1 rib celery
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese (shredded), ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Use in your recipe or chill completely before storing in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to use.
Notes
- 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
Nutrition
This post was originally March 2, 2011. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Janet
I love the idea of homemade cream soups. I’ve been considering something like this because of the additives in canned soup. I bet this would freeze well in glass jars too.
Kris
I goofed with link #75-feel free to delete. I’m looking forward to trying the homemade cream soup.
Cherry
Looking forward to seeing the other freezer meal recipes, especially as my daughters and I are planning another freezer meal day together soon …
angie
thanks so much for hosting link up I found great recipes today and shared one myself thanks
Tabby
Just love any type of freezer cooking!
karen
I’ve been making my own ‘cream of’ soup for about a year and we’ll never go back to the can. I like to freeze diced cooked chicken mixed into the soup–just heat gently and toss with egg noodles for a quick main dish.
Micha
I’ve been making more homemade cream of soups but still have a couple recipes where they separate, the milk curdles and gets quite icky in. They are slow cooker recipes so I’m guessing it’s the longer cooking times.
Barb @ A Life in Balance
Funny, when I was at the grocery outlet the other day, I almost bought canned condensed soup, and then decided to try to do it myself.
Now that I’ve made mac and cheese from scratch, and I’ve seen your recipe, I feel like I can tackle this!
We use the Better than Broth, too, though I’ve never seen it in organic form.
Christa
Now could the celery be subed with broccoli for ‘cream of broccoli soup’?
Jessica Fisher
yes.
Jacky
Oh this is brilliant! I am going to get a bunch of this made up to have on hand. Sure beats the canned stuff!
Susie's Homemade
What a great idea! Those canned soups can be evil!
Lisa @ HappyinDoleValley
I’m linking up my spaghetti pie recipe; it freezes well and is a great dish for either a weeknight dinner or for company. Double it and bake in a 9 x 13 baking dish for a crowd. Thanks for hosting!
Debbi Does Dinner Healthy
I always make a double batch of enchiladas and put one in the freezer. Thanks for a bunch of great ideas!
{Jules}
I don’t have any celery flakes, but I do have some fresh celery that desperately needs to be used up. Can fresh celery be used? If so, about how much do you think I should use? It looks wonderful!
Jessica Fisher
@{Jules}, I don’t know why not. I had celery flakes in the cupboard. I would chop it fine and saute it in some butter before adding it.
Kelly
Do you use the entire 2 cups in a recipe that calls for a 10 oz. can? Or do you only use 10 oz. and save the rest? I’m guessing you could freeze extras, going by Nora’s comment about freezing her cream of mushroom soup.
Jessica Fisher
@Kelly, I have been using the entire batch and then reducing the amount of liquid that is called for in the rest of the recipe.
Nora@ The Dollar Hollering Homemaker
I make my own cream of mushroom soup and freeze it.
What is the Better than….. stuff in your picture? I’ve never seen that before?
Kelly
@Nora@ The Dollar Hollering Homemaker, It looks like it’s the chicken broth. On the ingredients list, I’m able to make out the word “chicken”.
Jessica Fisher
@Nora@ The Dollar Hollering Homemaker, that is called Better than Bouillion. It is sold in the jar, organic and conventional. It is a paste that can be reconstituted into broth. Unfortunately, it does have sugar and a few other things. But, if you don’t have homemade on hand, it is very convenient to keep in the fridge.
Kim
I love the way your cream soup looks. I have a homemade dry mix that makes a cream soup when you add water to it. It is easy to make–will have to dig that out & post it. Using homemade takes a LOT of the sodium out of your recipes so you may need to adjust for taste.
Jessica Fisher
@Kim, yes, my first few trials were not salty enough. But, adding that little bit of parmesan seems to help.
Reagan @ Recipesmademyway
UGH!!! It posted before I was ready… sorry!! The link I posted is to refried beans NOT navajo tacos!
Reagan @ Recipesmademyway
is there a way to delete it and repost??
Jessica Fisher
@Reagan @ Recipesmademyway, it’s fixed.
Reagan @ Recipesmademyway
@Jessica Fisher, Thanks!!
Kristan @ The Stepford Wife
What a great idea! One question though…
Most recipes I use call for the can of soup, which is a condensed soup. So does this recipe make a soup that’s as thick as the un-diluted can of soup? Thanks!
Jessica Fisher
Great question and I was trying to figure that out myself as I experimented with it this weekend. I made a potato casserole that disappeared in a flash. I would say that it is 2 cups gravy consistency. It’s not as thick as the can. But, most of the recipes I’ve ever seen for the can could be tweaked for consistency.
Kristan @ The Stepford Wife
@Jessica Fisher,
Thanks, FishMama!
Lani
Looks yummy! Happy mid-week!