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In a lot of American kitchens, cream of celery soup is a quiet little workhorse, the kind you grew up seeing poured from a can into casseroles and weekday bakes. In my kitchen, though, I wanted that same cozy comfort, but with the kind of polish you’d expect from a good lunch spot.
This cream of celery soup is made from scratch and built for a velvety, restaurant-style finish. The secret twist is brown butter and a whisper of nutmeg, plus a handful of tender-crisp celery batons that keep every spoonful interesting.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Brown butter depth: Once I started browning the butter, I never went back, it adds a toasted, nutty note that makes the celery taste richer and more “grown up,” almost like a classic vegetable velouté.
Crunch against silk: I reserve some celery and finish it as little batons, so the final bowl has that satisfying bite that a fully pureed soup can sometimes miss.
Nutmeg makes dairy feel lighter: A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (right when the milk goes in) rounds out the creaminess so it tastes plush, not heavy, and it plays beautifully with white pepper.
Big-batch friendly: This recipe makes a generous pot and it’s designed to behave, the Roux thickens smoothly, and the flavor stays balanced even when you scale it.
Ingredients and Substitutions
These are classic pantry and produce ingredients, but treated with a little chef’s care. Good stock, fresh celery, and a proper Roux are what take the soup from “fine” to memorable.
Ingredients
- 3 quarts chicken stock
- 3 pounds celery (coarsely chopped)
- 0.5 pound carrots (julienned)
- 0.5 pound onions (chopped)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 3 quarts hot milk
- 1 cup butter
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Mirepoix: The celery, carrots, and onions are your flavor backbone, your Mirepoix. I like celery that smells bright and peppery when snapped, and I go easy on the leafy tops if they taste bitter.
Chicken stock: Stock works beautifully, but chicken bone broth adds extra body and a more “silky” finish. If you want vegetarian, a full-flavored vegetable broth is the closest swap, just keep seasoning in mind.
Milk and richness: This soup is built around hot milk for a classic, creamy texture. If you prefer more indulgence, you can replace part of the milk with heavy cream, or use unsweetened cashew cream for a dairy-free feel that still eats like velvet.
Onions and aromatics: Chopped onions release their bite and sweetness fast, especially if you give them a moment in butter before any liquid hits the pot. That little step helps the aromatics bloom and keeps the finished soup from tasting flat.
Flour: The flour is doing the thickening work in a Roux-style liaison with milk, so whisking well matters. For gluten-free cooking, a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend usually behaves the most similarly.
How to Make cream of celery soup
Brown the butter, then build the pot
- In a large, heavy pot, melt the butter over medium heat and let it cook until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, like toasted hazelnuts. Keep an eye on it, the aroma changes quickly right before it’s perfect.
- Pour in the chicken stock and bring it to a full boil, then add the celery, carrots, and onion. Before you do, reserve about 1 cup of the chopped celery, and keep it aside for the finishing garnish.
Whisk the thickener so it stays silky
- In a bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and ground white pepper together first, so the seasoning disperses evenly. Slowly whisk in the hot milk until the mixture looks smooth and creamy, with no floury lumps.
- With the soup at a boil, whisk the milk mixture into the pot in a steady stream, stirring constantly so it thickens evenly instead of clumping. Add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg here, it quietly ties the dairy and celery together.
Simmer, puree, then add the celery batons
- Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes, you’ll see the soup turn glossy and it should lightly coat the back of a spoon. Avoid a rapid boil at this point to keep the dairy smooth.
- Take the pot off the heat and use an immersion blender to puree until the soup looks like a classic vegetable velouté, creamy and uniform. Fold in the reserved celery, braised gently in a little butter and a splash of stock until tender-crisp, then taste and adjust seasoning.
Secrets for the Perfect Velvety Base
Scaling for a family of four: This is a large-batch soup, and it scales down cleanly. For a family-sized pot, divide every ingredient by 3, and keep the same method, especially the simmer time of about 10 minutes once thickening starts.
Texture control: An immersion blender gives a slightly rustic, homey finish, which I love for celery. A high-speed stand blender makes it ultra-fine and almost “white-tablecloth,” and a food mill gives a traditional, old-school smoothness without whipping in extra air.
When I’m teaching friends, I mention that the immersion blender technique works beautifully in other pureed soups too. The same approach gives a gorgeous texture in this butternut squash soup when you want it satin-smooth.
Troubleshooting bitterness: Old stalks, thick outer ribs, and especially a lot of leaves can bring a bitter edge. If you taste that bitterness at the end, a tiny pinch of sugar can round the flavor without making it sweet, it just balances the sharp green notes.
Why brown butter and nutmeg work: Celery has naturally grassy, slightly peppery compounds, and brown butter brings toasted, caramel-like notes that soften that “green” intensity. Nutmeg leans into the creamy aromatics, so the dairy tastes fuller without needing extra fat.
Pro Tips & Troubleshooting
Pro Tips
- Sauté the onions and a handful of celery in a bit of the butter first, then add stock, it builds deeper flavor through browning and makes the aromatics taste more complex.
- The savory magic comes from the Maillard reaction as the butter and aromatics brown.
- Replacing half the onions with leeks gives a softer sweetness and a more “bistro” vibe, especially if you like a gentler onion finish.
- Fresh celery stays snappy when you store it well, and UC Davis notes wrapping and cold storage keeps it crisp for weeks with proper conditions.
- For other creamy soups with delicate dairy, heat control is everything, and this white lasagna soup is another good example of staying below a hard boil.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- The curdling trap: once the milk mixture is in, keep it at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, so the dairy doesn’t “break.”
- Fiber issues: celery can be stringy, so blend until the soup feels truly smooth on the tongue, not just “mostly blended.”
- Blender safety: if you use a standard blender for hot soup, remove the center cap and cover with a towel so steam can escape safely.
- Under-seasoning: celery carries a lot of water, and it needs enough salt and white pepper to taste vivid, not bland.
Serving & Storage
Serving Ideas
Garnish mastery: A few celery heart leaves look elegant and taste fresh, and lovage is wonderful if you can find it. I also love a tiny swirl of cream and a pinch of white pepper right on top.
The perfect pair: Garlic herb croutons make it feel like a proper soup-and-salad lunch, and grilled cheese turns it into pure comfort. When I’m building a cozy menu, a bowl alongside chicken noodle soup is a sweet way to please everyone at the table.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigeration: Store the soup in tightly sealed containers for 3 to 5 days. I prefer shallow containers because they cool faster and reheat more evenly.
Freezing science: Creamy soups can separate when frozen because fat and water pull apart as ice crystals form. Clemson Extension notes they can separate when frozen depending on ingredients and thawing.
Reheating without breaking: Warm it slowly over low heat and whisk vigorously as it loosens, that agitation helps emulsify the fats back in. If it looks slightly grainy at first, give it a minute and keep whisking, it usually comes back together.
The Ultimate Comfort Experience
What I love most is how this soup takes everyday celery and turns it into something that feels special. The brown butter, nutmeg, and that last-minute crunch make the bowl taste layered, not one-note.
If you grew up on the canned version, this is the upgrade that still feels like home. Keep the method, taste as you go, and don’t be afraid to nudge it with leeks, extra pepper, or a little more nutmeg.
Cream Of Celery Soup With Brown Butter
Equipment
- Large heavy pot
- Immersion Blender
- Whisk
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 3 quarts chicken stock
- 3 pounds celery coarsely chopped
- 0.5 pound carrots julienned
- 0.5 pound onions chopped
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 3 quarts hot milk
- 1 cup butter
Instructions
Brown the butter, then build the pot
- In a large, heavy pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Let it cook until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, like toasted hazelnuts. Watch it closely as it browns quickly.
- Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a full boil. Add the coarsely chopped celery, julienned carrots, and chopped onions. Reserve approximately 1 cup of chopped celery to use later as a garnish.
Whisk the thickener so it stays silky
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and ground white pepper to ensure the seasoning is evenly dispersed. Gradually whisk in the hot milk until the mixture is completely smooth and free of lumps.
- While the soup is boiling, whisk the milk and flour mixture into the pot in a steady stream. Stir constantly to ensure it thickens evenly. Add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg at this stage.
Simmer, puree, then add the celery batons
- Lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes until the soup is glossy and coats the back of a spoon. Avoid a rapid boil to keep the texture smooth.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it reaches a uniform, creamy consistency.
- Gently braise the reserved 1 cup of celery in a bit of butter and stock until tender-crisp. Fold these batons into the pureed soup, then taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
