This vegan celery soup recipe shines thanks to a big heaping of dill and a drizzle of EVOO. This tasty soup is ready in under 30 minutes and uses simple ingredients. We skipped the expensive cashew cream and milk replacements or coconut milk. is garnished with a dill and celery salad, simply too pretty not to eat.
Who doesn't love a dairy-free soup that tastes like spring but is still hearty and warm for those chilly days?
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This recipe has become part of my favorite meal prep lunch rotation along with our vegan poke bowl using leftover sushi rice and roasted vegetable sandwiches. And I have been making a big batch of these gluten-free fried onions to snack on alongside those sammies.
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📖Why My Recipe Works
This cream of celery soup isn't for casseroles but is a hearty meal the whole family will love.
Now you might be thinking that a creamy soup requires either soaking nuts overnight, adding coconut milk, or some other expensive ingredient. But this healthy soup uses a starchy potato and a few basic inexpensive ingredients.
🧾Ingredient Notes
All the ingredients that go into this celery soup are easy to find in any grocery store. W
Celery- This is the star ingredient so freshness is important. Look for thin to medium celery stalks with thin veins. Heavy, thick stalks may turn out stringy when you try to puree You will need a bunch of celery that contains their leaves still in order to make the garnish.
Potato- Our preferred variety is Yukon Gold but any potato that leans towards starchy will do. The potato is what gives this soup its body and creamy texture without the use of heavy cream. You can also substitute a celeriac bulb for a more intense celery flavor.
White Onion- Not sweet, and definitely not red. Just a simple white onion. Feeling adventurous? Try substituting leeks or wild ramps, if you can find them.
Garlic- The universal ingredient. Is any soup complete without it?
Dill- Used in both the soup and the garnish, dill brightens up this dish. You really want to use fresh dill. If dried dill is the only thing available you can substitute 1 teaspoon of dried dill for every tablespoon of fresh dill. You can also try fresh parsley or chives.
Vegetable Stock- Homemade or store-bought, I prefer a vegetable broth that is light in color and without mushrooms. Mushrooms have a great earthy flavor but it can overpower the delicate flavors of this dish. While not vegan, if you are just looking to avoid dairy you can substitute a light chicken broth. Although, in my personal opinion the vegan version is not just kinder to our planet but also better in taste.
Lemon Juice- My mantra... all recipes must have acid! A zip of lemon juice really makes all the difference. Both fresh lemon juice and bottled work.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil- time to break out the good stuff. A healthy drizzle adds much-needed fat to this dish and enhances the creamy feeling.
⏲️How to Make Vegan Celery Soup
This dairy-free recipe only takes 30 minutes from start to finish and fairly minimal prep. Before starting be sure to separate the leaves from the green celery stalks. Wash both roughly and gently dry. Set aside the leaves for the salad and roughly chop the celery.
Step 1-Saute the Vegetables
In a small stock pan, melt vegan butter or olive oil over medium heat. Saute the celery, chopped onion, and peeled and cubed potato until the onion and celery begin to soften. Once the veggies are slightly softened add the garlic and cook 1 min longer. Resist the urge to add it early as you don't want the garlic to burn.
Step 2- Simmer
Add the vegetable stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are fork-tender. About 10-12 minutes.
Step 3- Puree
Now it is time to blend the soup. While you can use an immersion blender or stick blender I recommend using a regular blender for a smoother texture. Before blending add the dill and lemon juice. Puree the soup until smooth.
Always be careful with hot liquids! Work in batches if needed. And if you are feeling fancy, pour the puree through a fine-mesh strainer. This will thin the soup out a bit and make the texture silky and smooth.
Salt and pepper the pureed soup to taste. Because I typically use store-bought vegetable stock I wait until the end to taste for seasoning.
Pour the soup back into your pan. Keep on low heat until you are ready to serve.
Step 4- Garnish
While the soup is simmering, toss together the ingredients for the salad. The leftover celery leaves make a nice little salad for garnish, along with a drizzle of olive oil, flaky sea salt, and a few good cracks of black pepper.
Pour the soup into bowls and garnish with the celery leaf salad and a heavy drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tip
If the soup is too thick, try adding a splash of water to thin it out. Prefer a thicker soup? Try adding an extra potato.
🌡️Storing Leftovers
To store leftover celery soup, first, let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled, transfer it to an airtight container.
Store it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. If you want to store it for a longer period, you can freeze the soup for up to 3 months.
When reheating the soup, you may need to add a little water or vegetable broth to adjust the consistency, as it can thicken in the fridge or freezer. Make sure to heat the soup thoroughly before serving.
More Vegan Soup Recipes
💬 What is the benefit of using celeriac in celery soup?
Celeriac can be substituted for the potato, as it gives a deeper flavor to this light soup and makes it very creamy.
Did You Enjoy Making This Recipe? Please rate this recipe with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ or leave a comment. And be sure to check out more seasonal gluten-free recipes.
๐ Recipe Card
Creamy Celery Soup (Vegan)
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 head celery, chopped, leaves set aside
- 1 sm onion, chopped
- 1 sm starchy potato, peeled and chopped or substitute ยฝ bulb celeriac
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- ยผ cup dill, chopped
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
Celery Salad Garnish (optional)
- celery leaves, chopped
- 2 tablespoon dill, chopped
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for garnish
Instructions
Soup
- In a small stock pan, melt olive oil over medium heat. Saute celery, onion, and potato for 8 minutes. Add garlic, and cook 1 min longer.1 head celery, chopped, leaves set aside, 1 sm onion, chopped, 1 sm starchy potato, peeled and chopped, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Add stock and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until potatoes are tender. About 10-12 minutes.3 cups vegetable stock
- Pour into blender, add dill and lemon juice. Puree until smooth and always be careful with hot liquids. Salt and pepper to taste.ยผ cup dill, chopped, 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- Pour into bowls and garnish with salad, salt and pepper, and a heavy drizzle of olive oil.
Celery Salad
- Mix together all ingredients and salt and pepper to taste.2 tablespoon dill, chopped, 2 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for garnish, celery leaves, chopped
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Notes
- Store leftover soup in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and reheat it on the stovetop over low heat/
- I recommend using a high-speed blender to puree the soup. For a chunkier soup, you can use an immersion blender or food processor.
Samia says
Amazingly simple. I can't stand soup recipes where you have to do multiple stages before you end up with your final, edible product - at which point you can't even stand to look at it anymore and have no appetite for it.
Trish says
Super simple and delicious! Made two variations: one according to recipe and one that was more of a potato celery soup sans onion and garlic (for a kiddo that can't eat onions). Both tasty and a great substitute for my lunch salad on these cold days!
Jen Wooster says
Thanks for reviewing the recipe. Glad you enjoyed the celery soup!
Myra says
Made this soup tonight and it was delicious. I omitted the oil and water sautรฉed and I also wanted it a little creamier so added a can of navy beans to the blender when as I blended it and it was perfection! Thanks so much for such a delicious healthy recipe!
Jen Wooster says
Glad you enjoyed!
Raymond Aramburu says
I am just subscribing and am looking to try the recipes as they look inviting.
Jen says
Thank you so much! Appreciate the comment.
Adrianne says
What a delicious soup packed full of energy!! I love everytthing about it and can't believe it is vegan, that is so cool. Thanks, will give it a go soon.
Emily says
This soup sounds so healthy and delicious, perfect with lots of crusty bread!
Elizabeth says
This is such a fabulous recipe! I have no idea why I've left it so long to make cream of celery soup, but this recipe will now be a regular in our house. Thank you!
Irina says
This cream-soups sounds amazingly delicious. I love the color, too:) I am gonna give it a try!
Kelly Anthony says
What a great way to get more veggies in my day. I love how colorful and full of flavor this cream of celery soup is.
Jen says
Love this soup!