celery soup

Celery Soup

Celery stalks are sautéed with onions, garlic, and butter until softened, then simmered in stock until tender. The mixture is pureed into a smooth, creamy soup, highlighting the celery’s natural freshness while incorporating the aromatics’ subtle sweetness. Gentle simmering allows the flavors to meld, producing a balanced, delicate base with a mild, herbaceous character.

After blending, the soup can be finished with cream or additional seasoning to enhance richness and depth. The pureed texture creates a velvety consistency, while careful cooking preserves the celery’s bright, clean flavor. The result is a smooth, flavorful soup suitable as a starter or light meal.

Print Recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Soup
French
Mother Sauces
Servings: 2

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • ½ cup finely diced celery
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped
  • 1 + 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 Tbsp. flour, sifted
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • ½ cup cream
  • 1 egg yolk
  • salt
  • pepper
  • thyme
  • parsley
  • celery leaves, chopped

Instructions 

Braise

  • Add oil to a 2 quart sauce pan and heat.
  • Sauté onions and celery for 5 minutes.
  • Add smashed garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
  • Add salt, pepper, thyme, and parsley and stir.
  • Cover with chicken stock and braise on simmer until the celery is tender.

Sauce

  • Heat 1 cup of chicken stock.
  • Heat 1 Tbsp. of butter in a small sauce pan until it stops frothing.
  • Sift in 1 Tbsp. of flour, whisking continuously.
  • Once the roux is a golden color, whisk in 1 cup of hot chicken stock.
  • Reduce by about half until it coats the back of a spoon.

Brown

  • Add 1 Tbsp. of butter to a small, hot pan.
  • Sauté ½ cup of diced celery until tender but still firm.

Blend

  • Purée the celery mixture with the stock and return to the sauce pan.
  • Add ½ cup of velouté and stir.
  • Set the heat under the pan to simmer.
  • Heat ½ cup of cream in a small sauce pan.
  • Whisk in an egg yolk.
  • Slowly add the cream mixture to the celery base and whisk together.
  • Increase heat to low and reduce to desired thickness.
  • Before serving, toss in the sautéd diced celery and mix.
  • Dish into bowls and sprinkle chopped young celery leaves on top.
  • Serve with toasted crostini.