Cream of Celery Leaf and Scallion Soup makes the perfect starter for an elegant spring dinner party. With a delicate onion flavor, it's a tasty way to use up those celery leaves and tops!
Welcome to another entry in the Waste Not feature!
As I mentioned in previous Waste Not posts, after watching the late Anthony Bourdain’s movie, Wasted, on a plane ride back from Europe last year, my eyes were opened as to how much food we waste as a nation. Frankly, it made me pretty uncomfortable.
I decided to look at vegetable trimmings, clippings and remnants in new ways and began this new feature called Waste Not, which intended to deal with food waste in a non-preachy but creative way.
With Memorial Day and other summer holidays fast approaching, there's going to be a lot of potato salad being made. Many of those potato salad recipes call for celery.
However, what if you just made a ton of spud salad and now you have celery leaves and tops galore but you're not into juicing?
Uses for celery leaves and tops:
Fresh celery leaves can be used like any herb. Therefore, you can:
- Use them in stock.
- Make a celery leaf pesto.
- Add them to salads.
- Use them in place of parsley either in the recipe or as a garnish.
- Use to flavor soups and stews.
- Add them to a green smoothie.
- Make Cream of Celery Leaf and Scallion Soup!
How to store celery:
Celery generally does not take center stage in recipes but rather more of a kitchen workhorse that adds flavor and crunch to the dishes it's in. Because of that, you generally only use one or two of the ribs.
To store celery so that it lasts up to a month, wrap it in aluminum foil. Do not store it in a plastic bag or plastic wrap. You'll be amazed a vegetable can last so long in your refrigerator!
How to make Cream of Celery Leaf and Scallion Soup:
- Look for celery at the market that has leafy tops.
- Collect the leaves and tender tops from the celery stalk. (You might need two heads of celery).
- Chop the celery tops along with scallions and saute in a Dutch oven until all is nice and tender.
- Add a big, peeled and cubed Russet potato, some garlic, chicken or vegetable broth and simmer uncovered until everything is nice and tender and "soupy."
- Add a little cream....
- Puree...
- ...and you have a beautiful soup perfect for any spring occasion!
- Garnish with fresh celery leaves!
Beautiful, beautiful! Cream of Celery Leaf and Scallion Soup looks and tastes like spring!
For more lovely, creamy soups, be sure to try my:
- Spinach Goat Cheese Bisque with Crispy Lemon Chickpeas
- Pumpkin Soup with Marsala and Mascarpone
- Spicy Indonesian Vegan Carrot Almond Soup
- Creamy White Bean, Rutabaga and Roasted Garlic Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup with Thyme and Taleggio
- Cream of Asparagus and Leek Soup with Curry
- Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Gouda Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper Puree
- Cream of Brussels Sprouts Soup
Cream of Celery Leaf and Scallion Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 bunches thin scallions - white and light green parts only, coarsely chopped (approximately 1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic - chopped
- 2 cups chopped celery leaves - tender tops and hearts (from about 2 large heads)
- 1 large Russet potato - peeled and cubed (approximately 2 cups)
- 4 cups vegetable broth - or chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Heat butter and oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or other soup pot.
- Add the scallions, garlic and celery leaves. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 6-7 minutes or until vegetables are becoming tender.
- Add the potato and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered 15-20 minutes or until potato and other vegetables are very tender.
- Remove from heat and add the cream.
- Puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a food processor.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Doreen says
I have been making this soup since I first saw the most lovely fresh celery at the market. I freeze the extra leaves and am able to make a second batch. It is one of the most delicious simple-to-make soups in my recipe file now.
Carol says
Hi, Doreen, Thanks so very much! I absolutely love hearing that! Celery leaves are so underutilized; they have such a lovely flavor. I wish they wouldn't cut the majority of them off when they ship them to the market. Thanks again!
Kim Bates says
Yummy recipe! I used leeks instead of scallions- that's what I had on hand. Also used half and half instead of heavy cream. Nice flavor!
Carol says
Hi, Kim, Thanks so very much and so happy you enjoyed! Yes, you can definitely lighten it up a little with half and half; glad it worked so well for you. Thanks again!
Bella says
I wonder if it work to use coconut cream or coconut milk if you’re trying to keep it dairy free.
Carol says
Hi, Bella, Thanks so much! You most likely could, but I still always taste the coconut. What about hemp milk? I use it for a personal chef client and love how creamy it is. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
Brittany says
I either needed to simmer everything for wayyy longer or I need to invest in a better blender, but my Ninja blender couldn't get the soup perfectly smooth; the texture was lumpy and stringy from the celery and turnip (I had some so I swapped for the potato). If yours ends up this way, just strain it through a fine mesh strainer! I added parmesan cheese like another person recommended and some paprika to warm it up, and it was very "green" tasting but very good!
Dana says
Thrilled to find this recipe as I didn't want to throw out all the beautiful celery leaves in my garden! Speaking of not wasting though, I highly suggest leaving the potatoes unpeeled! I used red potatoes, left the skins on and chopped them up. Less work, less food waste, more nutritious, and it was absolutely delicious! I also used green onions as I didn't have scallions, I will be saving the tops of those for future meals too :-). Thanks for a wonderful recipe, I will be saving this and making yearly to use up those celery leaves when I harvest :-).
Carol says
Hi, Dana, Thanks so very much, so glad you enjoyed and this recipe was the solution for you. Also, love your idea about not peeling the potatoes--especially if you're using a red, yellow or white waxy potato. Thanks again so much!
FeNiX says
Thanks for this recipe... am excited to try it as I was searching for a way to use up the celery tops & leaves that I have... and I've got loads of scallions as well (which I'd planted from the grocery store scallions to keep them growing). Though I also need to use up the celery itself too, so may include some of the actual celery ribs to see how that works out. One question though: I'm planning to try to adapt this recipe to make in the Instant Pot... any suggestions on that front?? Thanks again!
Carol says
Thanks so much for your question. In looking at other IP recipes for cream soup, I would follow the stovetop instructions to the point of adding the potato, lock the lid, set to high for 7 minutes then natural release. Add the cream and puree. Because this soup is pureed, I think you're pretty safe any way you do it. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
FeNiX says
Thank you so much for looking into it and getting back to me. I'll be making it very soon, so I'll try my best to remember to report back with an update on how it turned out...(also in case it helps for anyone else who might be thinking to make it in the IP as well!) Thanks once again... cheers! 🙂