Cream of Celery Leaves Soup
Wondering what to do with celery leaves? Cream of Celery Leaves Soup makes the perfect starter for an elegant spring dinner party, brunch or luncheon. It’s an easy and tasty way to use celery leaves and tender tops to reduce kitchen waste!
“Wish I could give this one TEN stars. It is deeee-licious! … This is just too good to be real!”
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
After watching the late Anthony Bourdain’s movie Wasted on a plane ride back from Europe several years ago, I was shocked to learn how much food we waste as a nation. Frankly, it made me pretty uncomfortable.
We compost all our vegetable trimmings, but I decided to take a closer look at what we were tossing that was still edible and usable. Celery leaves were one of those things.
Celery is a workhorse in the culinary world for everything from potato salad to stuffing to soups and stews. That means the potential for lots of celery leaves and tender tops that can be used in numerous ways all year long–like this creamy celery leaf soup!
This Cream of Celery Leaves Soup recipe is:
- So delicious! Check out the reviews!
- Easy!
- Make-ahead!
Can You Eat Celery Leaves?
You absolutely can eat celery leaves. A leafy head of celery is a bonus because celery leaves are an unsung hero of the culinary world. They are delicious, and this celery leaves recipe proves it! Celery leaves are packed with intense celery flavor without the stringiness of the stalk. Another bonus–they’re super nutritious! Celery leaves are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, according to LiveStrong.com.
How to Make Cream of Celery Soup:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this Cream of Celery Leaves soup recipe, along with instructions for preparing the ingredients. The exact quantities are on the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Butter and Olive Oil: Using butter and olive oil together creates a flavorful base for sauteing the scallion, celery leaves, and garlic. Oil lacks flavor, and butter can burn quickly. I always use unsalted butter to adjust the salt level to taste.
- Scallions: Scallions, also known as green onions or spring onions, are young onions. They consist of a white base that has not yet formed into a bulb and long green stalks that often resemble chives when very young and thin. The white and green parts are edible and can be consumed cooked or raw. The delicate flavor of scallions won’t overpower the celery as using a mature onion would.
- Celery Leaves and Tender Tops: I highly recommend sticking to using only the leaves and tender tops. The stalks can be somewhat stringy unless you strip the strings off.
- Russet Potatoes: Russet potatoes help to thicken the soup.
- Chicken Broth: Substitute vegetable broth to make this soup vegetarian.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream adds a luxurious touch. You can cut the amount in half if you’re concerned about the fat and calories.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- Heat butter and oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or other soup pot.
- Add the scallions. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the scallions wilt.
- Add the garlic and celery leaves. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes or until leaves wilt and reduce in volume.
- Add the potato and give it a stir.
- Add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes or until potato and other vegetables are very tender.
- Remove from the heat and add the cream.
- Puree with an immersion blender or carefully in batches in a food processor.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Voila! A beautiful, creamy, luxurious, and delicious soup perfect for any spring occasion!
- Garnish with a few fresh celery leaves.
Cream of Celery Leaves Soup is the perfect way to use an abundance of celery leaves and reduce kitchen and food waste!
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- Be sure to store your celery and leaves in aluminum foil which helps the celery breathe. Using plastic wrap will accelerate spoilage because ethylene gas produced by the celery can’t escape. Wrapped in aluminum foil, celery can last up to a month in your refrigerator.
- Definitely use scallions in this celery leaf recipe. Their delicate flavor won’t overpower the celery like a mature onion would. A leek or two is also a good option.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Fresh celery leaves can be used like any herb. Therefore, you can:
>>Use them in stock.
>>Use to flavor soups and stews.
>>Make a celery leaf pesto.
>>Add them to salads.
>>Use them in place of parsley either in the recipe or as a garnish.
>>Add them to a green smoothie.
>>Make this celery leaves recipe!
Wrap them in aluminum foil to store celery and the celery leaves so that they last up to a month. Do not store them in a plastic bag or plastic wrap. When stored this way, you’ll be amazed a vegetable can last so long in your refrigerator. Keep the leaves attached to the stalk as long as possible.
Yes, you absolutely can! It can be made 1 to 2 days ahead of time. Cool the soup down completely and refrigerate until you wish to serve it. Then reheat it on the stovetop in a saucepan or the pot you cooked it in.
Storage:
- Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Serve with:
- Puff Pastry Vegetable Tart
- Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tart with Thyme
- Chicken Divan
- Chicken Spinach and Artichoke Puff Pastry Parcels
- French Lentil Salad
- Salade Nicoise
More great recipes to reduce kitchen and food waste!
- Carrot Top Salsa Verde
- Radish Greens Pesto
- Hot Bacon Dressing with Radish Greens
- Whole Grain Croutons with Thyme Rosemary and Parmesan
Get all my soup and stew recipes at: Soup and Stew Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen
Cream of Celery Leaves Soup
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2-3 bunches thick scallions - white and light green parts only, coarsely chopped (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 cloves garlic - chopped
- 4 cups celery leaves - tender tops and hearts, packed (from about 2 large heads, 2 cups after being chopped)
- 1 large Russet potato or 2 medium Russets - peeled and cubed (approximately 2 cups)
- 4 cups vegetable broth - or chicken broth
- 1/2 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. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the scallions wilt.
- Add the garlic and celery leaves. Cook for 6-7 minutes or until leaves wilt and reduce in volume.
- Add the potato and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 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.
Recipe Notes
- Store your celery and leaves in aluminum foil which helps the celery breathe. Using plastic wrap will accelerate spoilage because ethylene gas produced by the celery can’t escape. Wrapped in aluminum foil, celery can last up to a month in your refrigerator.
- Can be made 1-2 days ahead of time. Cool and refrigerate until needed. Reheat on the stovetop.
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.
Your recipe calls for 5 bunches of scallions. Since scallions (aka green onions?) vary so much in size, and even the number of scallions in a bunch can vary, I wonder if you could approximate a cup measurement, as you did with the celery leaves. Thanks.
Hi, Jo Ann, Thanks so much for your question. Yes, I didn’t realize how much they could vary in different places; they seem to be pretty consistent where I shop/live. It would be approximately 1 cup. You want a delicate onion flavor, not an overpowering one. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
Do you think I could use a normal brown onion instead? We are in lockdown in NZ.
Hi, Keryn, Thanks so much for your question. Yes, I just wouldn’t use a whole one. Depends upon the size, too. Hope you’re staying well!!!!!
I did. Also behind bars these days and just used half a brown onion. No cream either so used whole milk. I had To settle for frozen garlic too. It was perfect and we cleaned it up.
Hi, Pat, Thanks so much and glad you enjoyed! Looks like you made the perfect adjustments! Thanks again!
This is delicious. I’ve been searching for way to use all of our organic veggies to boost our immune system as much as we can. This recipe did just that and hit the spot! Thanks. We will definitely use again. I did not have scallions or a russet, but I substituted a regular onion and a Costa Rican sweet potato. Yum!
Hi, Jill, Thanks so very much and so glad you enjoyed! Yes, a regular onion will also work. Will have to try with sweet potato. Thanks again!
Hi, This looks great! I don’t have vegetable / chicken broth or stock. Is there a replacement that doesn’t really change the taste of the soup?
Hi, Hira, Thanks so much for your question. I would just use water but perhaps use extra celery and a little extra onion/scallion and maybe a little extra salt. Hope that helps and hope you enjoy!
5 BUNCHES of scallions… how much IS that? I live in Italy… scallions are not small skinny things but big cipollini… so how do I figure this out, please.
BUNCHES… are you SURE
Hi, Pam, Thanks so much for your question and I hope you are staying well! Yes, this can be confusing. What I mean are the small, skinny things that have not yet developed any type of bulb. Sometimes they’re almost chive-like. Here, the ones that have started to develop bulbs are called “spring onions” which is probably what you have. If you’re using something like that, I would suggest substituting one large developed bulb for each bunch. You don’t want the onion flavor to dominate. I hope that answers your question and I’ve clarified the recipe. Thanks again!
This was really good. I had no potato and substituted cooked rice. I also added a little lemon juice and cayenne. I used full fat Greek yogurt in place of cream. It was yummy and hit the spot!
Hi, Kate, Thanks so much and so glad you enjoyed! Also, love how you made the recipe your own! Thanks again and hope you’ll try some of my other soup recipes.
Great soup, thanks for the recipe!
I added some cayenne pepper for a little heat and some Parmesan for structure and saltiness.
Will definitely make this again!
Hi, Pieter, Thanks so very much and glad you enjoyed! Love the addition of the cayenne and I’m always up for adding some cheese! Parmesan is a great choice. Thanks again!
This soup is absolutely amazing!! I was fortunate enough to get a bunch of organically homegrown celery at my farmer’s market last week. I used the tops in THIS soup! WOW!! We all loved it. Thank you for the recipe. I made it exactly as the recipe. YUM!!
Thanks so much, Cynthia! The first time I made it was for my mother-in-law and she really loved it so glad to hear you enjoyed as much, too! Those celery leaves are gold! Thanks again!
I’ve never thought of using celery leaves in this way. Absolutely great idea considering the amount of food that we waste. Great recipe and great presentation. Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you, David! The amount of food we waste is truly mind-blowing. Hope you enjoy!
I regret throwing away all those pretty green leaves for such a long time! This recipe sounds super creative and delicious, trying it tonight.
Thanks, Neha! Really and truly! Don’t throw them away; there are so many uses for them!
I love the idea of using what would normally be tossed! The soup has a lovely color, I just want to dig in to a bowl!
Thanks, Sara! Yes, the color is perfect for spring!