1-Step One: Prepare Your Ingredients Before turning on the stove, chop all your vegetables. Finely dice the small yellow onion you want about one cup of evenly chopped pieces. Take your celery ribs and chop them very finely; aim for uniform pieces about the size of a grain of rice. This ensures even cooking and a smooth final texture. Mince your garlic clove and have all your measured ingredients ready. This mise en place approach prevents scrambling once cooking begins.

2-Step Two: Build Your Flavor Base Place your Dutch oven or heavy stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the 1/4 cup butter and let it melt completely, swirling to coat the bottom of the pot. The butter should bubble slightly but not brown. Once melted and hot, add your chopped onion, celery, and minced garlic all at once. Cook the vegetables until they become soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking. The onions should look glossy, and the celery will have lost its raw crunch while maintaining some texture.

3-Step Three: Create the Roux Sprinkle the 1/3 cup of all-purpose unbleached flour over your softened vegetables. Stir immediately and constantly for about one minute. The flour will coat the vegetables and combine with the butter to form a paste. This step is crucial it cooks out the raw flour taste and prepares the mixture to thicken properly when liquids are added. You’ll notice the mixture becoming slightly golden and fragrant.

4-Step Four: Add Liquids and Simmer Pour in your 1 1/2 cups of good quality chicken broth slowly while stirring. The key here is constant stirring to prevent any flour clumps from forming. Once the broth is incorporated, add your 1 1/2 cups of whole milk (or your milk and cream combination) the same way slowly and with continuous stirring. Increase your heat to bring the mixture to a simmer. You’ll see small bubbles forming around the edges. Once it reaches a simmer, reduce the heat to medium to maintain a gentle simmer without boiling.

5-Step Five: Season and Finish Add your seasonings now: 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. Give everything a good stir to combine. Let the soup simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from scorching. During this simmering time, the soup will thicken slightly and the celery will become tender. The flavors will meld together beautifully. Taste your soup and adjust the salt if needed remember, you can always add more, but you can’t take it out.

6-Final Step: Serve or Store Your classic homemade cream of celery soup is now ready to enjoy. Ladle it into bowls and serve immediately, or use it as a substitute for canned condensed cream of celery soup in your favorite recipes. If you’re planning to use it in casseroles or other dishes, you might want to check out our blackened chicken recipe for a delicious pairing idea.