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This creamy celery soup replaces the canned cream of celery soup in your pantry. Stir it into a casserole, or ladle it into a bowl and eat it as a soup.
Each 2-cup serving has 11 grams of protein, and fresh dill, parsley and lemon keep the flavor bright. For more ideas, browse my vegan soup recipes.
What's in this post
Why You’ll Love It
- A from-scratch swap for the canned kind. It’s creamy like cream of celery soup, but it uses vegetable stock and avocado oil instead of butter or cream. One reader uses it as the base for recipes that call for the canned version.
- Cashews, not coconut milk. Many dairy-free celery soups rely on coconut milk. However, raw cashews add the same richness, so the celery and fresh herbs lead the flavor.
- 11 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. Each 2-cup serving also has 6 grams of sugar and no added sugar.
- One pot and 30 minutes. Prep takes 10 minutes, and cooking takes 20.
- Freezer-friendly. It keeps for 4 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.
Creamy Celery Soup Ingredients
Here’s a quick breakdown of why I use certain ingredients in this soup. The full list lives in the recipe card below.
- Celery: Slice the stalks thinly. That way, the soup blends silky instead of stringy.
- Russet potatoes: Their starch gives the soup body without any dairy. Also, smaller pieces cook faster.
- Raw cashews: Choose raw cashews and soak them ahead if you can. They add richness and a little plant-based protein, and soaking helps them blend smoother.
- Fresh dill, parsley and spinach: Stir them in off the heat. That way, they stay bright green.
- Lemon juice and cayenne: Lemon adds brightness at the end. Meanwhile, a small pinch of cayenne adds gentle warmth.
- Avocado oil: It handles sautéing over medium-high heat well.
November 9-13, 2026
Jen’s Free Soup Challenge
I’d love for you to soup it up with me! For 5 days, I’ll send you a daily veggie-packed soup that’s easy enough for a busy weeknight and makes enough to freeze and pull out all winter.
How to Make Creamy Celery Soup
- Sauté the base. Heat the avocado oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the onion until soft and lightly golden at the edges, stirring often. Then add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.
- Simmer. Add the sliced celery, potatoes, stock, bay leaves, salt, pepper, cashews and cayenne. The liquid should just cover the vegetables, so add up to 1 cup of water if needed. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat and cover. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
- Add the fresh ingredients. Turn off the heat and remove the bay leaves. Then stir in the dill, parsley, spinach and lemon juice. Adding them off the heat keeps the soup bright green.
- Blend. Blend with an immersion blender, like this Vitamix immersion blender, until very silky. Then taste and adjust the salt.
- Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls. Then top with hemp hearts, chopped parsley, black pepper and a swirl of cashew cream if you like.
Substitutions and Variations
- Oil: Olive oil or coconut oil works in place of avocado oil.
- Cashews: Coconut milk is a common swap, but it adds coconut flavor. I prefer raw cashews here.
- Herbs: Thyme works in place of parsley for the garnish.
- Extra vegetables: Add carrots or green beans to make the soup heartier.
- Spices: Cumin or smoked paprika adds another layer. A dash of chili flakes adds heat.
- Thinner soup: Stir in a splash of vegetable stock until it reaches the texture you like.
- Serving: Pair it with whole-grain bread, a big salad or a vegan grilled cheese sandwich.
Make-Ahead, Storage and Freezing
- Fridge: Store leftovers for up to 4 days. Then reheat on the stovetop, adding a splash of vegetable stock if the soup thickens.
- Freezer: Freeze portions for up to 3 months in the Souper Cubes Freezer System.
- Fresh celery: Store it in a slightly open plastic bag in the crisper drawer. That way, it lasts about 10 days.
More Creamy Vegan Soups
Want more creamy soups to rotate through? Try these next:
- Creamy Vegetable Soup: blended cashews give it body, while potatoes, beans and frozen vegetables simmer in.
- Creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup: a crunchy seed topping and a mirepoix shortcut make it easy.
- Creamy Vegan Potato Soup: a rich potato soup topped with crunchy kale croutons.
Common Questions
Yes. It uses vegetable stock, avocado oil, potatoes and raw cashews instead of chicken broth, butter or cream. Check your stock label to confirm it has no animal ingredients.
Often, yes. One reader uses it as the base for recipes that call for cream of celery soup. However, this soup is ready to eat rather than condensed, so expect a looser texture.
Slice the celery thinly before cooking. Then simmer it until tender and blend until very silky.
Creamy celery soup keeps in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat it on the stovetop with a splash of vegetable stock if it thickens.
Yes. Freeze it in portion-size containers for up to 3 months. Then thaw it and reheat on the stovetop.
Yes, you can use coconut milk, which is a common swap. However, it adds coconut flavor, and I prefer the milder taste of raw cashews.
Recipe Card
Creamy Celery Soup
Ingredients
Celery Soup
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 garlic clove minced
- 6 celery stalks sliced to help with fibers
- 2 russet potatoes peeled and chopped
- 4 cup vegetable stock
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, ground ground
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ cup fresh dill
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 tablespoon lemon juiced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, unrefined
Toppings
- ¼ cup hemp hearts
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ground ground
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- ¼ cup cashew cream optional
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until it starts to soften and turn golden at the edges. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the celery, potatoes, vegetable stock, bay leaves, salt, pepper, cashews and cayenne. The liquid should just cover the vegetables; if it doesn’t, add water until they’re covered.
- Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and remove the bay leaves. Add the dill, parsley, spinach and lemon juice.
- Using an immersion blender, blend until very smooth. Season to taste with salt.
- Ladle into bowls and top with the hemp hearts, pepper, parsley and cashew cream, if using.
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Recipe Notes
- Prep Tip: Slice the celery thinly so its fibers break down and the soup blends silky smooth.
- Blender Tip: Without an immersion blender, let the soup cool slightly and purée it in batches in a standard blender, removing the center cap and covering the opening with a towel.
- Instant Pot Method: Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil on Sauté, then add the celery, potatoes, stock, bay leaves, seasonings and cashews. Pressure cook on high for 6 minutes, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then finish with the herbs, spinach and lemon.
- Storing: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Rewarm gently and add a splash of homemade vegetable stock if the soup has thickened.
Nutrition
Saturated Fat: 3 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10 g | Sodium: 1298 mg | Potassium: 860 mg | Sugar: 6 g | Vitamin A: 2115 IU | Vitamin C: 23 mg | Calcium: 96 mg | Iron: 5 mg
I was late getting to this challenge soup. I like the ingredients, but it’s basically potato and celery so I wasn’t expecting much. WOW was I pleasantly surprised. Whether it was the freshness of ingredients, the portion balance or what it’s a very good soup. I mostly followed the recipe except used olive oil, skipped the black pepper and dill, used some dry parsley in the simmering and used celery leaves in place of the fresh parsley and skipped the toppings. I can definitely see doing this one again as is or with variations. Thanks.
So glad I surprised you, Janet! Thanks for joining me for the Soup Challenge!
I would absolutely use this as a base for recipes that ask for cream of celery, or cream of chicken. Nice and creamy texture.
Oh that’s a great idea Ann Marie!
This soup is amazing. I am not true fan of celery but this flavour in this soup is so good . The little bit of Cayenne take the soup to the next level.
Cayenne can take quite a few things to the next level. Way to make it you own, Fara.
Mmmm! So creamy
I love vegan soup that’s still creamy. So glad you liked it, Ethel.