Delicious Homemade Instant Pot Cream of Celery Soup: Quick & Creamy from Scratch
In a world where comfort food is paramount and convenience is key, the Instant Pot Cream of Celery Soup emerges as a true culinary hero. Forget the days of settling for bland, sodium-laden canned versions; this recipe offers a vibrant, deeply flavorful, and incredibly creamy soup that comes together in your pressure cooker in remarkably little time. It’s the perfect answer for a busy weeknight, a cozy weekend, or whenever you crave a comforting bowl of warmth.
There’s no longer a need to search for a specific brand or lament a potential shortage of cream of celery soup on grocery store shelves. With this fantastic homemade substitute, you’re not just making a meal; you’re crafting an experience. Enjoy the rich, authentic taste of fresh celery elevated by the magic of pressure cooking, delivering a satisfying dish that truly hits the spot.
Cream of Celery Soup from Scratch: A Timeless Comfort
For many, cream of celery soup evokes cherished childhood memories. I was one of those kids who proudly carried a thermos of soup to school for lunch, often bypassing the classic PB&J for a warm, comforting bowl. Cream of celery was consistently a top favorite, its delicate flavor always a delightful treat. As an adult, the desire to recreate that nostalgic taste, but with the superior quality of homemade ingredients, became a passion project. This recipe has been on my “to make” list for quite some time, and with the growing requests from my wonderful readers for more Instant Pot pressure cooker recipes, it felt like the perfect opportunity to bring this classic to life.
While this recipe is perfectly tailored for the Instant Pot, its versatility means you can also prepare it in a crockpot or on your stovetop. I understand not everyone owns a pressure cooker, so I’ve ensured to include detailed “how-to” instructions for those alternative methods within the comprehensive recipe card located at the very bottom of this post. This way, everyone can enjoy this incredibly flavorful and hearty soup, regardless of their kitchen appliance preferences.
Why Choose Homemade Cream of Celery Soup?
The question isn’t why bother with homemade, but rather, why bother with the canned variety at all? This homemade cream of celery soup offers a profoundly richer and more authentic celery flavor, thanks to fresh ingredients that haven’t been processed or condensed. Beyond the incredible taste, you’ll benefit from significantly less sodium and the pure goodness of real cream, or your chosen dairy/non-dairy alternative. The difference between this luscious, fresh soup and the often tinny-tasting, over-salted condensed canned celery soup is monumental. Prepare to be utterly delighted; it’s a difference so striking that you may find yourself never reaching for a can again.
One of the most remarkable aspects of this recipe, especially when utilizing an Instant Pot-style pressure cooker, is its efficiency. You might assume that making soup from scratch would be a lengthy endeavor, but this recipe challenges that notion. The entire cooking process, from sautéing your aromatics to blending and adding cream, takes approximately the same amount of time it would take to simply heat a canned soup on the stovetop. It’s truly that simple: combine your ingredients, seal the pot, cook under pressure, blend to your desired consistency, and stir in the cream. You’ll be serving up steaming bowls of deliciousness before anyone even realizes you just whipped up a gourmet-quality soup from scratch!
Adapting Your Cream of Celery Soup: Vegetarian & Vegan Options
Let’s be upfront: this classic rendition of cream of celery soup, featuring heavy cream and butter, is unapologetically rich and dairy-forward. It typically includes ingredients like heavy cream or half-and-half, butter, and often chicken stock, making it decidedly not vegan. However, its deliciousness is not exclusive to meat-eaters! This recipe is incredibly adaptable for vegetarians who consume dairy products. Simply swap the chicken stock for a high-quality vegetable stock, and you’ll have a wonderfully satisfying vegetarian cream of celery soup. In fact, many find that a good vegetable stock can enhance the natural flavors of the celery even further, making it just as good, if not better, than its chicken stock counterpart.
For those following a vegan lifestyle, transforming this recipe is entirely achievable without sacrificing flavor or creaminess. Instead of butter, opt for coconut oil or your favorite vegan butter substitute. To achieve that signature creamy texture without dairy, you have several excellent options: rich full-fat coconut milk (canned, not from a carton), a cashew cream (soaked cashews blended with water), or even a plant-based milk like oat milk can work beautifully. While the texture might be slightly different, using an immersion blender will still help you achieve a smooth, emulsified consistency that mimics traditional creaminess. An added benefit of the vegan adaptation is a reduction in calories and often an increase in plant-based nutrients!
How to Make Cream of Celery Soup in an Instant Pot
Instant Pots are truly revolutionary kitchen appliances, and they excel particularly when it comes to making soups of all kinds. This cream of celery recipe is no exception; in fact, it highlights all the reasons why pressure cookers are perfect for soup-making. Their primary advantage is the ability to perform multiple cooking functions in a single pot – from sautéing aromatics to pressure cooking – which means less cleanup and a streamlined process. They are incredibly user-friendly to clean, and perhaps most impressively, they cook everything so incredibly fast!
The speed isn’t just about saving time; it’s also about intensifying flavors. Pressure cooking creates an environment where ingredients meld together quickly, concentrating their essence and resulting in a depth of flavor that usually takes hours of slow simmering to achieve. This means your “instant” cream of celery soup will taste like it’s been lovingly cooking all day long. It truly redefines what “instant” can mean for homemade soup: pure, unadulterated deliciousness, ready when you are. All it takes is adding your simple ingredients, securing the lid, setting the timer and temperature, and letting your Instant Pot work its magic. Soon, a spectacular homemade soup will be ready to warm your soul.
Ingredients in Instant Pot Cream of Celery Soup
- Butter (or vegan butter substitute)
- Sweet yellow onion, chopped
- Garlic, minced
- Celery, chopped
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Chicken or vegetable stock
- Heavy cream (or half & half; for vegan, use coconut milk/cream or cashew cream)
Step by Step Instructions:
- Turn your Instant Pot to the “Sauté” setting.
- Add the butter to the pot. Once it’s melted, add the chopped onion and minced garlic, and sauté for about 2 minutes until fragrant. Then, stir in the chopped celery and turn the Instant Pot off.
- Pour in the chicken or vegetable stock, then season with salt and pepper. Stir everything together gently.
- Securely lock the lid into place on your Instant Pot. Ensure that the steam release valve is set to the “Sealing” position.
- Select the “Manual” (or “Pressure Cook”) setting and set the timer for 12 minutes.
- Once the cooking cycle is complete and the Instant Pot beeps, allow the pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes. The display will typically show “L10” when this stage is done.
- After the 10-minute natural release, carefully perform a quick release of any remaining pressure by turning the steam release valve to the “Venting” position.
- Using a stick/immersion blender, carefully purée the soup directly in the pot to your desired consistency. If you prefer a slightly chunkier soup, blend less.
- Stir in the heavy cream (or your chosen substitute) until fully incorporated and heated through. Serve immediately and enjoy!
*Complete printable cream of celery soup recipe, including stovetop and slow cooker variations, is available in the detailed recipe card at the bottom of this post.
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Can’t wait to make this incredibly delicious and comforting Instant Pot Cream of Celery Soup? Make sure you don’t lose track of this fantastic recipe! Pin it directly to your favorite Pinterest recipe board today. This way, it will be easy to find whenever that soup craving strikes!
Smart Storage Tips: Soup & Fresh Celery
Once your delicious homemade cream of celery soup is ready, storing leftovers is simple and efficient. For refrigeration, transfer the cooled soup into an airtight container. It will maintain its freshness and flavor in the fridge for up to a week, making it perfect for meal prepping or enjoying throughout the week. For longer storage, this soup freezes beautifully for up to three months. To freeze, ensure the soup is completely cool, then transfer it into freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating gently on the stove or in the microwave.
Beyond storing the finished soup, knowing how to properly store fresh celery before you even cook with it is crucial for maximizing its crispness and flavor. Many people intuitively chop their celery and store it in cold water, believing this will keep it crisp. While it might seem to work for texture, there’s a significant downside: the water can leach out much of the celery’s delicate, earthy flavor, leaving you with a less aromatic ingredient for your soup.
A superior method for preserving fresh celery involves wrapping the entire bunch tightly in aluminum foil before placing it in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. The foil allows the celery to breathe without drying out, maintaining its ideal moisture balance and preventing flavor loss. Stored this way, your celery can remain wonderfully crisp and flavorful for up much longer—often up to a month!
More Soul-Warming Soup Recipes to Explore
With soup season in full swing, or whenever you’re simply in the mood for a hearty bowl, it’s always great to have a collection of reliable recipes. Here are some of my all-time favorite soup recipes that are perfect for warming you up and satisfying your cravings:
- Cream of Mushroom Soup (pictured above, another homemade classic!)
- Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
- Hearty Hamburger Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
- Instant Pot Beer Cheese Soup with Kraut & Kielbasa
- Creamy Cabbage and Bleu Cheese Soup
- Instant Pot New England Clam Chowder
- Deconstructed Lasagna Soup
- Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup
- Instant Pot Ground Beef & Vegetable Soup
For even more inspiring ideas, be sure to check out ALL of my Soup Recipes!
Feeling chilly? There’s no better remedy than a warm, comforting bowl of homemade soup. Grab your Instant Pot, gather your ingredients, and let’s whip up some incredible Homemade Cream of Celery Soup to chase away the cold! You won’t regret making this delightful, flavorful dish that will quickly become a family favorite. Enjoy!
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Print Recipe
Instant Pot Cream of Celery Soup
Equipment
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Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 cups chopped sweet yellow onion approx 1 large onion
- 1 Tablespoon garlic minced
- 8 cups celery chopped (about 1 1/2 large bunches)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream can substitute half & half
Instructions
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Turn instant pot to saute setting.
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Add the butter and when it’s melted add in the onion and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add in celery, turn the instant pot off.
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Mix in stock, salt, and pepper.
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Lock the lid into place. Make sure that the instant pot is set to “sealing.”
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Turn the IP manual and set the timer for 12 minutes.
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Once it beeps let the pot naturally release pressure for 10 minutes. (it will read LO10 when it’s done)
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Carefully release remaining pressure in the pot.
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Using a stick emulsion blender, puree soup to your liking. I like my celery a little on the chunkier side.
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Stir in cream. Serve.
Notes
Alternatively, you can prepare this recipe on your stovetop by sauteing the onion in the butter, adding the celery and stock, and cooking until the celery is your desired tenderness before blending and adding cream.