This hearty celery and carrot soup is very easy and so tasty! It makes a fantastic for lunch or light dinner all year round but you will especially enjoy it during long winter months. This 6-ingredient homemade soup recipe is low in calories and ready in 30 minutes!
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Why To Try This Carrot and Celery Soup
You will absolutely enjoy making and eating this soup. Wanna know why?
- It is super easy – just chop up and cook the ingredients, even a complete beginner will be able to follow!
- This soup with carrots and celery is full of good stuff like fibre, vitamins and minerals that are beneficial for a healthy and balanced diet. On the other hand, there is minimum fat and only naturally occurring sugars, which makes it low in calories.
- This one-pot recipe is great for batch cooking and making ahead – simply adjust the servings size in the recipe card and you can feed a crowd – however big or small, with minimum washing up! It will keep in the fridge for a few days.
- It only takes half an hour to make!
Key Ingredients
This delicious and hearty soup can be made from only 6 ingredients in less than 30 minutes. Here is a list of things that you will need to make it:
- Carrots – I love this wonderful vegetable for how versatile it is. Carrots bring plenty of fibre, vitamins (B, K1) and minerals (potassium, beta carotene) and antioxidants to this soup, and give the soup a pop of a beautiful bright colour, whilst making it taste a bit sweet thanks to its naturally occurring sugars. Use fresh or frozen carrots in this recipe.
- Celery stalks give the soup a hint of green colour, crunchy texture and slightly peppery and almost bitter taste. They also pair beautifully with the carrots. Did you know that celery is a good source of vitamin K? (That’s just the main of its health benefits!) Use whole stalks in this recipe – the leaves are edible too and make an effective garnish. This soup calls for fresh or frozen chopped celery. Always wash off any dirt prior to slicing it (it usually likes to sit in the bendy part of the stalks).
- Onion makes a lovely base for this soup. Classic brown or red onion will both work here. Use fresh or frozen onion.
- Potatoes add more to the body of the soup, making it more filling. Feel free to keep the skin on for extra fibre or peel them if you prefer. Use white potatoes or red potatoes. Try not to overcook them: add potatoes to the soup later.
- Garlic adds more flavour to the soup. If using fresh garlic, add it towards the end of the cooking time. If using frozen or dried garlic, add it to the soup with the carrots to give it more time to cook through.
- Chicken stock (broth) gives the soup a boost of savoury taste. Use a homemade or ready-made broth or reduced-salt stock cubes and cold water (follow the instructions on the packaging for best results).
- Allspice and whole black peppercorns are added for their beautiful earthy flavours.
- Fresh parsley provides the soup with a vibrant green colour, and additional nutrients. Add it just before serving to make the most of its taste. If using dried parsley, add it with the potatoes.
For details on measurements and exact steps, please find the recipe card at the end of this post.
Substitutes & Variations
Although there only 6 ingredients in this carrot soup with celery, here are some ideas if you need to swap some of them:
- Celeriac – this root vegetable has a very similar taste to the celery stalks. Peel it and cut it into dices before adding to the soup.
- Sweet potato can replace carrots, peel it before adding to the soup.
- Short pasta (penne, fusilli etc.) instead of potatoes – fresh pasta needs less cooking time, while dry pasta will need more time, so remember to add them to the soup sooner. You can also use noodles (they usually cook fast too). Always check cooking instructions on the packaging.
Swap ratios are described in the recipe card.
How To Make Carrot and Celery Soup
This delicious homemade soup is ready in five easy steps:
- Wash and chop the vegetables.
- Fry chopped onion and carrots in a large pot.
- Add stock (broth) and spices and cook until the carrots start to soften.
- Add potatoes, celery and garlic and cook until the carrots and potatoes are just soft.
- Serve the carrot and celery soup with parsley on its own, or with a slice of crispy bread.
Top Tips
- If the skin of the carrots and potatoes looks nice and clean, keep it on (only cut off the ends) – the skins will add to the fibre content of the soup.
- Do not overcook the soup – the vegetables will go mushy soon and the soup won’t be as tasty as if they were cooked just until soft.
Storage & Reheating
This celery and carrot soup will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days. Leave it to cool down after cooking, cover it with a lid and store in the fridge.
The soup can also be frozen. Let it to cool to a room temperature, transfer into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
How To Reheat Celery and Carrot Soup?
Individual portions of the soup can be reheated in a microwave oven. Place the soup onto a microwavable plate (bowl) and reheat for 3-4 minutes per portion. Test if it’s hot in the middle of the plate. If not, reheat it for another 30-60 seconds. Check the soup is piping hot before serving.
I recommend reheating multiple portions of this soup on a stove top. Place the soup into a large stock pot, set to medium-high heat and wait until the soup starts to boil. Lower the heat and leave to simmer for at least 5 minutes before serving, stirring occasionally. This method also works when reheating from frozen – just add 2-3 extra minutes of cooking time.
FAQs
Celery cooks faster. Start by adding carrot first to give them enough time to cook and soften, before adding other (softer) vegetables like celery or potatoes. That said, you would need to add celery together with carrots when making a stock from scratch.
Like many things, it depends. This depends on your diet. If you can have a fibre-rich diet, then do not peel the carrots before adding them to a soup. If you want to reduce the amount of fibre going into your soup, or if the skin is somewhat damaged, then peeling them might be the right option for you.
📖 The Recipe
Celery and Carrot Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, brown or red
- 3 large carrots
- 4 celery stalks
- 2 potatoes
- 1,5 l chicken stock, or vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon allspice, whole
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, whole
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 handful fresh parsley, or 1tsp dried parsley
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry all vegetables, peel the onion and garlic. Cut the carrots and potatoes into small same-sized dices. Finelly chop the celery, onion and garlic.
- Add the oil into a large pot and set on medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped onion and fry for 2 minutes. Add diced carrot, stir and fry for 3 minutes.
- Add chicken stock (or stock cubes and cold water), season with whole peppercorns and allspice, set on high heat and bring to boil. When the soup starts to bubble, lower the heat and leave it to simmer for 7 minutes.
- Add diced potatoes, sliced celery and garlic and cook for further 5-7 minutes or until the carrots and potatoes are soft.
- Add freshly chopped parsley and enjoy the soup on its own or with a slice of crusty bread.
Notes
- ⅓ celeriac (peeled and diced),
- 1 large sweet potato (peeled),
- 3 handfuls short pasta (penne, fusilli or noodles) - check cooking instructions on the packaging and adjust cooking time accordingly.
El
So simple and delish!