There’s something about a warm bowl of homemade soup that makes a chilly day feel a little better. This carrot and celery soup is one of those simple recipes that doesn't need much to be delicious. A few fresh vegetables, plenty of garlic, a couple staple spices, and good vegetable stock come together to make a smooth, flavorful soup that’s easy enough for a weeknight, but impressive enough for a dinner party.
Every soup needs carrots and celery right? In my opinion its what makes soup, well, taste like soup! So why not make a soup with just carrots and celery. Carrots bring a natural sweetness, while celery adds a fresh, savory flavor that keeps the soup from becoming too sweet, and a squeeze of lemon juice at the end brightens everything up.
Best of all, this is a naturally vegan soup made without cream or butter. All you need is a large pot, an immersion blender or regular blender, and about 40 minutes.
Serve it with a drizzle of olive oil, some fresh picked dill, cracked black pepper, and some crusty bread, and you've got a simple lunch or dinner that feels much more special than the ingredient list suggests.
This carrot and celery soup is a perfect side for any meal. Try it with some pesto butter salmon and a caramelized onion rice pilaf for a complete meal. Or simply eat with some crusty country bread for dipping!
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Key Ingredients
- Carrots: The star of this carrot soup. Fresh carrots give the soup its beautiful color and natural sweetness.
- Celery: Celery adds a savory, slightly herbal flavor that balances the carrots perfectly. Save a few of the leaves for garnish if you have them.
- Garlic: A few cloves of garlic give the soup a deeper savory flavor.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil is used to sauté the vegetables and adds a nice richness when drizzled over the finished soup.
- Vegetable Stock: Vegetable stock creates the base of the soup while keeping this recipe completely vegan.
- Lemon Juice: A little lemon juice at the end makes a big difference. It cuts through the sweetness of the carrots and brings all the flavors together.
Instructions
Sauté the onion and garlic
Start by heating a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You’re looking for the onion to become soft, translucent, and lightly browned. Taking a few extra minutes here helps build a flavorful base for the soup.
Add the carrots, celery, and spices
Once the onion has softened, add the chopped carrots and celery along with the celery seed, white pepper, and nutmeg. Cook everything together for another 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and pick up a little color. This quick sauté brings out even more flavor before the broth goes in.
Simmer the carrot and celery soup
Pour in the vegetable broth and lemon juice, then season with salt. Give everything a good stir and bring the soup to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and let it cook for 20–25 minutes, or until the carrots and celery are very tender.
Blend until smooth and silky
Once the vegetables are tender, it’s time to blend the soup. An immersion blender makes this especially easy since you can blend everything right in the pot. Blend until the soup is completely smooth and silky, which usually takes about 4–5 minutes.
Be careful when blending hot soup! Keep the immersion blender fully submerged to help prevent hot liquid from splashing.
If you prefer an especially smooth soup, you can continue blending for another minute or two until you reach your desired consistency.
Finish with fresh garnishes
Ladle the warm carrot and celery soup into bowls and finish with freshly cracked black pepper, fresh dill, and the reserved celery leaves. The fresh herbs add a lovely pop of flavor and color to this simple, comforting soup. Serve warm and enjoy!
Substitutions
This carrot celery soup is pretty flexible, so don't worry if you need to make a few changes.
For a richer soup, add a splash of coconut milk after blending. It will still be a vegan soup and will give the soup a slightly creamier texture.
You can also use chicken stock if you don't need the recipe to be vegan. For a completely plant-based recipe, stick with vegetable stock.
If you want a little more sweetness, you may be tempted to add sweet potato, but I prefer keeping this recipe focused on the simple combination of carrot and celery. The natural sweetness of the carrots is more than enough.
Storage
This is a great soup to make ahead of time. Store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
The soup may thicken slightly as it cools. When reheating, add a splash of vegetable stock or water and stir until it reaches your preferred consistency.
You can also freeze this soup for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely before transferring it to freezer-safe containers.
Yes! This is a naturally vegan recipe. It contains no meat, dairy, butter, or cream. Just make sure you use vegetable stock if you want to keep the soup completely vegan.
Absolutely. You can leave the vegetables chunky and serve it as a rustic vegetable soup. Just make sure the carrots and celery are cooked until tender.
Yes. Blending the cooked carrots and celery creates a naturally smooth texture. For an even creamier soup, you can add a little coconut milk or extra olive oil.
Definitely. In fact, the flavors become even better after the soup sits for a day. Make it ahead, refrigerate it, and gently reheat it when you're ready to eat.
Crusty bread is my favorite, but this soup also pairs well with a simple salad, grilled cheese, or roasted vegetables. It's also a great starter for a larger dinner.
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Carrot and Celery Soup
Nutrition
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 3 cloves Garlic chopped
- 1 large Yellow Onion chopped
- ½ teaspoon Celery Seed
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 4 large Celery Stalks chopped
- 4 large Carrots peeled and chopped
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- fresh dill for serving
- celery leaves for serving
- freshly cracked black pepper for servingcx
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, translucent, and lightly browned.
- Stir in the carrots, celery, celery seed, white pepper, and nutmeg. Cook for another 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots begin to soften and develop a little color.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and lemon juice, then season with salt. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 20–25 minutes, or until the carrots and celery are completely tender.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the carrot and celery soup directly in the pot until smooth and silky. This can take about 4–5 minutes. Use caution when blending hot soup, as it can splatter.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and finish with freshly cracked black pepper, fresh dill, and the reserved celery leaves. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
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Food Safety
- Cook meat to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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