Carrot and celery soup
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This simple, light carrot and celery soup is flavored with ground ginger and cinnamon and brightened with fresh lemon. It’s so delicious and healthy.
It’s inexpensive, low in calories, and ready in less than 30 minutes.
I’ve been a soup lover my entire life, and even more here in London, where I’ve learned to expect chill days to last through April. Yep, I still load up on soups all season.
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But this delightful soup with carrots and celery I’m sharing today is perfect for any weather. It’s low in calories and can be served warm or cold, as it always tastes delicious.
It’s a staple in our house. It couldn’t be simpler to make with essential ingredients I always keep on hand. It’s fantastic for using carrots and celery that might sit in the fridge, and it’s easy to jazz up with convenient ground spices.
But more importantly, it’s creamy, full of antioxidants, rich flavor, and each serving contains less than 200 calories! What’s not to love?
You could serve it on its own, topped with a swirl of olive oil, black pepper, and toasted seeds…or pair it with crispy Italian crostini, warm focaccia, Italian crispy panini bread, or croutons. And it’s kids-approved, too!
List of the ingredients
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onion & garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Plant-based milk or cow milk
- Ground ginger, cinnamon, turmeric
- Salt & pepper
How to make carrot & celery soup
(Note: this is simply a quick explanation; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Saute onion and garlic in olive oil to build the flavor base.
- Stir in the chopped carrot and celery.
- Add the broth, milk, spices, salt, and simmer until tender.
- Blend until smooth, stir in fresh lemon juice, and season to taste.
- Enjoy with fresh parsley, more lemon juice, delicious crusty bread, this easy warm black pepper focaccia, or golden stovetop croutons for more texture. Garnish with toasted seeds or your favorite crunchy nuts. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Ingredients & Substitutions
Olive oil, onion, and garlic: To build the flavor base.
Carrot and celery: We use chopped carrots and celery, and there is no need to peel the carrots if you are short on time. This carrot-celery soup can also be made with economical frozen carrots, and there is no need to adjust the cooking time accordingly. Easy peasy!
Spices: I used easy, convenient pantry staples. Both cinnamon and ginger work so well with the carrots, while turmeric adds antioxidants and a bright yellow color, perfect for masking the greyish hue of the celery. You can skip the turmeric if you don’t have it but don’t skip the cinnamon.
Milk: A touch of plant-based milk adds extra texture and richness. I used oat milk, a staple in my house, but the recipe works with any milk you have, including coconut or cow milk, if you don’t keep it vegan.
Broth: You can use your favorite broth instead of low-sodium vegetable broth. Adjust the seasoning accordingly since some broth can be pretty salty.
Lemon juice: This is a staple, and its fresh flavor is brilliant to lighten up this spiced carrot and celery soup. Feel free to add more juice if you like.
Salt & pepper: I always recommend to season to taste before serving.
Leftovers & storage
This carrot and celery soup stays in the fridge for 3-4 days and freezes very well. You can easily double it and freeze half for later.
More vegan soups you’ll love!
You might want to check out this collection of 30+ vegan soup recipes; below are some of my family’s favorites:
- Vegan cauliflower soup
- Lebanese red lentil soup
- Vegan lentil soup
- Vegan celeriac soup
- Tomato soup with potatoes
- vegan split pea soup
- Mediterranean lentil soup
- Vegan spinach
Let me know if you are making this celery and carrot soup! Leave a comment, rate it, or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram. I would love to hear from you!
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Carrot and Celery Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium-sized onion, diced (any colour is fine)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb (450 grams) carrots, peeled and chopped*
- ½ lb (220 grams) celery, chopped
- 2 ½ cups (600 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup (240 ml) plant-based milk (or any favorite milk)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon Salt (or season to taste if use different broth)
- 2-3 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, and sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, and cook for an extra minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the chopped carrots and celery, add the broth, milk, spices, and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook until tender (it takes between 15 and 20 minutes).
- Turn the heat off and let it cool slightly. Transfer the soup to a stand blender, whizz just until smooth, then return it to the pot. You can also use a hand blender to puree the soup while it's in the pot. In both cases, please be careful, as the soup will still be hot.
- Once the blended soup is back in the pot, stir in the lemon juice and taste to adjust the seasoning if needed. You might also want to add more fresh lemon juice to add more zing and freshness.
- Serve with freshly ground black pepper, chopped fresh parsley, crusty bread, and toasted seeds if desired. Enjoy!
I have never tasted anything like this in my life, and it was delicious! It has a very rich flavor, and nothing like you would expect. The ginger gives it a spicy kind of flavor (though it’s not actually spicy). This was a perfect recipe to use up the celery and carrots we had in the fridge!
You’ve made my day, Maria! Your feedback is so appreciated, thank you! x
Wonderful and easy solution for extra celery/carrots. I split the batch and froze half for soup starter at a later date. We sampled this soup rustic/chunky and blended with cream, garnished with toasted seeds and nuts. Excellent both ways! I added a small amount of soy sauce and sherry – to give a bit more umami and depth.
That’s such a great feedback, Marti. I’m glad you loved this soup!
Thanks for sharing and for rating the recipe – that’s so appreciated. x
First time trying cinnamon in a soup.
Surprisingly tasty.
Only had 1% milk on hand . So not as thick.
Still yummy in my tummy anyways!☺️
Wonderful, I’m so pleased to hear that!
Thanks for sharing, Irene. x
Superb. All I had in my fridge was carrots and celery, so I googled for inspiration in the forlorn hope that there was a way of making something interesting. The soup turned out SO GOOD! I made half the quantity but accidentally put enough spices for the Serves 4 version. Oops! It was terrific 😉 I had some spare single cream left over so chucked that in too. Mmmm, fabulous, thank you so much.
You’re so welcome, Blanche! This is one of my best no-frills soups and I’m so glad it turned out so good for you!
Thanks for sharing your lovely feedback and for rating the recipe. x
Oh my gosh, this is too good! I used Oatly brand full-fat oat milk and this came out perfectly! So easy to make too! Thank you so much, Katia! (The only downside is I just made it and 2/3 are gone already… What am I going to eat for dinner? :'( lol)
That’s amazing! I’m very very happy it turned out delicious and you enjoyed it.
Thanks so much for sharing your comment, Sunah. x
Lemon is not in the ingredients so I am unsure how much to use.
Hey there! Add lemon juice to taste, you might start with 1 tablespoon. You need just a touch of acidity.
Wondering what to make for dinner, I looked in my fridge. I saw carrots and celery. I Googled what to make and stumbled upon this recipe. I realized I had the remaining ingredients and started it right away. It was amazing – thank you!!
I LOVE your feedback so much, Joey! : )
Thanks so much for sharing. x
wat een heerlijke soep! die ga ik snel maken voor mijn familie met de kerst !!
I guess you loved this soup! : ) Thanks so much for rating the recipe. x
Wonderful! Made as written except for omitting cinnamon. It’s a wonderful flavorful soup!!! I doubled the recipe and I’m so glad I did!
That’s great, Janie! Believe me or not, I’ve made it for dinner tonight! : )
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback. x