Keto Celery Soup (Stovetop or Instant Pot)

Celery gets a bit of a bad wrap. As kids, we’re pretty much told that celery isn’t good enough on its own – it has to have peanut butter and raisins (a la “ants on a log”) to be palatable. That’s really not fair – celery is delicious and can stand on its own. Don’t believe me? This keto celery soup will prove my point – and it’s super easy to make, which is why I’m publishing it as my very first soup recipe on this blog!

Here in our house, we generally try to eat keto as much as possible, so I also wanted to make a keto celery soup. Celery does have a decent amount of carbs in it, so I wanted to make a recipe that was conscious about the amount of celery included and the carb counts in other recipes too.

In the end, this keto celery recipe is the result! First, let’s dive into a brief history of celery soup before jumping into the recipe. (Want to skip ahead? No worries:

Origins of Celery Soup

Did you know that celery has its origins as a food several millennia ago? It was mentioned by Homer in his Odyssey in 850 BC and in writings by Confucius around 500 BC. It was even found in King Tut’s tomb – which dates back to the 1300s BC!

Different species of celery have long been eaten, but modern celery was cultivated in 14th century Italy; other strains eventually became less common in dishes. By the 19th century, it was a delicacy – and it was served on the Titanic! (source)

We don’t know the exact origins of celery soup, but it’s no surprise that it surely dates back as long as celery has been popular. And as you’ll see, celery soup is also simple to make – and easily passes for a much fancier dish than it is, based on the ingredients.

Making Keto Celery Soup

Seriously though, this recipe is so easy. All you need is celery, butter, heavy whipping cream, onion, garlic, and chicken stock.

After prepping your ingredients, you’ll start by sautéing the celery to begin softening it. Then add the onion and sauté that as well – the cells of the onion break down faster so they need less time in the pot to get nice and soft. (P.S. In case you’re curious, this is a great time to try the celery to see how delicious it tastes!)

After sautéing the garlic too, all you have to do is add the chicken stock and cook until the celery and onion break down further. Once they’re all deliciously soft, you use an immersion blender to make smooth and add heavy whipping cream to make it creamy. Literally – that’s it!

Keto Celery Soup Full Recipe

Want to cook keto celery soup in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker instead?

• You can sauté the celery in your instant pot first on the sauté setting.
• Once you add all of the ingredients, switch to soup mode and pressure cook for 5-6 minutes. (It will take about 15-20 minutes in total for your Instant Pot to pressurize and then release that pressure after cooking.)
• Once you’ve released the pressure, you can use the immersion blender per the above recipe.

It takes about the same time to cook this keto celery soup on a stovetop as in your Instant Pot, so it’s really up to you!

Have other questions about this easy keto celery soup recipe? Let me know in the comments!