1-First Step: Prepare Your Ingredients Before you start cooking, do all your prep work. Finely chop the onion, celery, and mince the garlic. Having everything ready to go makes the cooking process so much smoother and more enjoyable. If you have a food processor, you can save time by using it to chop the celery, onion, and garlic efficiently.

2-Second Step: Create the Flavor Base Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large saucepot over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted and slightly bubbly, add the chopped onion, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and translucent, which should take about 5-7 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when the onions are see-through and the celery has turned a bright green color.

3-Third Step: Make the Roux Stir the flour into the softened vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, for an additional minute. This mixture of fat and flour is called a roux, and it’s what will thicken our soup. Make sure to stir continuously to prevent the flour from burning and to eliminate any raw flour taste. The roux should look like a slightly wet paste coating all the vegetables.

4-Fourth Step: Add Liquids Gradually whisk in the chicken broth (or vegetable broth if you’re making a vegetarian version) and milk (or milk/cream mixture if you want a richer soup). Add the liquids immediately after cooking the flour to prevent clumping. Whisk constantly as you pour, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot to incorporate any bits of roux that might be sticking.

5-Fifth Step: Bring to a Simmer Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly. You’ll see small bubbles forming around the edges of the pot. Once the soup reaches a simmer, reduce the heat to medium. This gradual heating process allows the flavors to meld together properly.

6-Sixth Step: Season and Simmer Add the salt, sugar, and pepper to the soup. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup has thickened slightly and the celery is completely tender. The sugar counteracts the potential bitterness of the celery, while the salt and pepper provide a balanced seasoning that allows the celery flavor to shine.

7-Seventh Step: Optional Addition If you’re using the optional Parmesan cheese, stir it in now until melted and completely combined. The cheese adds an extra layer of savory flavor that beautifully complements the celery. This step is completely optional but highly recommended if you’re not avoiding dairy!

8-Final Step: Taste and Adjust Taste your cream of celery soup and adjust seasoning with additional salt if needed before serving. The final soup should be creamy with a pronounced celery flavor that’s balanced by the richness of the dairy and the subtle sweetness from the sugar.