Gluten-Free Condensed Cream of Celery Soup

Sneak Preview: Skip the store-bought cans! This Gluten-Free Condensed Cream of Celery Soup is quick to make, packed with flavor, and easy to customize for your dietary needs. Use it in casseroles, sauces, or as a comforting soup on its own. Microwave and stove-top instructions included!

cream of celery soup in a glass jarPin

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

If you’ve been avoiding your favorite casserole recipes because of gluten, sodium, or other additives, it’s time to take matters into your own hands! This homemade version is thickened with cornstarch, making it naturally gluten-free. Plus, you control the salt, seasonings, and extra add-ins.

Cooks who liked my homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup and Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup have requested other varieties of condensed cream soups.

In time for Thanksgiving, I revisited the idea. This recipe for condensed cream of celery soup is the result.

Happy Cooks Speak Up

“This recipe was so easy! I really appreciate the microwave directions. Worked so well.” SARAH

What Variations Can I Use With This Recipe?

Try different herbs such as thyme, oregano, or parsley. Add some chopped carrots, broccoli, red peppers, or shallots. Get creative.

Ingredients and Substitutions

  • CELERY:
    • Fresh is best!
  • OIL:
    • First choice–avocado oil
    • Any light vegetable oil works.
  • EVAPORATED MILK:
    • Adds a stable, creamy texture and mimics the flavor of the soup in a red can.
    • Fresh milk works but may curdle with prolonged cooking.
  • CORNSTARCH:
    • Gluten-free thickener—always check the label for hidden gluten!
  • ONION POWDER:
    • Swap for fresh onions if you prefer.
  • WHITE PEPPER:
    • Black pepper works, too.
  • CELERY SALT:
    • Adds depth but can be replaced with table salt or omitted.

📌Kitchen Tip📌: Freezing Celery

Save wilting celery! Chop and freeze it for future use in soups, stews, and casseroles. No need to blanch—just toss into a bag or vacuum-seal for extra freshness.

frozen celery and vacuum-packed celeryPin

How To Make Gluten-Free Condensed Cream of Celery Soup

showing how to make celery soup in the microwavePin

Microwave Method

1️⃣ Place chopped celery and oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on HIGH for 3–4 minutes until soft.

2️⃣ Add evaporated milk, seasonings, and cornstarch. Whisk until smooth.

3️⃣ Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes, stopping to whisk after 1 minute and again when done.


Stove-Top Method

storyboard showing how to make celery soup on the stovePin

1️⃣ Sauté celery (and onions, if using) in oil over medium heat.

2️⃣ Add evaporated milk and whisk in seasonings and cornstarch.

3️⃣ Cook gently, whisking constantly, until thickened.


condensed cream of celery soup made from scratch in a glass jar with a spatula on the side.Pin
Yield: 3 servings

Gluten-Free Cream of Celery Soup Recipe

Homemade Gluten-Free Condensed Cream of Celery Soup is quick, easy, and free of unnecessary additives. Perfect for casseroles or as a comforting soup on its own!
5 from 28 votes
PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 7 minutes
Total time: 12 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • ¾ cup (75 g) finely chopped celery
  • 1 tablespoon (14 g) vegetable or avocado oil
  • 1 cup (252 g) 2% evaporated milk 8-ounces
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder or substitute 1 tablespoon chopped onion
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • teaspoon white pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon celery salt or table salt
  • pinch (Pinch) of sugar

Instructions

Microwave Method

  • Place 3/4 cup (75 g) finely chopped celery and 1 tablespoon (14 g) vegetable or avocado oil into a 2 quart glass microwave-safe bowl. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 minutes. (If substituting onion for onion powder, add the onion to the celery to knock off the crunchiness.)
  • Add 1 cup (252 g) 2% evaporated milk, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/8 teaspoon ( teaspoon) white pepper, 1/4 teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) celery salt or table salt, and pinch (Pinch) of sugar and whisk until smooth.
  • Microwave for 2 minutes, stopping to whisk after 1 minute and again when finished.

Stove-Top Method

  • Saute celery (and onion if substituting for powder) in hot oil in skillet over medium heat.
  • When vegetables are softened, add milk, then whisk in remaining ingredients. Stir constantly and cook gently until thickened.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 315mg | Potassium: 72mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 119IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg

All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com

5-Star Ratings Are My Favorite!Help others find this recipe in search results on the web.

FAQs

  • Can I use fresh milk instead of evaporated milk?
    • Yes, but fresh milk can curdle under prolonged heat. For casseroles, stick with evaporated milk.
  • Can I freeze this soup?
    • Yes! When thawed, it may separate slightly, but a quick stir should fix it.

Final Thoughts:

Bookmark this recipe and check out my Homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Chicken Soup for even more pantry staples made from scratch!

Need help troubleshooting? Please email me: Paula at saladinajar.com–photos welcome!

My Amazon Store

4.75 from 28 votes (25 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




44 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I needed some soup for my Dijon steak recipe. This came out perfect! I always dice my extra celery and freeze it in baggies per stalk for any cooked recipes, no waste this way. It was perfect in the recipe. Thank you so much as I also like to know exactly what is in my food and that all the ingredients are pronouncable : )

    1. Hi Kim,

      Sounds like we are on the same wavelength when it comes to food. Glad you loved it.

  2. 5 stars
    Amazing taste and so simple to make. Thank you for this recipe!

    1. You’re most welcome, Sandie. So glad it worked for you.

  3. This recipe was so easy! I really appreciate the microwave directions. Worked so well.

    1. Glad you liked it, Sarah. I like to use my microwave anytime I can.

  4. Sharon Williams says:

    Hi! I will be using this recipe to make green bean casserole for Thanksgiving. I need it to be gluten free and am wondering if I could use gluten free flour instead of corn starch and could I substitute butter for the oil? Thanks! I realize I am cutting this close to the holiday so if I don’t hear back from you in time I will just experiment!

    1. Hi Sharon,
      I have not tried gluten-free flour myself. Would think that butter would work fine although I haven’t tried that either. Hope it works for you. Happy Thanksgiving.

  5. How long can you keep it in the refrigerator?

  6. So I just prepared this using the microwave. I plan on using it in a tuna rice casserole that I have always used the canned soup in. I can’t seem to figure out if this makes an amount equal to one can, and is it truly condensed? As in, am I supposed to add an equal amount of water if the recipe says to add one can of water? It looks really good, but mostly all I tasted was the cornstarch. Maybe I need more salt or to cook it longer? Thank you! I love how easy this was!

    1. Hi Wendy,
      I use this soup exactly the way I would a can of soup from the store. It is truly condensed. I can’t imagine eating it straight up without adding water or milk–way too thick and rich. I’m not sure about the cornstarch taste. I do not detect it myself. This soup has considerably less salt than what you get at the store. You might try adding more salt if that’s what you are use to.

      You should cook it until it is very thick–however long that takes. Of course, it will become a lot thicker as it cools.

  7. I made this for my Funeral Potatoes recipe and it worked great. Fantastic flavor and I know exactly what ingredients used were. Thank you!

    1. 5 stars
      Love this!!!! Made it for a casserole – perfect taste and so easy!! Do you have a recipe for the store canned cream of chicken? Thanks a million times!!!!

  8. Do you need to add the oil if you are using the microwave version?

    1. Amber,
      Oil adds flavor, improves the texture, and gives you a product closer to what most people are used to out of the can. But you can leave it out if you like.

  9. Leah Scholten says:

    Is this recipe equivalent to one can of the name brand stuff or is it more?

    1. Hi Leah, Yes. Same amount as a regular can of Campbells soup.

  10. Can this be frozen or canned for later use? I need to restock my pantry and might just make rather than buy!

    1. Yes, it can be frozen. Have not tried to can it so can’t say about that. It may separate slightly when thawed but if you nuke it a bit and give it a good whisk, it will be smooth again.

  11. Thank you for all your condensed cream soup recipes! We have a gluten allergy in our home, and all cream soups on the shelf have gluten! Your recipes have given us some of our favorite dishes back!! Thank you!

  12. I am so happy to find this relatively easy-looking recipe, since the commercial maker of the gluten-free cream of celery soup I have been using stopped making it. I always keep some on hand, as I use it instead of cream of mushroom soup in a LOT of recipes. Can you freeze this?

  13. This was as easy as you made it look. I made on the stove and it wrked perfectly in the dish it was for. Thank you.

  14. Is there a way to make a vegan version of this condensed soup? I see that when you talk about using evaporated instead of cow milk, you talk about the curdling, etc. Would that be handled better by almond, coconut, or soy milks?

  15. have tried several different recipes for gluten free “cream of ..soup” this is by far the best perfect consistency the evaporated milk makes all the difference

  16. Thanks.
    I need this to make Reuben Chowder for relative who has celiac’s disease and need everything gluten free. This should do it.

  17. I like to use the cream of mushroom soup in beef stew, especially if I have no fresh mushrooms and no time to run to store. This is great, so now I know exactly what we are ingesting.
    Love your web site. Have used so many of your recipes and tips.

    1. Thank-you Marilou. Your comment made my day!

  18. love the homemade versions for cream of any soup. do use cornstarch rather than flour–cooks up much nicer

  19. Nice recipe Paula, I do like how you take the high salt and preservative canned soups that work so great in recipes and make it homemade and it really looks pretty easy too.

  20. This is brilliant. I cringe to use canned soups. I’ll have to try this.

  21. The Café Sucré Farine says:

    Wow, I would have never thought about making this at home but it certainly sounds a lot healthier and tastier!

  22. Do you have a recipe for cream of chicken soup? It is the one that I use most often.Thanks and love your blog.

    1. Donna,
      Great suggestion. It is on my (long) list.

  23. Mmm….mmmm…mmmm! Looks healthy and hearty and I can see switching out the celery for broccoli at some point too. Have you ever done that?

  24. Thank you – can’t wait to try it.

  25. Paula, I may be the last cook in America to admit this, but I haven’t used cream of (anything) soup in recipes, LOL. Could you give a few examples where you would use this? The only one I ever knew of is when my mother in law would use cream of mushroom over a roast to make a gravy.

    1. Hi Vicki,
      I love to make pot roast with cream of mushroom soup. If you look in any community cookbook, I suspect you’ll find several recipes calling for condensed cream soups.

  26. Amanda Rhodes says:

    I love the new recipe cards! Very cool.

  27. Oh thank you! I was just thinking about how I’d like to convert some recipes that call for this to fully home made. Fantastic!

  28. It’s good to have an option other than the canned stuff! Why haven’t I ever thought of freezing celery? Great idea!

  29. Love to try this! I usually use cream of chicken soup but I could try this substitute.

    Great stopping by, Paula!

    1. How much does this make. My recipe calls for 2 cans of soup. Is this equal to one can of soup?

      1. This recipe equals 1 can. Double it for 2 cans.