Creamed Celery and Cilantro Soup
On a wintry night, this creamed celery and cilantro soup offers a comforting warmth—it’s both homey and restorative. While celery and cilantro originally hail from the Mediterranean, they’ve found a unique and cherished place in Mexican cuisine. Today, these ingredients are staples in Mexican American kitchens throughout Texas and northeastern Mexico.
The journey of these ingredients is deeply intertwined with history. Just as Mexican tomatoes, chiles, and squash traveled to the Mediterranean and Europe as spoils of violent conquest in the 1500s, celery and cilantro made their way to Mexico as part of the same forced, troubled exchange.
It’s a testament to humanity’s resilience and creativity that when living through violent, racist colonization, the various indigenous Mexican communities found ways to craft beauty through food with new ingredients, and then to actually share it within a culture of hospitality. That’s what this soup represents: a dish that’s as delicious as it is welcoming.
Though this recipe doesn’t use cream, it still achieves a luscious, creamy texture on the palate. Be sure to chop and add the cilantro at the very end, just before serving, to preserve its vibrant oils and fresh flavor.
Recipe for Creamed Celery and Cilantro Soup
Ingredients (serves 8)
4 Tbs unsalted butter
10 oz sliced white onion, 6-7 cups
1 1/2 lbs celery stalks, sliced into 1″ pieces, 6-7 cups
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
8 cups chicken stock (for a vegan option, you may substitute vegetable stock if it is clear and not brown)
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme or 4 fresh sprigs
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (no stems), chopped small, plus 8 small cilantro leaves for garnish
Method
1. In a large dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and celery and cook for 7 minutes. Add the garlic, cover and lower the heat to low, cooking very gently for 30 minutes. Check intermittently to make sure that the vegetables do not brown. They should begin to melt together.
2. Add the chicken stock, bay leaf, thyme and salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook at a very slow simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Allow the soup to cool so that it can be placed in a blender. Blend on high until the soup is totally creamy.
4. Return the soup to the dutch oven or to a warm soup tureen and add the freshly chopped cilantro leaves and the black pepper and combine well.
Serve immediately, distributing among 8 soup bowls with a cilantro leaf garnish.
The soup can be refrigerated without the cilantro for up to four days. When ready to serve, reheat and add the cilantro as in #4 above.