This very simple, savory celery soup recipe is delicious and allergy friendly. I add imitation crab to make it hearty. But you could stir in tofu cubes or cooked chicken to make a simple vegetable soup into a meal.
Delicious and Simple Celery Soup
Celery is a staple ingredient at my house. It’s nutritious and makes everything taste better. However, celery is the main ingredient in this simple soup recipe. It’s an easy way to use up a lot of celery. A bowl of this soup feels warm and comforting during the colder months.
This recipe is not your typical Japanese miso soup. Miso soup is typically made with miso paste, pieces of seaweed and tofu, in a dashi broth. I wanted to try a celery soup recipe I found in the GLP-1 Diet Cookbook. Except for chicken broth, I had all the other ingredients. I decided to season the soup with miso paste and add some imitation crab meat for heartiness.
The steps are simple. Saute the vegetables, add water, bring to a boil and then lower the temperature to simmer. When the vegetables are tender, then puree and mix in some miso paste and imitation crab meat right before serving.
I love how this soup looks and tastes, so pretty and also hearty and filling. If you don’t prefer imitation crab meat, you can omit it and/or stir in some cooked chicken or tofu cubes.
Instant Pot Soup
I tested this recipe using both my Instant Pot and a pot on my stove. The Instant Pot version better because it takes less effort and supervision. After sauteeing the vegetables, I just lock the lid to pressure cook and have free time. I can come back later to puree the soup and add the final ingredients. The Instant Pot keeps the soup warm until my family is ready to eat.
Stovetop Variation
If you don’t have an Instant Pot or you want to try the stove top method, you can also cook the celery soup in a pot on your stove. Follow the recipe but instead of pressure cooking for 3 minutes, you will need to bring pot to a boil and then lower the heat, cover with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the celery pieces are tender.
Ingredient Note – Miso Paste
Miso paste is a traditional Japanese seasoning made from fermented soy beans, salt, and koji (an ingredient to help the miso ferment). However, there are many variations of miso, with different blends of grains in the koji, as well as less traditional variations which are made with different beans instead of soybean. It’s important to read the ingredient list carefully.
I like white miso because it’s mild in flavor. You can use whatever miso paste you have or if you don’t have miso paste or allergic to any of the ingredients, omit it from the recipe, and swap out the water with broth. Note that miso paste is also very high in sodium. I recommend using a conservative amount such as 1 tablespoon miso paste for the pot at first and then adding more as needed.
Lastly, miso paste might have some probiotics. You can preserve the beneficial probiotics by not boiling the soup after adding the miso paste. Combine the miso paste in a bowl with 1 cup of hot water until all the lumps are dissolved, then add the mixture to the pot of celery soup. If you need to add more miso paste, combine the paste with a scoop of soup in a bowl first. No one wants a sip soup with a lump of miso paste!
When the soup is done cooking, puree with a stick blender. I like to puree until the soup is opaque (can’t see through the broth) and the soup is still a little bit chunky.
If you don’t have a stick blender, allow the soup to cool down until cool enough to handle (10-15 minutes), and transfer to a blender. Be sure to cover the blender jar lid with a towel to prevent splatters. Reheat the soup in the pot as needed.
Does Imitation Crab Meat Contain Shellfish?
Imitation crab meat is usually made from Alaskan Pollack, a type of white fish. They’re shaped to look like crab legs or pieces of crab meat. The meat has a mostly white appearance with a thin layer of reddish pink meat. I like imitation crab meat to have on hand when I’m busy for quick meals.
However, it’s important to read the ingredients. The imitation crab meat that I buy is made with Alaskan pollack. But the rest of the ingredients mention 2% of crab meat and/or shellfish extracts as well as egg. If in doubt or if a label is not available, people with a shellfish allergy might want to avoid imitation crab meat until they check with their allergist.
If you prefer a top allergen free variation of this recipe, stir in some cooked chicken or cubed tofu at the very last step or serve the soup simply as a vegetable soup.
Allergy Aware Miso Celery Soup
This recipe is free from peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, wheat, and sesame as written. If allergic to soy, omit the miso paste and use chicken or vegetable broth instead of water.
Imitation crab meat contains fish and possibly egg and/or shellfish ingredients (check the ingredient label). If you are allergic to fish, egg, or shellfish, simply omit the imitation crab meat or substitute with cooked chicken, cooked veggies or beans, cubed tofu (drain, microwave 2 minutes, and drain again), etc..
Instant Pot Miso Celery Soup Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot or pressure cooker
- 1 stick blender
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 5 cups chopped celery approximately 1 bunch celery or 1.5 celery hearts. Reserve celery leaves for garnish (optional).
- 4 cups water
- 1 tablespoon miso paste white or yellow
- 1 cup hot water
- 8 ounces imitation crab meat
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the Instant Pot on saute mode, set to high (5 minutes).
- Add the olive oil into the liner and add the chopped onions and garlic, saute until fragrant and the onions start to brown. Add the celery and saute for a few minutes. (5 minutes)
- Add 4 cups of water, cover and lock the lid. Cancel the saute mode and select pressure cook for 3 minutes, 5 minutes natural pressure release, and press start.
- **Stove top directions only: add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil, cover the pot with a lid, and lower the temperature to low to simmer for 15 minutes.
- While waiting for the soup to cook, separate the imitation crab meat into bite size pieces and set aside. In a small bowl, use a spoon to combine the miso paste and a cup of hot water until no longer lumpy, set aside.
- When the Instant Pot chimes, quick release the pressure and carefully remove the lid. Use an immersion stick blender to puree the soup until opaque. Add the imitation crab meat and miso soup to the pot, add freshly ground black pepper, and stir to combine, and cover the pot with the lid and keep warm for a few minutes or until ready to eat. Garnish with celery leaves, if desired.
Nutrition
Related Recipes
I like that this celery soup recipe uses a lot of celery, which makes it easier to finish a Costco sized package of celery. Similarly, I have a carrot soup recipe which use a lot of carrots so it makes it possible to buy a 6 pound bag of carrots from Costco and not have it take up too much space for too long in your refrigerator.
Other soup recipes you may enjoy:
Instant Pot Chicken Corn Egg Drop Soup Recipe
Wonton Mein (Wonton Noodle Soup) Recipe
Vietnamese Pho (Beef Rice Noodle Soup) Recipe
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