Celery and Potato Soup

Three veggie combos make a great celery and potato soup! Yes, good old potatoes and celery... and onion!

I make the basis of this soup using dehydrated veggies, but scroll on farther down the page and click on the green banner for our Recipe eBook that also has the quantities of fresh ingredients to use instead of dehydrated. So now you know! :-)

My photo shows the soup fully blended. If you like to see your potatoes bobbing around in your celery soup, blend a small portion of the soup to act as a thickener. Then add that blended portion back into the pan, give it a stir, then serve.

It all boils down to how you prefer your soup. With 'texture' or smooth?

Want to Use Fresh Ingredients?

If you want to use fresh ingredients that you may have on hand, do this:

Exchange the dry ingredients in the recipe, above, for these fresh ingredients listed below!

• 3 medium potatoes, washed, peeled, and sliced
• 3 celery stalks, sliced
• 1/2 large onion, peeled and diced

Check Out Our 'Curried' Version of Celery and Potato Soup!

This is a mild-tasting, tummy-filling soup. It's easy to make and everyone loves it! If you prefer NOT to put it in the blender for a smooth soup, go ahead and leave it lumpy!

If you look at the curried version (the link takes you to the full recipe), you'll see that I didn't blend the soup... (I might have been in a hurry that day!)

Whatever the reason was for not blending it after making it, it still tasted great!

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How Do You Grow Celery?

Here's how to grow celery:

• Start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before the last spring frost date. Use peat pots or trays filled with a well-draining soil-less mix. Keep soil moist.
• Thin seedlings to 1 plant per pot once true leaves appear. Grow seedlings near a sunny window or under grow lights.
• Harden off plants for 10-14 days before transplanting outdoors by gradually increasing sun exposure and cutting back on watering.
• Prepare your garden beds with rich, loose, compost-amended soil. Celery needs constant moisture and nutrients.
• Transplant celery outdoors several weeks after the last spring frost, when plants are 4-6" tall.
• Space celery plants 4-6 inches apart in rows spaced 2-3 feet apart. Plant seedlings at the same depth as they were in your pots.
• Water celery regularly to keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Apply mulch to retain moisture.
• Fertilize celery every 3 weeks with a balanced liquid fertilizer. Insufficient nutrients will cause stunted celery growth.
• Mound up soil against the bases when plants are 6 inches tall. This keeps stalks tender and crisp.
• Harvest celery stalks when they reach desired size, usually around 3 months after transplanting.

Best Celery-Growing Areas in the USA

Here are some of the best regions in the United States for growing celery:

• California - The Central Valley of California provides an ideal warm climate for celery cultivation. Major production areas include Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley, and Oxnard Plain. The consistent sunshine and fertile soil produce excellent yields.
• Florida - Florida has optimal warm temperatures and humidity for growing celery, especially in the organic muck soils around Lake Okeechobee. Other major areas include the Everglades Agricultural Area and Loxahatchee.
• Michigan - The cool climate, abundant rain, and rich muck soils around Kalamazoo make it a prime celery-growing region. Other important areas include Muskegon, Shelby, and Hudsonville.
• Ohio - The northwestern region of Ohio near Lake Erie provides ideal cool conditions for celery in the summer. Celeryville is known as the 'Celery Capital of the World'.
• Texas - The Rio Grande Valley in southern Texas has an ideal mild climate in winter for celery production, producing a winter/spring harvest.
• Arizona - The Yuma, Arizona area provides mild, dry winters ideal for field production of celery from November through February.
• Wisconsin - Central Wisconsin near the Fox River is an important celery-producing region, with ideal muck soils and climate.

The most suitable climates for celery have warm days around 70-80°F and cool nights around 60°F.

Being close to water sources like lakes and rivers provides a constant supply of water that celery requires.

Don't forget to get your free "Six Simple Steps" eBook where I share how to dehydrate food safely!