Cream of Celery Soup with Bacon

Why This Is Strictly Keto

Traditional cream of celery soup is thickened with flour or potato. This version uses cauliflower, blended until velvety, plus butter and heavy cream, so the soup stays thick with no flour or starch.

Ingredients

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 5 cups chopped celery (about 1 large bunch), leaves reserved
• 1 cup cauliflower florets
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups chicken bone broth
• 1 bay leaf
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Crisp the bacon: Cook the bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crisp. Lift it out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, leaving about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pot.

2. Sauté: Add the butter, onion and celery and cook for 8 minutes, stirring, until softened but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

3. Simmer: Add the cauliflower, broth and bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the cauliflower and celery are very tender. Remove the bay leaf.

4. Blend: Blend with an immersion blender (or in batches in a blender) for 2 full minutes until completely smooth, then stir in the cream and warm gently.

5. Season and serve: Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with the crispy bacon and a few celery leaves.

Nutritional Info (per serving, approximate)

Tips

• Blending for a full 2 minutes breaks down the celery strings for a truly smooth texture.
• Strain the soup through a fine sieve if you want it restaurant-silky.
• The soup freezes well without the cream; add the cream when reheating.