Cream of Celery Soup with Crispy Pancetta

The first time I tasted made-from-scratch, cream of (fill in vegetable here): _______ soup, I was visiting my parents overseas in the Philippines. They were in between moves and had arrangements to stay in a fancy schmancy hotel until they secured a more permanent residence.

I took advantage of the hotel’s daily yoga classes. Complimentary massages. Five star cuisine. (There is some good food in the Philippines.) During my stay in the crazy city called Manila, I fell in love with an old-fashioned American staple. In a luxury hotel in a foreign country, I meet the wonders of Cream of Celery Soup.

Now, up until this point in my life, the only Cream-of-Anything Soup I have ever eaten was from a can. And it was gross. All the varieties. I don’t know many people who actually serves it as soup. It’s become just a thing to throw into a casserole or on top of pasta or something.

Thank you, America. For tricking me into thinking there wasn’t much to Cream of Celery Soup. Thank you, the Philippines, for helping me realize it’s actually really amazing.

After tasting the wonders of this homemade soup, I felt a little cheated. Really? Did I really waste so many years using the canned, processed kind? It maybe be easier to just open and reheat — but it certainly isn’t any better. Or good for you.

Now that I have discovered the real potential of this simple soup, there is no going back. I had no idea such elegance could exist in something so straight forward and rustic. Cream of Celery Soup, crafted from pure and simple ingredients, is goodness in a bowl. That will teach me to put my trust in a can.

The combinations of savory onions with the subtle flavor of celery is so comforting, I bet it would even taste great cold. It’s perfect though, on a chilly day. Sprinkle a few pieces of pan-fried pancetta over top, and you’ve got yourself an amazing bowl of soup. You’ll never do the can again.

Cream of Celery Soup with Crispy Pancetta
adapted from Martha Stewart
serves 6

a few slices of pancetta
canola oil for frying
 5 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds of celery, chopped (About 5 cups)
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream

Slice the pancetta into small pieces. Over medium-high heat, coat a skillet with oil. Once the oil is hot, add the pancetta to the pan and stir. Cook for a few minutes until crispy. Remove from heat and set aside. Refrain from sampling too many pieces of this crunchy salty goodness, you’ll need some for the soup too!

In a large stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. When the butter starts to brown, add onions and saute until soft. Around 5 minutes.

Next comes the flour. With a wire whisk, mix the flour quickly into the butter and onions for approximately one minute, or until the flour is fully incorporated. You should have a thicky paste-like mixture, or a roux.

After the flour is cooked in, add the chicken broth and continue to whisk. Once the mixture has come to boil, reduce heat to medium low, or until the broth is simmering. Let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent clumping. The soup will start to thicken and become creamy.

Now add the chopped celery. Take the heat back up to medium, to give the celery a chance to cook. Once the celery mixture starts rolling to a boil, reduce heat again and simmer. Let the soup cook for another 20 minutes, or until the celery is soft.

Place the soup in a large bowl and using an immersion blender, blend soup. (You can also use a regular blender or food processor. Just wait a few minutes for the soup to cool down, otherwise it will splatter everywhere.) Once smooth, strain the soup through a fine sieve back into the large pot.

On low heat, add the cream and salt and pepper to taste. With a ladle, scoop the soup into a bowl and sprinkle with the crispy pancetta.