Soups without celery for a shared household

The most common places are stock cubes, ready-made broth, bouillon powder and soup bases. It can also appear in the base of a stew, bolognese-style sauce or seasoning blend, and celery salt is easy to miss when it is listed among the spices. Read the full ingredient list every time, including on products you have bought safely before, because recipes and manufacturing can change.

Start with a recipe whose ingredients are celery-free rather than removing celery from a finished soup. Use water or a verified celery-free stock, and check canned beans, tomatoes, sauces and spice mixes before adding them. Keep utensils, pans and serving ladles clean if celery has been prepared nearby, and avoid tasting with the same spoon used in another dish.

For sweetness and body, use onion, carrot, leek or fennel if the person eating it can tolerate them. Mushrooms can add savouriness, while garlic, herbs, pepper and a verified celery-free stock build flavour without trying to imitate celery exactly. If a recipe depends on the crisp texture of raw celery, add diced apple, cucumber or extra carrot instead, depending on whether the soup is hot or chilled.