Celery occupies its own corner of the Amish culinary world. It's both symbolic and functional.

For instance, it was the promise of celery farms that lured the first Amish to the Sarasota region of Florida. The celery farms never really panned out, but celery lives on in lore in Pinecraft.
Among the Swiss Amish of Berne, Indiana, celery occupies symbolic space. It is quite common to find stalks of celery in vases on the table at Amish weddings. It's decorative and, I have been told, symbolizes fertility.
❓FAQ
Celery has varied uses in Amish kitchens. It is diced up and adds crunch to soups, salads, and casseroles. It's also enjoyed as a snack slathered with peanut butter And celery is also decorative. Many Amish communities will incorporate celery stalks as a table decoration, especially at weddings
Celery is seen in Amish culture as a symbol of good luck and fertility!
Yes! Many Amish gardens are stocked with celery because it is so easy to grow and versatile to use.
💒 Amish Wedding Celery Soup
I've had this recipe for Amish wedding celery soup on my website for quite sometime. This recipe also provides a cautionary tale. My parents made this recipe and I do think to come up with two cups (they cut down the recipe, the recipe below is large so feel free to cut) of celery they should have just chopped it instead of running it through a food processor. Their thinking was logical, but on an old, authentic Amish recipe like this, a food processor wouldn't be part of the process. So I think they came up with a dish that was more celery than soup. So my advice is to try it without the food processor and I think you might have a soup you enjoy. True to Amish form, this soup has a sweet streak and I don't think my parents were overly fond of that. Areas where you can adjust on this soup:
- leave the flour out if you want a thinner soup
- Add more liquid if you want a thinner consistency soup.
- Reduce sugar if you want a less sweet soup
Any of the above steps should help you tailor the soup to your taste. I like celery soup as a meatless meal, but some people do like to add chicken to it so it is not all veggie. Other variations include diced onions. Some black pepper is a nice addition. Still other variations call for potatoes so it is a potato-celery soup. Or you can make a carrot-celery soup. Some Amish cooks serve this over noodles. The noodles add extra calories and carbohydrates, so watch that if you are keeping an eye on such things.
The celery soup is great served steaming in a bowl with a little shredded cheese, garlic, or parsley as garnish. For a richer flavor, stir in some sour cream.
But if you have celery on hand and want an authentic Amish recipe, give this a try!
I probably would skip the food processor for this and just use a knife, it would probably bring the soup closer to its original recipe.
Soup beauty is in the eye of the beholder, my Dad wasn't thrilled about the soup, I think it looks really good. Just depends on your taste. Store leftovers in the fridge for several days.
🥣Ingredients
- 8 cups celery chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 /2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vinegar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 12 ounces condensed milk
- 2 1 /2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
📋 Soup Instructions
- Combine celery,chopped into small pieces, salt, water, sugar and butter in a large or medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat; simmer until celery is tender.
- Stir in remaining ingredients; cook until heated through.
- Serve warm.
🥣More Amish Soups
🖨️ Full Recipe
Amish Wedding Celery Soup
Ingredients
- 8 cups celery chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 /2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vinegar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 12 ounces condensed milk
- 2 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
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