Cream of Soup Substitute
I try not to be a snob about food. I try to be open minded and maintain an anything in moderation attitude about food. My biggest problem with convenience foods and packaged foods is cost. When they taste great I try not to think about the sodium or unpronounceable ingredients. The greatest crime for processed food, however, the most unforgivable crime, is when they don’t even taste good. I just can’t justify over-paying for food that is bad for me and tastes bad. Condensed cream of mushroom soup is gross. Yeah, I said it. That doesn’t mean I don’t use it occasionally, but if I have the time-5 or10 minutes-I much prefer to make this quick cream sauce. It works great as a substitute for the canned stuff and-dare I say-tastes great too.
Cream of Soup Substitute
makes 1 1/2 cup (about 1 can’s worth), prep 1 min, cook 10 min- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 small mushrooms, minced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup low-fat milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- salt and pepper
- Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium-high heat.
- Add minced mushrooms and cook until softened. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle flour over mushrooms and use a whisk to combine.
- Cook the four, whisking often, until golden brown.
- Add milk and broth and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
- Once boiling and thickened continue to whisk and cook until thickened to your liking.
- Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.
This is great for those watching their sodium intake or their budget. You can flavor it any way you like. Substitute chicken bits and chicken base or celery and celery salt if you don’t want cream of mushroom soup. You can substitute water or veggie broth if you want to make it vegetarian. It also doubles just fine if you need two cans worth.
Above photo is prep for my Broccoli Cheese and Rice Casserole.
Posted in Budget, Condiments, Easy, Fast, Main Dish, Pantry Challenge, Sides
November 16th, 2009 at 10:48 am
I am SO very excited to try this. The store bought stuff is pretty gross and getting more expensive.
November 16th, 2009 at 11:55 am
This is very useful Katie. Thanks!!
November 16th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
what a great tip. i agree – i tend to avoid those recipes too. thanks for sharing this idea.
November 16th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
I totally agree with you, I think cream of mushroom soup is gross too. It is always showing up in recipes I want to try and never know how to work around it. Thanks so much for sharing this!
November 16th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
I don’t mind the canned kind, but I’m always looking for ways to just make it myself. This looks great!
November 16th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Brilliant! I agree they’re useful occasionally, but there’s such a difference. I have a chicken pot pie I make with cream of chicken or with white sauce; what a difference in taste!
November 17th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
you are so innovative. Thanks for this tip. I hate canned soups too and would love to have another option.
November 18th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
This is fantastic. I’m so gonna nab and make this! : )
September 20th, 2010 at 11:02 am
Found this right when I needed it. Thanks so much! I skipped the fresh mushroom and cup of chicken broth (didn’t have it) and instead dumped in a small can of mushrooms (undrained) at the end. Worked out perfectly for my tuna casserole. Will use this all the time instead of that processed, too many ingredients, canned stuff. Thanks again!!
April 15th, 2011 at 2:20 pm
out of curiosity, have you ever substituted anything non-dairy for the 1 cup of milk? My daughter has a dairy allergy and I’m curious to know if soy, almond, coconut, rice, etc…would work?
June 9th, 2011 at 8:05 am
I posted above and since I didn’t hear anything back from anyone, I decided to try it in non-dairy form anyway. I used Unsweetened Almond milk in place of the low-fat milk and Fleischmann’s unsalted margarine (completely soy based) in place of the butter. Though the mixture wasn’t incredibly thick, when I stuck it in the crock pot for several hours with meat, it worked out fine and my husband had no idea I made it differently! Thanks for the recipe! I can now make so many more meals for my whole family to eat!