If you or someone in your family has been gluten-free for very long, you have come to realize that finding a gluten-free store bought option for cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, or cream of anything soup can be next to impossible!
Today’s post is to show you just how simple making your own “cream of” or condensed soup can be.
Today I am using a gluten-free carton of vegetable stock that I bought at the store, but using any kind of stock – whether it be homemade or store bought – is an option. Chicken stock, beef stock, turkey stock, vegetable stock, broth from soup you’ve made, etc. are all great options.
Tip: I always save broth from turkeys, chickens, or roasts that I have made and freeze the broth in usable quantities which would be great to use in a recipe like this! Waste not, want not…right?
If you sauté some finely chopped onion, celery, garlic, mushrooms, etc. in a little bit of olive oil or butter before adding your stock, it will just make the final flavor even better and allow you to customize this recipe to suit your needs.
I needed quite a bit of condensed soup for what I was cooking for dinner {we are having company over}, so the pictures you see will reflect the amount I used which was 4 cups {or 1 quart} of stock and 4 cups of whole milk combined with 1 cup of cornstarch, which I then seasoned to taste during the cooking process. I will include in my recipe a lesser amount to accommodate those of you that don’t need quite so much!
As a side note: you can always make a larger amount and refrigerate what you don’t use right away for up to about a week.
Altogether, this recipe took less than 10 minutes to make. Quick, oh-so-easy and I know exactly what it consists of! So, next time you need a gluten-free option for any kind of cream-of or condensed soup…or don’t have any on hand…or want to better control the sodium or ingredient content in what is normally found in cans at the store, why not whip up a batch of this easy homemade version? Let me know how it turns out for you! Enjoy! -Shelley.
* The printable recipe is at the bottom of this post
In a medium sized sauce pan, add your stock…
Milk…
And cornstarch…
Whisk all ingredients together well.
Cook over medium heat until it slightly thickened and becomes bubbly.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it reaches the desired consistency. Make sure to keep an eye on it and whisk from time to time to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
During this time is when you will season it to taste. The flavor and salt content of the starting stock will determine how much and what you season it with. Obviously, adding milk to the stock dilutes the flavor of the original stock…so I can almost guarantee that you will want to season it with something, even if it is only just salt and pepper. I added salt, a gluten-free seasoned salt and some adobo seasoning. Other options would include celery salt, garlic powder, onion powder, bouillon, etc.
When the condensed soup is thickened to the correct consistency, remove from heat and use in your desired recipe to replace a can of condensed soup.
Whatever is not used can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and used within about a week.
Gluten-Free Cream-Of or Condensed Soup
- Use the 1 cup stock:1 cup milk recipe amount to replace about what 1 can of store-bought condensed soup would make.
- Depending on preference: whole milk, 2% milk or skim milk can all be used for the milk in this recipe. The higher the fat content, the creamier the final product will be.
- Cream of chicken variation {per 1 can replacement recipe}: saute about 1/4 cup finely chopped onion + 1/4 cup finely chopped celery + 1 minced garlic clove in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil or butter until softened. Add about 1/4 c cooked, diced chicken and combine before adding chicken stock and follow remaining recipe instructions.
- Cream of Mushroom variation {per 1 can replacement recipe}: saute about 1/4 cup finely chopped onion + 1/4cup-1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms + 1 minced garlic clove in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil or butter until softened. Add vegetable, chicken or beef stock and follow remaining recipe instructions.
- Cream of Celery variation {per 1 can replacement recipe}: saute about 1/4 cup finely chopped onion + 1/2 cup finely chopped celery + 1 minced garlic clove in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil or butter until softened. Add chicken or vegetable stock and follow remaining recipe instructions. *When seasoning use celery seed or celery salt for more of a celery flavor.
Ingredients
To replace about 1 can of condensed soup:
1 cup gluten-free stock {vegetable, chicken, beef, etc. all will work}
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup gluten-free cornstarch
Seasoning – to taste {salt, pepper, celery salt, seasoned salt, adobo seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, etc. are just some ideas}
To replace about 2 cans of condensed soup:
2 cups gluten-free stock {vegetable, chicken, beef, etc. all will work}
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup gluten-free cornstarch
Seasoning – to taste {salt, pepper, celery salt, seasoned salt, adobo seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, etc. are just some ideas}
To replace about 3 cans of condensed soup:
3 cups gluten-free stock {vegetable, chicken, beef, etc. all will work}
3 cups whole milk
3/4 cup gluten-free cornstarch
Seasoning – to taste {salt, pepper, celery salt, seasoned salt, adobo seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, etc. are just some ideas}
To replace about 4 cans of condensed soup:
4 cups gluten-free stock {vegetable, chicken, beef, etc. all will work}
4 cups whole milk
1 cup gluten-free cornstarch
Seasoning – to taste {salt, pepper, celery salt, seasoned salt, adobo seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, etc. are just some ideas}
Directions
- In a medium-sized sauce pan combine stock, milk and cornstartch. Whisk well to combine.
- Cook over medium heat until the mixture becomes slightly thickened and bubbly.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it reaches the desired consistency. Make sure to keep an eye on it and whisk from time to time to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- During this time is when you will season it to taste. The flavor and salt content of the starting stock will determine how much and what you season it with. Adding milk to the stock dilutes the flavor of the original stock…so season it with something, even if only salt and pepper. Seasoning option ideas: salt, pepper, seasoned salt, adobo seasoning, celery salt or celery seed, garlic powder, onion powder, bouillon, etc.
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