Homemade Condensed Cream Soups

Once you make these homemade versions of condensed cream soups, you’ll never open a can again!

Condensed Cream Soups Done Better

Condensed “cream of” soups are a very common ingredient in many recipes.

Lots of crock pot and casserole recipes call for this and while I don’t mind using the canned variety, even the lower-sodium varieties, I’d rather control the salt and seasonings myself. Many of my readers ask if there was an alternative to the canned stuff, but I really couldn’t recommend anything to them; until now.

Having a homemade version is the ideal solution, but most versions I tried were pretty blah. Then I found this recipe and it’s delicious!

Cream of Mushroom

Perfect In Many Ways

This recipe is so perfect because you can add literally any veggie or meat to the basic recipe.

This recipe was the answer to my prayers for a couple of reasons. The main reason was I needed cream of onion soup for a recipe, but it’s not available locally for me.

Another major reason this recipe is a godsend to me is because I would rather control the seasonings in everything I make since I find many store-bought products way too salty. This is especially true for canned cream soups and the low-sodium varieties lack oomph too.

Cream of Onion

A Flavorful Stock Is Important

A lot of flavor in this comes from the stock, so make sure to use something that’s very flavorful.

You can use vegetable or chicken stock for any variety you make. I used veggie stock to make the cream of onion and chicken stock to make the cream of mushroom.

I use low-sodium stock almost exclusively because I always remember my mother saying you can add salt but you can’t take it out.

Even though the concentrated stocks I use are lower sodium, they are still very flavorful. My favorites are Kitchen Accomplice and Better Than Bouillon.

You can also make these concentrates with additional herbs and spices! Roasted garlic would be a nice addition to cream of mushroom or cream of chicken!

Cream of Mushroom

Shelf Life

The chief concern with homemade is shelf life.

Of course this requires refrigeration so shelf life is limited. So what I am doing is making up the varieties I need for the week.

I would estimate that a week is about the limit you can keep this. I haven’t tried freezing it yet, but if you make it up and freeze it, I’d welcome your feedback on how the soup is once defrosted.

Keep in mind that this recipe produces a very thick mixture–just like the canned consistency. If you want to serve it as a soup (and it’s got an excellent flavor) just add a cup of milk or half-and-half to the concentrate.

Cream of Onion

Try It In Some Recipes

Now that you have these great-tasting condensed cream soup recipes in your arsenal, why not head over to All Free Casserole Recipes and try some of their spectacular collection of recipes! Here’s a couple that caught my eye–a Three Ingredient Tater Tot Casserole and this Cheesy Onion Casserole. These will taste even better when you substitute your homemade soup versions.

The Recipe

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Homemade Condensed Cream Soups

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time20 mins

Servings: 8 -10 oz

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 2 tbs butter I use unsalted
• 1/2 cup chopped "add-ins" i.e. mushrooms, onions, chicken, celery, etc.
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tbs concentrated stock see NOTES
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup whole milk or half-and-half see NOTES
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

• Melt butter over in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add your "add-ins" and concentrated stock and cook for about 5 minutes. If your "add-ins" are veggies, cook them till they are soft.
• Whisk in the flour--this will be VERY thick.
• Slowly whisk in the water--again, this will be very thick--so you don't get lumps, then repeat with the milk or half-and-half. Continue cooking until mixture bubbles, then cook for 1 minute.
• Add salt and pepper--if desired. Remember you can always add that later.
• Use as-is wherever condensed cream soup is called for.
• To reconstitute and use as a soup, stir in 1 cup of milk or half-and-half.

Notes

I use either Kitchen Accomplice or Better Than Bouillon and I use the reduced-sodium variety. You can use either vegetable or chicken stock in any variety of soup you choose to make.

Low-fat milk is an acceptable substitution if this is to be used for cooking, however, if you wish to reconstitute this to eat as a soup, it probably won't taste as good.