Cream of Anything Soup is nothing more, really than the perfect amount of a specifically flavored White Sauce (see my post, White Sauces & What To Do With Them for more info on White Sauces) to substitute for just about any Condensed Cream Soup used in Cooking. Below there’s a substitute Cream of Mushroom, a substitute Cream of Celery, and even a substitute Cream of Chicken.
Campbell’s Cream Soups – photo by Living Rich with Coupons
None of these soups are designed for actually just eating (although I suppose you could, thinned with milk or water) because they’re just made to be a substitute for any canned soup you might normally want to add to a casserole or other recipe.
About Cream of Anything Soup:
So why would you want to make your own canned cream soup, anyway? Well, you might want to save a little money, maybe you’ve run out and a trip to the store isn’t in your near future. Or maybe you’re concerned about additives and/or ingredients.
When you make your own, you can easily adjust to all kinds of diets, low sodium, lower fat, gluten-free (with a few adjustments to this recipe) or paleo, (again, adjusting a few ingredients) all while using real, recognizable ingredients and flavorings.
With the possible exception of the Cream of Chicken, and that can vary depending on what kind of chicken base you use, in your own, there’s no strange additives, no msg (or unclaimed ingredients that contain msg) and the only sodium is added by the you (either as salt or a product that contains sodium) or what is naturally occurring in the ingredients.
The Cream of Chicken recipe contains either a Chicken Bullion or Chicken Base, so what product you choose to add to your Cream of Chicken to make it “chickeny” is up to you. There are very good bases out there now that contain “natural” ingredients and/or cater to low sodium or other special diets.
Cream of Celery Soup Substitute
Making Cream of Anything Soup:
The first thing to know when making this “soup” is that it can be made on its own and added to a recipe. And that’s fine for many recipes, especially ones where there are no vegetables already being sauteed in that recipe.
But for other recipes, when you are already sauteeing vegetables in oil or butter, you can make this “soup” in the same pan as the rest of your recipe as you go. That makes sense because you won’t need to invest any more time or dirty another pan.
- If you are planning on using this in a dish that starts out with vegetables sautéed in butter (or oil) and then adds a Cream of Soup, there’s no need to follow the recipe for the “Cream of Soup.” Simply add, if not in the recipe already, the appropriate amount of vegetables (or more if you want) for your cream of soup (mushrooms or celery) and saute along with the vegetables in your recipe. Make sure there is adequate butter.
- For instance, if you are using a recipe that calls for sautéing an onion and bell pepper in one tablespoon of butter, and then calls for a can of cream of mushroom soup, you’ll increase the butter to two tablespoons and add your mushrooms right in with the onion and bell pepper. When they’ve softened, you’ll sprinkle in the flour, then work in your milk just as directed in the Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe.
Cream of Chicken Soup Substitute
Notes on the Flavor of Cream of Anything Soup:
- Sometimes when substituting a homemade cream soup for a canned cream soup, you’ll find that the final product is blander. Commercial Condensed Cream Soups tend to be very high in sodium and either added msg or naturally occurring (hidden) msg that comes from other ingredients.
- Unless your diet prohibits it, you’ll want to taste and adjust seasonings. A bit of Worcester sauce, celery seed, garlic powder and/or additional salt are ways cooks have amped up flavors of white sauces (which this really is) for decades – probably for a lot longer than Canned Condensed Soup has been around. A dash or two or Sherry or a bit of white wine might be appropriate, too.
- Mrs. Dash or other low sodium or all-purpose flavorings that cater to special diets can be a lifesaver (literally!) if you are on special diets for medical or health reasons.
- Check out my post, White Sauces & What To Do With Them for more ideas on flavorings.
Cream of Celery Soup Substitute
Saving Money on Cream of Anything Soup:
Strangely, sometimes you might find that making your own may cost a bit more than picking up a can of Condensed Cream Soup. If you’re a great couponer and really watch sales, especially if you’re in a time period where your stores are doubling coupons, you might bring home a can for a few pennies less than it costs to make your own with butter and milk. But keep in mind that usually when you buy a can, you still need to add milk.
You can really lower your cost of making your own by shopping well for the ingredients, especially the butter since that is one item you can pick up on sale and save until needed. Watch around holidays for great butter prices, where it is often half or more of the regular price. Everyday prices at Aldi and sometimes a buyer’s club will rival or beat those sales prices, but if you don’t have either nearby, stock up on butter in enough quantity to last you to the next great sale and toss it in the freezer where it keeps for months.
Cream of Anything Soup
A quick and painless substitute for Canned Condensed Cream of Celery, Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Chicken Soup.
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Cream of Celery Soup:
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil
- 1/4 cup finely diced celery
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk (any percentage)
- 1 teaspoon crushed celery seed
- salt and pepper to taste
Cream of Mushroom Soup:
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil
- 1/2 cup finely diced mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk (any percentage)
- salt and pepper to taste
Cream of Chicken Soup:
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 3/4 cups milk (any percentage)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chicken base, bullion or powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Cream of Celery Soup:
In a medium-sized saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add celery and until softened, three to four minutes, stirring often. Stir in flour, whisking as the flour cooks for a minute or two and smooths out.
Add milk, a little at a time, whisking until it’s all incorporated. Bring to a simmer and simmer gently, stirring now and then, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and leaves a distinct line when a finger is run across it. It will thicken more as it cools. Add the celery seed and salt and pepper to taste.
Use as a substitute for a can of Cream of Celery Soup.
Cream of Mushroom Soup:
In a medium-sized saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until slightyl browned and softened, four or five minutes, stirring often. Stir in flour, whisking as the flour cooks for a minute or two and smooths out. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking until it’s all incorporated. Bring to a simmer and simmer gently, stirring now and then, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and leaves a distinct line when a finger is run across it. It will thicken more as it cools. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Use as a substitute for a can of Cream of Mushroom Soup.
Cream of Chicken Soup:
In a medium-sized saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, whisking as the flour cooks for a minute or two and smooths out. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking until it’s all incorporated. Bring to a simmer and simmer gently, stirring now and then, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and leaves a distinct line when a finger is run across it. It will thicken more as it cools. Add chicken base and salt and pepper to taste.
Use as a substitute for a can of Cream of Chicken Soup.
Notes
Most of my recipes may be scaled by clicking on the aid in the upper right of this recipe form. Since there are actually three recipes on this page that feature will not work correctly.
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