This homemade condensed cream soup can be used in all of your favorite recipes. Made with only real, wholesome ingredients, and ready in just minutes you will be ditching the canned stuff for good!
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Look, I love a good casserole as much as the next midwestern transplant. But what I don't love is the ingredient list on most conventional cream of (insert flavor here) soup cans.
When I discovered how easy it was to make these condensed soups with just a handful of real ingredients, I knew I had to share.
If you've stumbled on this recipe then you probably already know how you are going to use this soup, but if you need some ideas check out my recipe for instant pot tuna casserole or dutch oven pot roast - both of which use cream of mushroom soup. The cream of chicken soup can be used to make my easy chicken pot pie recipe.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
The ingredient list for homemade condensed cream soup is short and can easily be customized to change the flavor or to accommodate many dietary preferences.
The base for this soup requires just three ingredients plus salt and pepper and is nothing more than a basic roux. You will need:
- Butter, margarine, or oil
- All-Purpose Flour or sweet rice flour for gluten free.
- Milk or milk alternative
- Salt and Pepper to taste
After you have made the base you can flavor it in almost infinite ways. Here are some options:
- For cream of chicken soup add chicken base or bouillon
- Add finely diced mushrooms to make condensed cream of mushroom soup
- To make cream of celery use celery salt in place of the table salt and add very finely diced celery.
- For cheddar cheese soup simply add shredded cheddar cheese.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
No special or fancy equipment is needed here! You will only need measuring cups and spoons, a skillet, a wire whisk, and a rubber spatula. Depending upon which variation you are making you may also need a knife and cutting board.
Before you get started ...
This recipe takes hardly any time to make, so I find it very helpful to have everything measured out and ready to go before you begin.
Instructions
To make your own condensed soup, start out by melting the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.
After the butter is melted, whisk in the flour. Cook the butter and flour for 3-4 minutes whisking constantly.
Whisk the milk into the butter and flour mixture until it is smooth and free of lumps.
Hint: Don't stop stirring the butter and flour mixture and keep a close eye on it as it cooks. It can burn very quickly. If it does burn, you'll need to toss it out and start over.
Reduce the temperature to low and stir in the additional ingredients for the soup flavor that you are making.
Continue cooking, stirring constantly, and being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan, until the mixture has thickened to s pudding-like consistency.
When the mixture has thickened, you can use it immediately in any recipe that calls for condensed cream soup or store it in the fridge or freezer for later. One batch is equal to one 10.5-ounce can.
Variations
In addition to the variations listed in the recipe card, here are a few other ideas:
- Low Carb - Melt the butter along with 4 ounces of cream cheese. Once melted add the milk (omit the flour) and stir until smooth. Then add in the additional ingredients for the variety you are making and cook until thickened.
- Vegan - Use plant-based margarine and an unsweetened milk alternative in place of butter and milk.
- Add seasoning or other flavors - make these soups more flavorful by adding things like roasted garlic, sauteed onions, fresh herbs, or spices.
Storage
You can store this DIY condensed cream soup in the fridge for up to 5 days before using it in your favorite recipes.
It can also be frozen for up to 6 months but should be fully thawed before cooking with it.
FAQs
Regardless of the variety, condensed soup is meant to be mixed with a liquid, usually milk or water. Condensed cream of ... soups are often used to add creaminess and flavor to recipes. Soups that are not condensed are generally ready to heat and eat, with no additional ingredients required.
Yes, these homemade condensed soups can be frozen. They should be thawed before using them in your favorite recipes.
Top tip:
- Don't stop stirring the butter and flour mixture and keep a close eye on it as it cooks. It can burn very quickly. You'll need to toss it out and start over if it does burn.
📖 Recipe
Homemade Condensed Cream Soup (chicken, mushroom, celery, or cheese)
Equipment
- Skillet
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- wire whisk
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
Base:
- 3 tablespoon Butter
- 3 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Milk
- Salt and Pepper to taste
For Condensed Cream of Chicken:
- 1 tablespoon Chicken Base or bouillon
For Condensed Cream of Mushroom:
- ½ cup Mushrooms trimmed and finely diced
For Condensed Cream of Celery:
- ½ cup Celery finely diced
- ½ teaspoon Celery Salt
For Condensed Cheese Soup:
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese Shredded
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.3 tablespoon Butter
- Whisk the flour into the butter and cook for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is just barely beginning to brown, stir constantly.3 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
- Whisk in the milk until it is well integrated and there are no lumps.1 cup Milk
- Stir in the extra ingredients for the soup flavor you are making and reduce the heat to low.1 tablespoon Chicken Base, ½ cup Mushrooms, ½ cup Celery, ½ teaspoon Celery Salt, 1 cup Cheddar Cheese
- Allow the mixture to simmer until it has thickened. For the chicken and cheese soup, this will only take 2-3 minutes. Celery and Mushroom soup will have to cook longer (10-15 minutes) due to the excess liquid in the vegetables. Be sure to stir the mixture frequently using a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent lumps.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.Salt and Pepper
- Use immediately or store in the fridge or freezer for later. 1 batch is the equivalent of 1, 10.5 ounce can of condensed soup
Notes
Be sure to read the entire post for tips, tricks, and help troubleshooting.
The nutrition information listed here is only an estimate and is simply provided as a courtesy. It nor any other information within this post should constitute medical or nutritional advice. Be sure to read all packaging and ingredient labels for potential allergens. Optional ingredients are not included unless otherwise specified.
Nutrition
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Shyla says
Tried the chicken and cheddar with dairy free substitutes and it worked well! -With homemade oat milk and daiya dairy free cheddar cheese
Nikki says
How long do they stay good for (fridge/freezer)?
Bobbi says
My husband is on a low salt diet. My daughter is gluten free so I replaced the flour with almond flour 1:1. Just adding pepper and a little salt for taste. It was a great alternative to the cans of soup that are just loaded with msg. I will be making all of my casseroles with this recipe for now on.
Penny says
What size container would you freeze these in? They come out to 10.5 ounces each? Those look like 8 ounce mason jars that you used. I would like to make some to keep in the freezer to have on hand.
Karen says
Would you b able to can these once made?
Kaylie says
Is there a healthier option instead of chicken boullion? I wanted this recipe to avoid all the yucky ingredients in canned cream of soups but the chicken bouillon powder isn’t much better as far as ingredients go. Thanks!
Ally says
Most recipes I've found use broth. My recommendation is to look for a different recipe to meet your dietary preferences. These will probably require more roux to thicken, and make more that one can's worth of soup.