Specialty Soup Substitutes - Cream

unmistakable1's Note:

I was tired of paying over a dollar for Campbell's soups when a friend gave me this recipe. It doesn't take much extra work, and it's so much healthier! It's been months since I bought a can of cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, cream of celery, cheddar cheese, or tomato soup... helping my budget and my health at the same time. :)

• Total Time: 4 mins
• Prep Time: 1 mins
• Cook Time: 3 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 1 can of ...

BASE RECIPE

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch pepper (optional)

CREAM OF CHICKEN

• ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning or ¼ teaspoon sage
• ½ cup low sodium chicken broth (I use homemade)
• ½ cup milk

CREAM OF CELERY

• ½ cup chopped celery
• 1 tablespoon diced onion
• 1 cup milk

CREAM OF MUSHROOM

• ¼ cup chopped mushroom
• 1 tablespoon onion
• 1 cup milk

TOMATO SOUP

• ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
• ¼ teaspoon onion salt
• ¼ teaspoon basil
• ¼ teaspoon oregano
• 1 cup tomato juice

CHEDDAR CHEESE SOUP

• ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In a pan over medium heat, melt butter and saute veggies (if using).
2. Whisk in flour, salt, and spices (if using).
3. Let cook 1 minute, stirring often; slowly add liquid(s). Whisk continually until bubbly and thick. (If making cheese soup, stir in cheese here).

Reviews

[Papa D]

I used the Cream of Chicken for Recipe #399700 and Cheddar Cheese Soup (substituting Cheddar with Velveeta) for Recipe #414232. They both came out great :) . I also keep a copy of this in my kitchen for quick reference. Thanks for posting this.

[bakedapple42]

I tried the tomato soup, and while the flavor is nice, it was much too thick. I ended up using double the tomato juice and it was still too thick. We ate it anyway. If I try this again, I will make half the amount of the base.

[GimlisGirl]

Using this recipe, I've made cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, and cheddar cheese soups for cooking. It has saved me so much money and the results are spectacular. Never going back to buying high sodium, mystery ingredient-filled canned soups!