Ever need a can of cream of chicken soup and realized you were out? No need to go back to the store! You can make your own homemade version easily in only 12 minutes.
A CONDENSED CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP SUBSTITUTE
This recipe for condensed cream of chicken soup is so easy! Now, y’all know I don’t have any problems at all with canned cream of chicken soups. I mean a third of the recipes on this site use a can of cream of chicken. But I also understand some folks just like to make things homemade when they can or need something to make in a pinch. Sometimes, when I have the time (which isn’t as often as I would like), I like to try my hand as well. It’s rich, creamy, and you can use it in any recipe that calls for cream of chicken soup, or you can just make some yummy soup out of it with a few extra simple steps.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Cream of chicken soup is a classic, creamy soup made with chicken broth and a combination of herbs and spices. The base of the soup typically consists of flour, butter, and milk or cream. The broth is made from simmered chicken bones and vegetable. Variations can include adding cooked chicken pieces, potatoes, celery, carrots, or other vegetables to create a heartier meal. Cream of chicken soup is often used as an ingredient in many recipes such as casseroles, pot pies, and pasta dishes.
Cream of chicken soup has been around for centuries, though its origin is unknown. But we do know that the Campbell’s soup company was the first to put it in cans! Canned cream of chicken soup first appeared on store shelves in 1947 and it became so much more than just a condensed soup. Instead of adding water or broth to it to make a soup, housewives started using it to transform casseroles or use as a creamy base for recipes like chicken pot pie or chicken noodle soup. It really changed American homecooking forever.
I used 2% milk since that is what we had in the fridge. If you want to make it creamy and super rich, you can use whole milk or half and half in place of the milk. I do not recommend a skim milk though since it just doesn’t have enough fat in it. I have not tried to make this with milk alternatives so can’t say how that would turn out.
Yes, actually, you can. But I recommend adjusting it a bit first. This recipe is for a condensed cream of chicken soup, meaning it needs more liquid to really be a delicious, edible soup.
If you want to turn this into an actual soup, you need to add more chicken broth and/or water and milk until it reaches your desired thickness. Note: Chicken broth will give you a stronger flavor while water will dilute that flavor a bit more. It’s your personal preference.
Great question! For one can of soup, you’ll need to use about 1 ¼ cups of this homemade version. This recipe in its entirety makes enough to replace 2 cans of condensed soup. If you need more, you’ll need to adjust the quantities.
After your soup has cooled completely, transfer it to an airtight container, like a mason jar, and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep it longer by adding it to a freezer safe container and freezing for up to 3 months. Allow it to defrost in the refrigerator before using.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- salted butter – you need real butter in this recipe, not margarine. Margarine is basically just oil and won’t help this to set up properly. If you are trying to keep this low sodium, use unsalted butter
- all-purpose flour – White Lily flour will always be my favorite flour but use what you have on hand
- black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, celery seed – with these spices, we aren’t using a lot but you can adjust as necessary. I like the cream of chicken with herbs version of the cream of chicken soup and this mimics that a bit but you can leave out what you don’t like
- salt – if you are keeping this low sodium, you can leave out the additional salt
- chicken broth – you can use low sodium chicken broth
- milk – 2% or higher in fat
HOW TO MAKE CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP
In a small to a medium-sized sauce pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the flour, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and celery seed. Whisk to combine until smooth.
Cook the flour mixture for 1 minute, whisking occasionally. Slowly stream in the chicken broth while constantly whisking to avoid lumps.
Slowly stream in the milk while again whisking constantly.
Bring the mixture to a low simmer while whisking often. Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
Take off the heat until ready to use.
WANT SOME RECIPES TO USE YOUR CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP?
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Slow Cooker Potato Soup (with frozen potatoes)
- Chicken Spaghetti
- Ritz Chicken Casserole
Cream of Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- In a small to a medium-sized sauce pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter.
- Add the flour, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and celery seed. Whisk to combine until smooth.
- Cook the flour mixture for 1 minute, whisking occasionally.
- Slowly stream in the chicken broth while constantly whisking to avoid lumps.
- Slowly stream in the milk while again whisking constantly.
- Bring the mixture to a low simmer while whisking often. Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Take off the heat until ready to use.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- I used 2% because that’s what we had on hand. To make it even richer, you can use, whole milk or half and half but I don’t recommend skim milk.
- If it seems too thick to you, you can thin it out with a bit of milk.
- If using in recipes that call for condensed cream of chicken soup, make sure to use just the amount the recipe calls for. Normally it is a 10.5-ounce can, so with this recipe, you would use 1 ¼ cups of this recipe. This will make the amount needed for 2 cans.
- If you want to use this as a base to make it into a soup, you can add more chicken broth and milk until you get your desired thickness. Then, you can add this to sauteed vegetables or shredded chicken, etc, whatever you want to have in your soup.
- Once at room temperature, you can store it in an airtight container (I prefer mason jars) in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.