Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup Substitute (2024)

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Skip the jiggly condensed canned soup and learn how to makethis easy substitute for cream of chicken soup with just a few ingredients.

This made from scratch cream soup is the perfect replacement in your favorite casseroles, soups, crockpot recipes and more that call for a can of cream of chicken soup.

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup Substitute (1)

Condensed Soup Replacement

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Condensed soups are a staple ingredient when it comes to makingcasseroles, buf if you’re like me, the older I get, the less I like to use canned soups.

They kinda give me the creeps lol. Why is it so jiggly…and are we sure those pink bits are chicken??

If I am picking up a can, I usually replace cream of chicken with cream of onion or cream of celery soup but sometimes you want that chicken flavor.

This cream of chicken substitute lets you step outside of the can and adds the same creaminess but without the preservatives, artificial flavors, and mystery ingredients. Best of all, it doesn’t take much effort to make.

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup Substitute (2)

Maybe you’re perfectly content using the canned stuff but the store was out of stock…now you can make your own.

Or, maybe you’re in the middle of cooking and realize you are out.

If so, making your own cream soup will come in clutch and save you a trip to the store because you likely have the ingredients you need on hand.

Why You’ll Love This Cream of Chicken Soup Substitute

Simple ingredients –You likely have all the ingredients on hand in your pantry. No special trips to the grocery stores for supplies.
Use in Recipes– Use it in all your favorite recipes that call for “cream of” soup.
Healthier Substitute– You get to control the ingredients you use. If you’re watching your sodium, reach for lower sodium chicken broth. By making your own cream of chicken soup you are creating a healthier alternative.
No Preservatives– Homemade soups mean no preservatives. Since you are making this fresh, it won’t last as long, but the quality is way better with minimal effort.
Good Substitute – The homemade version is a great idea if you are looking to replace cans of soup in your favorite dishes. The next time a slow cooker recipe calls for a can of soup, give this one a try!

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Equipment you’ll need

Ingredients For Homemade Cream of Soup Substitute

Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe.Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card.

Chicken Broth – Chicken broth, homemade chicken stock, or bouillon cube will work. Low sodium will work fine.
Milk – Use what you have on hand but whole milk will offer the creamiest consistency to the soup.
Flour – All purpose white flour. This is the thickening agent that will give your soup that ultra thick and creamy consistency.
Butter – Room temperature, real butter is recommended. If you use salted butter just omit the salt in the recipe.
Heavy Cream – The heavy cream adds richness to the soup. If you don’t have any, you can use all milk.
Spices – Salt, celery salt, garlic powder, and onion powder are used to help flavor the cream soup.

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How to make homemade cream of chicken soup substitute

STEP ONE: Add the chicken broth, onion powder, garlic powder, celery salt and salt in a medium pot. Cook on medium-high heat bringing the mixture to a boil for 15-20 minutes, or until the mixture has reduced by half. Pour it into a heat safe container and set it aside.
STEP TWO: Next, to the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat and then whisk in the flour. You will cook the butter and flour for 2-3 minutes.
STEP THREE: Then, slowly pour in the broth mixture, whisking to help remove any lumps. Add in the milk and cream while still whisking. It will begin to thicken.
STEP FOUR: Pour the cream of chicken soup into mason jars or any heat proof container, allow to cool a bit, and then place in the fridge until you are ready to use.

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What to use homemade “cream of” soup in

This cream of chicken soup substitute is perfect in slow cooker recipes, casseroles, and anything else that calls for condensed soup. Some favorites:

Creamy Ranch Slow Cooker Chicken
Cheesy Potato Casserole
Slow Cooker King Ranch Casserole
Slow Cooker Turkey Stuffing Casserole

Tips & Suggestions

Salt to taste your soup. You will find that depending on which broth you use, you might want to add a little extra salt.
Make sure to cook the flour for a couple of minutes as this will take out the flour flavor. Otherwise your soup can have a flour taste, which you do not want.
You can use this canned soup substitute for any recipe that calls for canned condensed soup.
For a vegetarian option, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

How to reheat and store “cream of” soup

How to store it

Any unused soup should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container.

How long will it last in the fridge?

The soup will last for 4-5 days in the fridge. Then you can mix in creamy casseroles, stir in soups, or any recipes you want.

Can I freeze condensed soup?

No, I don’t recommend it. The dairy will create a curdled texture once it thaws from being frozen. It is best to use this fresh or from the fridge.

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FAQs

How much soup does this recipe make?

This recipe makes the equivalent of two (10.5 ounce) cans of cream soup.

Why is my soup not too thick?

The soup will thicken more as it cools in the fridge. When cooking your soup you will remove from the stove when it reaches the texture of pancake batter. Then pour in the container and once cooled, you will find it is a lot thicker in texture.

Can I make this soup gluten free?

You can swap the all-purpose flour with a gluten free flour blend in exchange. I have not tried gluten free flour, but the texture should result in a similar consistency with no issues.

Need more homemade condiments & sauces? Try these:

Homemade Brown Gravy
Yum Yum Sauce
Spicy BBQ Sauce

Click here for my entire collection of homemade .

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup Substitute

Created by Melissa Williams | Persnickety Plates

Servings: 2 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Skip the jiggly condensed canned soup and learn how to make this easy substitute for cream of chicken soup with just a few ingredients. This made from scratch cream soup is the perfect replacement in your favorite casseroles, soups, crockpot recipes and more that call for a can of cream of chicken soup.

Ingredients

▢ 32 oz chicken broth
▢ ½ cup milk
▢ 5 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
▢ 3 ½ Tablespoons butter
▢ 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
▢ ¾ teaspoon celery salt
▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder
▢ ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

In a medium pot, combine the chicken broth, onion powder, garlic powder, celery salt, and salt. Bring to a boil, let boil rapidly for about 15-20 minutes, or until the broth has been reduced by half, leaving you with 16oz of reduced chicken broth.
Pour the reduced broth into a heat safe container and set aside.
Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat, then whisk in the flour. Cook the butter and flour while whisking occasionally for 2-3 minutes.
Slowly pour the broth into the flour and butter mixture while whisking, then pour in the cream and milk as well. The mixture will begin to thicken as you are pouring and whisking together.
Continue to whisk and cook the soup on medium heat until it becomes nice and thick, almost as thick as pancake batter. Once thickened you can remove from heat and pour into two heat safe containers that have air tight lids (mason jars work well for this!).
As the soup cools it will continue to thicken into a tight condensed soup, similar in consistency to pudding. Let the soup cool completely before placing in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

This recipe makes the equivalent of two 10.5 ounce cans of condensed “cream of” soup.

Depending on what kind of broth you use (regular vs low sodium), you may need to adjust the salt level.

Works great in casseroles, soups, pastas, etc. Any recipe that calls for a can of “cream of” soup.

Nutrition

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying/pasting and/or screenshots of full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Content and photographs are copyright protected.

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Is this the right nutrition value ?
If so, can is way better ?
Sodium is off the page for the ranch spice & not so good for the cr.of chicken !!!! Just wondering if it was a error 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️
Reply
1. I’m not sure what you mean? There is no ranch spice in this.
  This cream of chicken soup substitute recipes makes the equivalent of two 10.5 ounce cans of soup.
2. K J Says, I have to watch my sodium (thus the need for homemade “cream of” soup, so I am doing some simple swaps:
  – chicken stock, homemade if I have any (I control the amount of salt), or low/no sodium broth/stock
  – unsalted butter vs salted butter
  – 1/4 t salt not 1/2 t (as it is listed twice) – use kosher or sea salt, somehow it intensifies flavor w/o the extra sodium #s
  – replacing celery salt with celery seed, same amount.

Hi, I’m Melissa!

IF i make YOU HUNGRY, I’M DOING IT RIGHT

I’m persnickety (hence the name) so I don’t make a lot of fancypants recipes with hard
to find ingredients. I make everyday, family friendly recipes that anyone can enjoy.

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