I have a confession.
If you looked in my pantry, you would see a not-insubstantial stockpile of cream soups. I admit, they’re a convenient way to add flavor to the casseroles my family loves.
But here’s what I don’t love: the BPA in the can liners. The unpronouncable ingredients. The sodium content.
So I looked for a substitute. It took a while, because many of the alternatives I found included bouillon cubes, which are problematic on their own (sodium, MSG, etc.)
Finally, I was able to find a passable cream soup substitute that works great in casseroles, and is almost as easy as popping open a can.
Cream Condensed Soup Substitute
(from Cooks.com)
1 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour (Are you Gluten Free? No Problem? I like Bob’s Red Mill GF Flour)
1/2 c. low sodium chicken broth (I like to make my own!)
1/2 c. low-fat milk (can use alternative milks as well but it won’t thicken as much)
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in the flour to create a roux.
2. Add the chicken broth and then the milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
3. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. You can add mushrooms, diced onion, or diced celery, depending on what you will be using the soup for.
Use in casseroles and recipes just as you would a cream condensed soup! You could also make a large batch and freeze in 1-cup portions to make this even more convenient.
{Update} I am no longer recommending any packaged chicken broth, even if its labeled organic. You will get the best flavor results — as well as the best health profile — if you make your own, as I do here.
Want to read more Make It Yourself Ideas? Subscribe to Mindfully Frugal Mom for FREE! You can also follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
Pin It 
Thanks for posting! I’ve been looking recently for an alternative and this one seems to be just perfect!
I hope it works out for you. And if you make it in advance and freeze, it’s just as convenient as popping a can!
i love this, and it is SO easy. i do this with leftover chicken and frozen veggies. simple and tasty.
Just in time for green Bean casserole!
Exactly — and I have a new recipe for that to share soon, too!
Pingback: Thanksgiving Side Dish: All Natural Green Bean Casserole | Mindfully Frugal Mom
I can’t believe how easy this is!
THANK YOU!!! I’ve been trying to figure out how to do this for a year now! I’m going to try it this week with a casserole!!
No problem! I’m glad it helped!
Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! I had seen the recipes using bouillon cubes too, but didn’t want that MSG. What a great idea to freeze it! I’m making this tomorrow!
I’m glad you like it!
have you reproduced the cream of celery or cream of cheddar soups as well?
You could easily make cream of celery by sauteeing some finely diced celery and adding it to the final product then simmering for a few minutes to meld the flavors.
Good idea! Thanks.
Thanks for posting this! I’ve been looking for a good substitute as my husband has recently become gluten-free. I’ve found other recipes before, but all of them required cooking up the soup part at the time of use, which I didn’t really like because I like the convenience factor of the soup in a can. Having a few of these made up already in the freezer will be awesome!
Thank you! Thank you! I’m totally going to do this! I’ve actually quit making some of the tasty things I used to make that have cream soups in them just because I didn’t want to feed that junk to my family. Now, I can make it all again!
I’ve tried other cream soup recipes and they just didn’t taste any good, so I can’t wait to give this one a try. Thanks a bunch ! !
Oh by the way – will you be adding pinterest any time soon, so we can pin them ? PLEASE ? PLEASE ? PLEASE ? Thanks again ! I
Lesa, you can absolutely pin any of my recipes. Here is a link to all my boards.
I like the idea of freezing this in 1 c portions. If you make up a batch right after you cook a whole chicken, you could use your own fresh homemade chicken broth too! Thanks for sharing.
This is great. So so so SO great. Pinning it!
Jennifer, This recipe is not gluten free as it uses flour. Your could substitue cornstarch for the flour and then it would be gluten free. I don’t remember the amount of cornstarch that equals a tablespoon of flour but I know it wouldn’t be a tablespoon. But, if you use cornstarch it doesn’t freeze well. There is another kind of starch similar to cornstarch that does freeze well but I don’t remember the name for it.
You can always use gluten free flour.
What do you suggest for freezing the 1 cup portions in?
You could pour it into a muffin tin, put it in the freezer overnight until frozen, then pop them out and put them in a freezer bag.
Given that BPA occurs in plastic I’d be just as concerned about the potential for BPA in the milk jug and the Swanson Broth carton – especially as Cambell’s/Swanson is already a none offender for having BPA in its plastic linings.
I also commend you for being able to pronounce the ingredients in your Natural Goodness Chicken Broth: Yeast Extract Autolyzed (a politically acceptable term for monosodium glutamate, MSG), Dextrose, and the umbrella term of who-knows-what-it-is “Flavoring.”
Making your own cream soup is a fantastic way to better control the flavors and content of what you’re eatting, but don’t call the kettle black and then extol the virtues of the shiny pot.
Despite your rather off-putting tone, Bob, I have done some research, and indeed, you are correct that MSG goes by other names (like yeast and natural flavoring). WIth that information in hand, I have updated this recipe to note that I now only recommend homemade broth — which is easy to make and freeze as well.
I tried this and it was GREAT! So much healthier than the canned stuff. I added a tsp of Garlic powder and a tsp of onion powder and it was a nice flavor!
I’m so glad you liked it, Amy!
I just finished a batch of this using two stalks of broccoli that were on their way to being unused and it was AMAZING!! I’m not even really a cream of broccoli fan but I’m a reformed woman! I’m freezing them in canning jars and I’m going to kick the habit of store bought cream soups for good!
Awesome!! So glad it worked well for you.
Awesome. Cant wait to try it.
Just found you on pinterest because I’ve become an avid label reader and as I pulled out a can of Cream of Chicken soup and noticed that the 2nd ingredient is “Chicken fat” I almost threw up.
You know, if it were completely natural, organic chicken fat, it would gross me out less than some of the chemicals that are in it (like MSG).
Very excited to try a better alternative than the canned soups – Have you tried this recipe with soy milk? I saw that you mentioned that by using a milk alternative, the soup won’t thicken as much -would it help if you used a little less than you would if you used regular milk? My daughter has a milk allergy so I’d love to use the soy milk if it would work. Thanks!
I have used soy milk, because we usually have both cows milk and alternative milks (almond is a current fave) here too. I just used a 1:1 ratio of soy milk to cows milk when substituting, because if you use less soy milk, the sauce might get too flour-y. Just make sure you beat it consistently with a whisk while it’s cooking.