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Homemade Cream of Anything Soup Base

This versatile homemade condensed soup substitute replaces any 10.5 oz can of cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, or cream of celery soup. Made in 10 minutes with pantry staples, it tastes better, costs less, and contains no mystery ingredients.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 1 can equivalent
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Base Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil for dairy-free
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or see notes for gluten-free options
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth for vegetarian
  • 1/2 cup whole milk or unsweetened non-dairy milk
Seasonings
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt adjust to taste, less if using salted broth
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Equipment

  • Small saucepan
  • Whisk

Method
 

  1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. If making one of the variations with vegetables (mushroom, celery, onion), add your diced vegetables now and saute until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
  2. Add the flour to the melted butter and whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes. The mixture will bubble and turn slightly golden. This step is important because it cooks out the raw flour taste.
  3. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while whisking constantly. Add it in a steady stream, whisking the entire time to prevent lumps from forming.
  4. Add the milk and continue whisking. The mixture will look thin at first.
  5. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  6. Remove from heat and stir in the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
  7. Use immediately in your recipe, or let cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

Cream of Chicken: Use chicken broth as written. For extra chicken flavor, add a pinch of poultry seasoning or thyme.
Cream of Mushroom: Saute 1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms in the butter before adding flour. Use beef or vegetable broth for deeper flavor. Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce.
Cream of Celery: Saute 1/2 cup finely diced celery in the butter until soft before adding flour. Add 1/8 teaspoon celery salt or celery seed.
Cream of Onion: Saute 1/2 cup finely diced onion until golden before adding flour. Use beef broth.
Gluten-Free: Replace flour with 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Mix cornstarch with the cold milk first to create a slurry, then add to the hot broth.
Dairy-Free: Use olive oil or dairy-free butter and unsweetened almond, oat, or coconut milk.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 5 days. Freeze up to 3 months. The sauce will thicken significantly when cold, which is normal. Whisk when reheating and add a splash of milk if needed.
Yield: This recipe makes approximately 1 1/4 cups, equivalent to one 10.5 oz can of condensed soup.