Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
Homemade condensed cream of chicken soup is such a far cry from the wiggly-jiggly canned imposter that you just won’t believe it. Taking less than 10 minutes to make, you’ll be shocked how quickly and easily you can dump that can of mystery and make even more amazing recipes with no fluff or fillers.
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I have no idea how many cans of store bought condensed cream of chicken soup are used in this country every year but I do know one thing: open it, dump it out and take a look at it and you’ll be wondering exactly what you’re about to eat.
But for years I was convinced that the only way to get the exact flavor I was looking for in a decades-old recipe was to go for that can of gelatinous mystery.
I don’t know why I’m so hard headed.
And I want you to know that you don’t have to be worried either–homemade condensed cream of chicken soup–while not as thick as the canned variety–delivers such rich, deep, real flavor that you’ll feel a lot better about your choice to switch within about 0.1295 seconds after making it.
How to make the best homemade condensed cream of chicken soup
- Start with good chicken stock. I make my own homemade stock in a large batch once every couple of months, or you can use a good quality store bought variety. Make sure chicken is the main ingredient if you buy yours and that it’s not made with carrot or mushroom water as a first ingredient.
- Add simple dry spices. In this case we’re using garlic and onion powder, poultry seasoning, parsley, and paprika.
- Make sure to salt your condensed cream of chicken soup. How much salt you’ll need will vary greatly depending on how salty your stock is, so taste it as you go and adjust it as needed. Remember you can always put it in, but you can’t take it out.
- Use a thickener. Most recipes use flour to thicken the stock once it has come to a simmer. I used cornstarch to thicken mine. It’s gluten free for those who need that (store bought condensed soup is not) and thickens up just as well as flour. If you’d rather use flour, you can learn how to thicken your soup with it here.
Can homemade condensed cream of chicken soup be frozen?
Yes, but stick to the recipe as listed. If you decide to add lots of cream or heavy dairy it could curdle when it thaws. That won’t affect the flavor and if you put it in a recipe it’s likely no one would notice, but just keep that in mind.
If you decide not to freeze it, you can also make it up and put it in the fridge in a jar for a day or two before you know you’ll need it.
Place a layer of plastic wrap right against the surface of the soup when you chill it so it doesn’t form a skin.
Ready to try it out? Check out my cheesy hash brown casserole or chicken and stuffing bake–you’ll love them both!
Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups chicken stock homemade if you have it
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt add half and taste before adding the rest
- 1 cup cold milk
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add the chicken stock and bring it to a low simmer. Add the onion powder, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, parsley, paprika, and salt and stir to combine.
- In a measuring cup, mix the milk and corn starch and stir to combine. (Never try to mix cornstarch in a warm liquid or it will clump). Pour the milk mixture in to the chicken stock and cook, stirring constantly over medium heat until the mixture comes to a low simmer, thickens and will lightly coat the back of a spoon–about 5 minutes.
- It will not be as thick as store canned soup.
- To store, transfer to a jar or container and place a layer of plastic wrap against the surface before sealing. To use right away, use in the place of any recipe that calls for canned condensed cream of chicken soup.
Can I use turkey stock?
Absolutely Tina!
Suggest 4T cornstarch. Smells so good…Will it even make it into my cheesy potatoes???
I’d be careful with the cornstarch changes–you can get to slimy and sticky pretty fast, but you’re certainly welcome to experiment. I’m glad you like it Mary Ann! –Rachel