Need a quick recipe? This tutorial on how to make condensed soup is great for cream of chicken or mushroom and takes just a few ingredients!
In an effort to keep our grocery bill low and also feed my family healthy foods, we’ve learned the easiest way to do this is to make it at home. Not only does it save us time and money, but by cutting out common ingredients in processed foods, it’s allowed my stomach to heal.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a lot of extra time in my day. Preparing foods that tastes good (because even if it’s healthy if my kids and hubby hate it, it’s wasted) and are healthy are high on my priority. When I find a from scratch homemade version of something that tastes amazing, only contains real food ingredients, and can be made in just 5 minutes, I’m in!
When I first started reading ingredient labels and investigating the things in the foods I was purchasing and cooking with, I wasn’t very happy with what I found. I embarked on a journey to replace the processed foods we’d come to see as common on grocery stores with homemade versions.
I used to buy cans of condensed cream of chicken and mushroom soup almost every time I went to the store. They went into so many of the casseroles and meals I was preparing. However, those babies can add up and if you start to look at the ingredients… let’s just say they were one of the first things we tossed.
Even if you’re not looking to improve your health, you can make the at home equivalent for less than a dollar, in less than 5 minutes, and that’s with organic ingredients and no preservatives, woot, woot! (I get a little excited about this kind of stuff, if ya can’t tell)
Imagine never having to worry if you have a can of that on hand when you go to prepare a meal and never having to purchase it from the store again. Amazing, right?
Easy Homemade Condensed Soup
Here is what you need:
3 Tablespoons butter (or coconut oil) 3 Tablespoons flour (or cornstarch) 1 cup milk or chicken broth salt and pepper to taste 1/2 teaspoon garlic or onion powder (optional)Step 1: Melt 3 tablespoons of butter or coconut oil over medium heat.
Step 2: Stir in 3 tablespoons of flour (cornstarch if you’re gluten free will work, too) and create a thick paste.
Step 3: Pour in 1 cup of liquid. You can use chicken broth, milk, or a mixture of the two. For dairy free use all chicken broth or your favorite non-dairy milk of choice.
Step 4: Stir until liquid is absorbed into paste. Cook over low medium heat for a minute until mixture thickens up. Add in salt and pepper to taste. Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic and onion powder if desired. If mixture is too thick, add in 1/4 cup liquid at a time until desired consistency.

Homemade Condensed Soup
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons butter or coconut oil
- 3 Tablespoons flour or cornstarch
- 1 cup milk or chicken broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic or onion powder optional
Instructions
- Melt 3 tablespoons of butter or coconut oil over medium heat.
- Stir in 3 tablespoons of flour (cornstarch if you're gluten free will work, too) and create a thick paste.
- Pour in 1 cup of liquid. You can use chicken broth, milk, or a mixture of the two. For dairy free use all chicken broth or your favorite non-dairy milk of choice.
- Stir until liquid is absorbed into paste. Cook over low medium heat for a minute until mixture thickens up.Add in salt and pepper to taste. Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic and onion powder if desired. If mixture is too thick, add in 1/4 cup liquid at a time until desired consistency.
Recipe Notes
For cream of mushroom soup, dice up a handful of mushrooms and saute in the butter for 2 minutes before adding in flour. You may also dice up garlic and onion and saute if you don't have any garlic or onion powder.
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This seems so easy to make. I can’t wait to try it! Thank you so much for providing substitutions, too. We’re a food allergy family, so I’m always having to tweak recipes. I’m looking forward to the pantry makeover!
Alison,
Thanks so much and I look forward to having you on it, too!
Love this recipe and love that you mentioned you can use a non-dairy milk or chicken broth! My youngest has food allergies so this would be perfect for us! Thanks so much!
Becky,
You’re so welcome. I try to always give alternatives for those things, even homemade non-dairy yogurt is an option in the 5 Day Pantry Makeover. Enjoy! Homemade bone broth makes this even cheaper.
How do you store these? Can they be canned or frozen?
You can definitely freeze it, but it’s not safe for home canning.
So if you were to make several of these at one time, how long would they be good for? I’m guessing you would need to keep them refrigerated?
Yes, it should keep in the fridge for at least a few days, but honestly, it goes together so fast I just make it as I need it.
So basically, a condensed soup is a gravy variant. Excellent. I’ve been looking for a substitute for my cheesy potatoes recipe and this one is easy enough that I wouldn’t need to make it ahead of time.
This is a great recipe to have on hand for so many meals! 🙂
Kaelyn,
Yes, it’s basically a roux thinned down into gravy. I share a 4 minute video in the free 5 Day Pantry Makeover on Day 1 on how to quickly swap it out for cream of celery or mushroom. It literally only takes 4 minutes to make and is so versatile.
P.S. it also holds up beautifully in the slow cooker, too.