Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe

This homemade Cream of Chicken Soup recipe is an easy substitute for condensed soup and adds comforting home cooked flavor to your favorite casseroles and soups. It’s also freezer-friendly and easy to make!

Be sure to try my homemade condensed cream of mushroom soup next!

Cream of Chicken Soup

I literally stood in my kitchen with an open can of condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, and a pot of this homemade version, and took a spoon to each one to perform a very serious taste-test to compare the two.

All of a sudden, I was hyper-aware as to how processed it tasted from a can compared to the soothing and comforting homemade version.

Since this recipe is freezer-friendly and can be easily stored in can-sized portions, I think we should all try to take our cooking to the next level by making our favorite casseroles and soups with this Cream of Chicken Soup recipe whenever we “can”. (😂 That was terrible, I’m sorry.)

Ingredients

See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full written instructions

• Butter
• All-Purpose Flour
• Chicken Broth– Homemade, if possible
• Chicken Bouillon– Optional, this ups the chicken flavor to match up to the can.
• Milk– Preferably whole, but any kind works
• Celery Salt
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Salt/Pepper

*To decrease sodium content, feel free to use unsalted butter and reduced sodium chicken broth and bouillon.

How to Make it

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Let it fully melt and begin to foam. This allows the water in the butter to cook off which will create a smoother consistency.

Gradually sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously for 3-5 minutes to cook off the raw flour taste. It will become the consistency of wet sand.

Remove from heat. Add 1/3 of the chicken broth, whisk well. Whisk in 1/3 more, until combined. Finally, whisk in the rest. Temper the milk by microwaving it for 45 seconds, slowly add it to the saucepan and whisk to combine.

Add the seasonings. Add to medium-high heat to thicken it back up.

Whisk continuously as it increases in temperature and reaches near-boiling point. It will become very thick. Remove from heat immediately once it’s thickened. It will thicken even more as it sits.

PRO TIP: Run the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to make it super smooth, just like a can of condensed soup.

This strainer is also a perfect tool for making homemade chicken stock, or to run oil through if you want to reuse it after making a batch of fried chicken or french fries. It’s a great investment in the kitchen.

Using as a Substitute for Condensed Soup

• This recipe serves as a direct substitute for canned Cream of Chicken soup.
• 1 batch= two (10.5 oz.) cans of soup, each can is about 1 + 1/4 cups.
• I recommend freezing these in can-sized portions, these Rubbermaid containers perfectly fit 1 “can” of soup so you can easily pull them from the freezer for cooking.

Using as a Base for Homemade Soup

My Homemade Chicken Stew recipe is a perfect way to put this recipe to use, as it uses a can of Cream of Chicken Soup as a base. It’s also Stove Top, Crock Pot, and Instant Pot friendly. (Check out the reviews, it’s one of the most popular recipes on the blog!)

Storage

• Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 4 months.

Recipes That Use Cream of Chicken Soup

See my complete collection here.

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Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

5 from 25 votes

Servings: 2 cans

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This homemade Cream of Chicken Soup recipe is a direct substitute for condensed soup and adds comforting home cooked flavor to your favorite casseroles and soups. It's also freezer-friendly and easy to make!

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 Tablespoons Butter
• ▢ ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons Flour
• ▢ 2 cups Chicken Broth
• ▢ 1 chicken bouillon cube or 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon, optional- see notes
• ▢ 1 cup milk, preferably whole but any kind works
• ▢ 1/3 teaspoon celery salt
• ▢ 1/3 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 1/3 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1/3 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/3 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

• Note: It’s important to whisk continuously throughout this process to ensure the smoothest possible consistency.
• Temper the milk by microwaving it for 45 seconds. This prevents curdling but also prevents lumps from forming when it’s added. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Let it fully melt and wait until it starts to foam, about 3 minutes.
• Gradually add the flour, whisk continuously for 3-5 minutes, until it’s the consistency of wet sand. Remove from the heat.
• Add 1/3 of the chicken broth and whisk well. Add 1/3 more, whisk well.
• Add the remaining chicken broth, chicken bouillon, warm milk, and seasonings, whisk continuously.
• Turn up to medium-high heat, continue to whisk until it begins to get very thick. Immediately remove from heat.
• Soup will continue to thicken upon standing.
• If possible, run the mixture through a fine mesh strainer for a super-smooth consistency.
• Use as a direct substitute for condensed cream of chicken soup, this recipe makes enough for two (10.5 oz.) cans.

Video

Notes

Adding chicken bouillon to the mix help match the concentrated chicken flavor found in condensed soups. This is especially helpful if store-bought chicken broth (such as Swanson), is used instead of homemade chicken stock.

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Reducing Sodium: You can use unsalted butter and reduced sodium chicken broth and bouillon to lower the salt content. You can also refrain from adding salt as a seasoning.

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Storage:

• Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 4 months. Mixture may separate slightly once reheated but whisking will correct that.
• These 1 ¼ cup size Tupperware containers fit one “can” of soup perfectly. This measures out to 1 ¼ cups soup.

This soup cannot be canned as it contains dairy.

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Be sure to try my homemade condensed cream of mushroom soup next!

Nutrition

Calories: 434kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Cholesterol: 72mg, Sodium: 2008mg, Potassium: 391mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 897IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 165mg, Iron: 2mg

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Author: Stephanie