This Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe is a super easy and delicious alternative to store-bought canned condensed cream of chicken soup. Ready in under 20 minutes and made with simple ingredients, add it to your favorite casseroles and creamy chicken dishes.
A million times tastier than the canned stuff, you’ll love how simple it is to make this easy recipe!
Ingredients in Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup
- Butter and All-Purpose Flour: Also known as the “roux” it is a mixture of fat and flour that is used as a thickening agent. The butter is melted over medium heat, and then the flour is whisked into the fat until combined. The mixture is cooked for a few minutes to remove the raw taste of the flour.
- Chicken Broth: This forms the base of the soup. For a more flavorful soup, use homemade chicken stock.
- Seasonings: This recipe includes onion powder, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, and salt.
- Milk or Heavy Cream: Adds creaminess.
Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Allergy-Friendly Modifications
- Gluten-Free Cream of Chicken Soup: Replace all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Dairy-Free Cream of Chicken Soup: Use dairy-free milk like rice milk, oat milk (ensure it’s gluten-free if needed), or coconut milk. Avoid nut milks like almond milk if nut allergies are a concern. Replace the butter with olive oil for the roux.
How to Make Cream of Chicken Soup
1. Prepare the Roux: Melt the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the flour, stirring constantly to incorporate it with the butter, creating a roux. Cook it for a few minutes over medium heat to remove the raw flour taste.
2. Add Chicken Broth Slowly: Gradually whisk in the chicken broth. Adding slowly and whisking continuously over medium to medium-low heat prevents lumps.
3. Add Seasonings: Stir in the onion powder, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, and salt.
4. Simmer: Bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for five minutes or until the soup has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon (it will continue to thicken upon cooling).
5. Add the Milk: Stir in the room-temperature milk and return to a gentle simmer (do not boil).
6. Cool: Use in your favorite recipes or allow to cool before storing in the refrigerator.
Using as a Substitute for Condensed Soup
This recipe is a 1:1 substitute for canned Cream of Chicken Soup. If a recipe calls for one (10.5 ounce) can of cream of chicken soup, you will need 1 + 1/4 cups of homemade cream of chicken soup.
How To Use Homemade Cream Of Chicken Soup
Homemade cream of chicken soup isn’t something I would recommend eating plain – but it does have loads of versatile uses.
- Base for Soups and Stews: It can be used as a creamy base or thickener for soups and stews, just add your desired vegetables, meats, or grains.
- Casseroles: This is where I find myself using this recipe the most. It’s the perfect (healthier) alternative to store-bought condensed cream of chicken soup. Use in a 1:1 ratio. Some examples include Chicken Noodle Casserole, Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole, and Tater Tot Casserole.
- Sauce for Meats: Use it to make gravy for chicken and pork chops. My favorite example is my dad’s recipe for Cream of Mushroom Pork Chops.
- Pot Pie Filling: So yummy as the base for chicken pot pie!
Storing and Freezing Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup
- Refrigeration: Allow the cream of chicken soup to cool to room temperature before storing. Transfer the cooled soup to an airtight glass or BPA-free plastic container, leaving about an inch of space at the top. Keep stored in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.
- Freezing: Consider portioning into individual servings before freezing. This makes thawing and subsequent use easier. Transfer to freezer-safe ziplock bags or containers for 2-3 months. Note: Cream-based soups can change texture when frozen and thawed due to the milk content, but they are still safe to eat.
- Thawing and Reheating: For best results, thaw the frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. For a faster method, thaw it in a pot on the stove over low heat. Reheat the soup on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring as needed. If the soup has separated or become too thick, add a bit of broth, milk, or plant-based milk to adjust the consistency.
More Homemade Pantry Staples
- Homemade Poultry Seasoning Recipe
- Homemade Italian Seasoning Recipe
- Bone Broth Recipe (How to Make Bone Broth)
- Buffalo Sauce Recipe – How to Make Buffalo Sauce
- Homemade Applesauce Recipe
- Gyoza Dipping Sauce
If you try making this Homemade Cream of Chicken Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
RECIPE CARD
Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon salted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour - see notes
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth - or chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk - at room temperature
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the all-purpose flour and continue whisking until the flour starts to brown (this is called a roux).
- Slowly whisk the chicken broth into the roux until thoroughly combined and the roux is dissolved, then stir in the onion powder, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, and salt.
- Whisking continuously, increase the heat to medium-high and let it reach a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the soup has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Stir in the milk and return to a simmer- do not boil, or the milk may separate.
- Remove from heat. Use immediately as needed, or let it cool to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Jessica’s Notes
- To make gluten-free homemade cream of chicken soup, substitute regular all-purpose flour for certified gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- This cream of chicken soup will continue to thicken as it cools. If you store it for other recipes, you will likely need to scoop it out of the jar/container.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
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