condensed cream of mushroom soup

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WHAT YOU’LL NEED

With just a few simple ingredients, you’ll have homemade condensed mushroom soup in no time! Here’s what you’ll need:

Mushrooms: a must for this recipe (wink, wink). I prefer using baby bellas, but honestly you can use whatever variety of mushrooms you prefer.
Half-and-half: this is our cream base, the half-and-half makes it super luxurious and creamy!
Vegetable stock: keeping it vegetarian with vegetable stock (hey, you could even use homemade, too!). If you’re not vegetarian, you could substitute chicken stock. Or, make it extra mushroom-y with mushroom stock.
Butter: unsalted is best so you can add your own amount of salt.
Onion: yellow onion adds a bit of sweetness and an aromatic punch to the soup. And isn’t it a must in cozy comfort food recipes?
Garlic: obviously!
White Pepper: ah, white pepper. It has an earthy, warm, semi-pungent way about it and adds a subtle, unique kick to this recipe without the heat that black pepper brings. If you’re not a fan, you can absolutely sub with black pepper or omit.
Thyme: I love adding a hint of thyme to this recipe because it’s cozy, warm, and so comforting! It also pairs well with just about whatever you’re going to use this condensed soup in. Not into it? You can also omit it if needed.
All-Purpose Flour: thickens the condensed soup.

TIPS FOR MAKING CONDENSED SOUP

This recipe is quite easy to make, and aside from the chopping of the vegetables, it comes together in about 15 minutes on the stovetop. If you’ve made a roux or homemade soup before, it will be a breeze. And if you haven’t? Then no worries, it’s a good one to start with!

ROOM TEMPERATURE HALF-AND-HALF

Along with the vegetable stock, I recommend using lukewarm or room temperature ingredients so the dairy does not seize up when added to the soup.

CHOPPING THE MUSHROOMS

I find that store-bought cream of mushroom soup just isn’t all that mushroom-y. So when I’m making it at home, I am amping up the mushroom game. You can chop them as fine or as coarse as you’d like here. I typically range from a fine-medium dice, or if I’m not feeling the time that takes, I put the mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until they’re chopped together (as pictured here).

Mushrooms release a lot of water as they cook. Allow much of the water to release before adding the liquids in this recipe. This will ensure your soup is thick and creamy, with pure mushroom flavor, not watery.

MAKING THE ROUX

Roux is a fancy word for cooking flour and fat together to thicken soups and sauces. In this recipe, the butter and flour cook together and is what thickens the condensed soup. Allow the flour to cook down, continuing to stir so it doesn’t burn, before adding the liquids.

WAYS TO USE CONDENSED SOUP

There are many recipes that call for a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup. They’re usually casserole or as us Minnesotans refer to it, hotdish type recipes, where a lot of stuff is combined and baked together. They’re creamy and totally indulgent.

A really quite popular recipe that uses cream of mushroom soup is green bean casserole. I also use it in my vegetarian hotdish recipe as a base. Use it as a shortcut in pot pie recipes, too!

As I mentioned, you can turn it into an actual soup dish by adding additional liquid like more stock/broth or water. Serve it with a loaf of crusty bread or a side salad.

COMMON QUESTIONS

How do I store this soup?

Place the soup in a glass jar for best results, but an airtight container nonetheless, and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze condensed cream of mushroom soup?

Yes, you can freeze it. I will say that freezing dairy-based soups isn’t always the best option, as they do tend to separate. If you freeze this, make sure the container has enough room for expansion. Then, when you’re ready to reheat it, do so low and slow. That means, use low heat and slowly thaw and bring the soup to room temperature, whisking often to keep it together. Since it is used in other recipes, I find any slight differences in texture go unnoticed anyway.

Can I make this gluten-free?

Yes, you can use cornstarch or gluten-free flour in this recipe. If using cornstarch, start with 2-3 Tablespoons and go from there.

Can I make this dairy-free?

Others have used coconut milk, with the cream, to make it dairy-free. You may want to add more aromatics to balance out the coconut flavor. You could also try plant-based milk. I haven’t tried either myself so please report back if you do!

How much does this recipe make?

A typical store-bought can of condensed soup is about 1 and 1/4 cups. This recipe makes approximately 4 cups of condensed soup, which would be equivalent to just about 3 store-bought cans.

CONDENSED HOMEMADE CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

Alright, I couldn’t post about how to make homemade condensed cream of chicken soup without featuring its famous counterpart as well — condensed homemade cream of mushroom soup.

I have to be honest though. As a kid, I detested mushrooms. Like, absolutely hated them. My mom loved them and occasionally tried to sneak some cream of mushroom soup into casseroles, but I would hunt down those pesky little fungi and push my plate away in protest. Me and mushrooms did not mix.

But then one day in my early twenties, a good friend capitalized on my love of Mexican food and convinced me to try her portabello fajitas. And lo and behold, my anti-mushroom soapbox crumbled. And I’ve been eating and absolutely loving mushrooms ever since.

Thus, in front of the whole world wide webosphere, I have to confess:

Mom, you were right.

So for all of those years I turned up my nose at cream of mushroom soup, I offer this homemade version to make up for it. And I have to say, it’s pretty darn good. 🙂

As with the recipe earlier this week for condensed cream of chicken soup, this condensed homemade cream of mushroom soup is SUPER easy to make. And as opposed to the famous stuff in the can, it’s preservative-free and made with normal, natural ingredients that you can actually pronounce and feel better about enjoying.

But it still tastes and works in recipes just like the original stuff! (Or if you ask me, it tastes even better!) So bring on the soups, casseroles, scalloped potatoes, or whatever other recipes you like with the canned stuff.