Store-bought canned cream of mushroom soup contains ingredients like monosodium glutamate (MSG), soy protein concentrate, modified food starch, soy lecithin, flavoring, mushrooms, oil, and dehydrated cream.
Condensed cream of mushroom soup is a versatile product that can be used in a wide range of dishes, like soups, sauces, and casseroles. This canned product contains additives like preservatives and extra salt. So, a homemade version is considered healthier than the store-bought one. If you are worried about the fat content or the gluten content, change the ingredients accordingly. Replace heavy cream with milk or vegetable broth, or use rice flour instead of all-purpose flour.
Given below are a few recipes for making healthy substitutes for cream of mushroom soup. These recipes may also prove handy for those who run out of the canned version, and want a replacement urgently. It takes only 20 to 30 minutes to prepare a homemade cream of mushroom soup. Another advantage is that most of the ingredients are easily available pantry items.
Prepare Healthy Cream of Mushroom Soup...
...with Milk and Broth
Ingredients- Butter - 2 tbsp.
- All-purpose flour - 3 tbsp.
- Chicken broth - ½ cup
- Low-fat milk - ½ cup
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Mushrooms - chopped and sautéed
How to Prepare
Melt butter and add the flour. Cook over medium heat for two to three minutes. Stir the flour continuously till it cooks well. Remove the pan from heat, and add the milk and broth, in small batches. Mix well before placing the pan on the stove. Add some chopped and sautéed mushrooms. Cook over medium to low heat, till the soup boils and thickens. Don't forget to stir it constantly, till the soup attains the desired consistency. Once done, add salt and pepper as per your taste. This is an easy replacement for the canned cream of mushroom soup. Being homemade, it is definitely healthier than the canned version.
...with Heavy Cream
Ingredients- Heavy cream (or half-and-half) - 1 cup
- Vegetable stock (or chicken/beef broth) - 3 cups
- Fresh mushrooms (cremini or brown) - 1 lb
- Garlic (minced) - 1 tbsp.
- Shallots (minced) - 2 tbsp.
- Butter - 2 tbsp.
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Parsley - chopped
How to Prepare
Clean the mushrooms after removing the stems. Slice them and keep aside. Melt butter in a large frying pan. Add the minced garlic and shallots. Sauté for two minutes, before adding the sliced mushrooms. Stir the mushrooms over medium heat, till they turn brown. Meanwhile, heat the stock in another pot. Once the mushrooms are done, add them to the stock. Let the stock boil again, before removing it from heat. Add heavy cream and stir gently. Before serving, use chopped fresh parsley for garnishing. This version of homemade cream of mushroom soup can be healthier than the store-bought types. But, it has a high fat content that can be reduced by using low-fat ingredients like milk instead of heavy cream.
...with Whole Grain Flour
Ingredients- Olive oil - 3 tbsp.
- Whole grain flour - 3 tbsp.
- Vegetable broth (homemade) - 1 cup
- Chopped mushrooms (sautéed) - 3
- Kosher salt for taste
How to Prepare
Heat oil over medium heat and add the flour. Stir the flour till it cooks. It will take only a minute or two for the flour to cook. Add the broth, salt, and the sautéed mushroom pieces. Remove the pan from heat, as and when the soup boils. This recipe is one of the best choices, if you want to make a healthy substitute for condensed cream of mushroom soup. You may replace whole grain flour with rice flour, if you want to make the soup gluten-free. Chicken broth can be used instead of vegetable broth. Organic milk can be used instead of broth. You may also use a mixture of organic milk and broth.
...with Arrowroot Flour
Ingredients- Fresh mushrooms - 8 oz
- Chicken/Vegetable broth - 2 cups
- Heavy cream - 1 cup
- Butter - 2 tbsp.
- Arrowroot flour - 2 tsp.
- Chopped onion - 2 tbsp.
- Minced garlic - 1tsp.
- Salt and Pepper - ½ tsp. each
- Ground nutmeg - ¼ tsp.
How to Prepare
Wash and slice mushrooms and spread the pieces on paper towels. Melt butter in a large pan. Add chopped onion and minced garlic. Sauté for two minutes, and add sliced mushrooms. Sauté them till the mushrooms turn brown. Add arrowroot flour and stir well for a minute. Pour the broth and continue stirring, so that the flour does not form lumps. Whisk in the heavy cream, along with salt, pepper, and ground nutmeg. Remove the pan from heat, just before the soup boils.
...with Sour Cream
Ingredients- Vegetable broth - 1.5 cups
- Sour cream (fat-free) - ½ cup
- Skim milk - ½ cup
- Chopped mushrooms - 3 cups
- Egg white - 1
- Garlic cloves - 3
- All-purpose flour - 1 tbsp.
- Olive oil - 1 tbsp.
- Salt and pepper - As per taste
How to Prepare
Heat oil in a pan and sauté minced garlic and chopped mushrooms, along with salt and pepper. Add flour when the mushrooms turn brown. Stir continuously and cook for a few minutes. Add broth and let it boil. In another bowl, combine sour cream with milk and egg white. Reduce the heat and add the sour cream mixture to the boiling broth. Cook on low heat for around ten minutes.
...with Herbs
Ingredients- Fresh mushrooms - 1.5 lb
- Chicken or vegetable broth - 6 cups
- Light cream - ⅓ cup
- Olive oil - 2 tbsp.
- Chopped onion - 1
- Minced garlic cloves - 3
- Chopped celery sticks - 2
- Thyme leaves - A few
- Chopped parsley stalks - 2
- Salt and pepper - As per taste
Heat oil in a pan and add the sliced mushrooms, along with onion, celery, garlic, and thyme leaves. Sauté well and cover with a lid. Once they get cooked, remove four to five tablespoons of mushrooms from the pan and keep aside. Pour the stock into the pan, add salt, and let it boil. Remove the pan from heat and run a hand blender till the contents turn into a smooth puree. Return the pan to heat and add the cream. Stir well and cook over low heat, till it reaches a gentle boil. The soup is ready to serve. You can garnish it with the remaining mushroom slices and chopped parsley.
Dry Soup Mix Recipe
Ingredients- Cornstarch - ¾ cup
- Dry milk - 2 cups
- Chicken bouillon granules - ¼ cup
- Dried onion flakes - 2 tbsp.
- Dried thyme - 1 tbsp.
- Pepper - ½ tsp.
- Dried basil - ½ tsp.
- Dried marjoram - ½ tsp.
- Dried oregano flakes - ½ tsp.
For the Soup
- Mushrooms, chopped
- Butter, 2 tsp.
- Water
- Salt - As per taste
How to Prepare
Mix these dry ingredients and store. In order to make cream of mushroom soup, sauté chopped mushrooms in two teaspoons of butter. Mix 1.5 cups of the dry mix with 1.25 cups of water. Combine well to avoid formation of lumps. Pour this mixture into the browned mushrooms in the pan, along with salt. Let it boil and thicken. You may prepare a dry soup mix and use it as and when required. But, it is always better to use fresh ingredients to make the soup, if you prefer healthier versions.
When it comes to a healthy diet, a homemade soup is always better than canned ones. You can make it further healthier by using low-fat and fresh ingredients. So, try these recipes and enjoy the healthy substitutes of cream of mushroom soup.
