Technique question for the gurus...

[smarkley]

Frequently... well often enough, I will be reading through a recipe and BAM >> add 1 can of cream of chicken soup << or mushroom soup, or creamy cheese soup... I DO NOT want to use this swill! Sooooooooo... what is the answer for a substitution???

I am wondering about a béchamel sauce... it seems to be a little time consuming, but could be an option maybe

-- What say you?

[OGMrWhite]

I know exactly what you mean, and I loved this question so I poked around google a bit and found this as a cream of soup base:
INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup low-fat or fat free milk
• salt and pepper to taste

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes

• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: Makes 1 Cup

PREPARATION

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour; keep stirring until smooth and bubbly.
2. Remove from heat and add the chicken broth and milk, a little at a time, stirring to keep smooth.
3. Return to heat. Bring sauce to a gentle boil; cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed to taste.
4. Use in casseroles in place of condensed cream soups.
5. This cream soup base can be varied by using vegetable broth, sauteéd chopped celery, celery seed, or sauteéd chopped mushrooms. Add herbs and or seasonings, as desired.

[smarkley]

thanks... looks promising!

this part is a bechamel sauce...

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup low-fat or fat free milk

[W.A.]

I await the answer to this... Mr. White is getting there I do not like adding this canned coup crap

[W.A.]

Meant to say "soup crap". Sorry....

[troymeister]

I have an awesome simple recipe to solve this problem.

2 tbsp or more of butter or olive oil or both
1/4 cup minced onions
2 cloves minced garlic
mushrooms (as many as you like)
1 tsp or so of kosher salt
pepper to taste
1 tsp of Herbs Provence or Italian seasoning
1/4 cup of dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth or stock
1 cup of half and half
2 tbsp flour

Heat butter and or oil in a cast iron skillet
Add onions, salt, garlic and Herbs Provence or Italian seasoning. Continue sautéing until onions are translucent.
Add white wine and reduce by half or more.
Add mushrooms, sauté until mushrooms sweat off some liquid.
Add flour and sauté until nicely combined and flour is just starting to brown. (1 to 2 minutes)
Add chicken broth or stock bring to a light boil then to a simmer
Add half and half and cook until the whole mixture thickens, about 5 to 7 or so minutes.
Remove heat.

Viola.... Mushroom soup for cooking

For Cream of Chicken, omit mushrooms and add bits of left over chicken.
For cream of celery....same...etc so on and so fourth...

It sounds complicated but once you get into a habit, it is easy and fast.

Hope this helps...better than using canned anything. And you can tweak it any way that works for you.

Troy

[smarkley]

woots!

[troymeister]

Give it a shot man..It is basically a béchamel but follows traditional French stovetop methods of sauce making.

[smarkley]

Thanks! I am sure I will try this within the week... got an awesome Dutch Oven recipe to cook... Pigs in the Cornfield

[troymeister]

Pigs in the Cornfield??

[Huskee]

Wow, and to think I add canned cream of [whatever] soup to recipes, and I like Kraft mayo. And Miller High Life beer.

[Marauderer]

Hey Huskee, it is OK to eat canned soup. It will slowly make you a mutant or worse sometime in the future. I love Kraft regular Mayo. I should make my own so I know what's in it but, you know I am a lazy git. Miller High Life is good beer, probably better for you than the canned soup. They all probably have GMO's in them as the manufacturers are fighting hard not to have to put it on the label.

[Huskee]

Don't go snobbing me out of everything I like now...

[David Parrish]

Huskee we may have to create a "Low Brow" channel just for us common folk.

[Huskee]

Ha ha, we may have to. Maybe they'll let us hang around as long as we keep quiet.

[Huskee]

Huskee we may have to create a "Low Brow" channel just for us common folk.

[David Parrish]

We're so not worthy.

[Jon Solberg]

hehehehehehe

[Marauderer]

hehehehehehe

What Jon said, X2

[Marauderer]

I have about two drinks a month. Usually when I am sitting out at the fire pit in the evening. I like my scotch neat and really enjoy it. It just that the sugar content in hard liquor is really high. So be it. When I do have a drink I really really enjoy it.

[smarkley]

Jeesh!!! Y'all are a bunch of wise guys!

If you had a problem with your sodium-potassium pump failing and CHF like I do, at 870 mg of sodium per 1/2 cup serving of mushroom soup you would be looking for an alternative too! #JustSayin

[Marauderer]

Jeesh!!! Y'all are a bunch of wise guys!

If you had a problem with your sodium-potassium pump failing and CHF like I do, at 870 mg of sodium per 1/2 cup serving of mushroom soup you would be looking for an alternative too! #JustSayin

I hear you Steve, And when those younger guys get our age they will be watching it also. But for now they can do it all.

I have a couple of problems myself, Gout and high blood sugar. Drat!! It keeps me from enjoying my single malt scotch, choclates, ice cream, etc, etc, etc, and most of the good things, But, I would rather control it with diet than the alternative.

[smarkley]

I got a new mitral valve about a year ago... it is a mechanical one, which causes me to have to be on blood thinners the rest of my life... they didn't tell me that going in, daggumit. Whiskey is a good short term blood thinner BTW

Also since the surgery I have a CHF problem WTF??? Thus sodium is a big issue. Maybe God does hate me.

[Marauderer]

The CHF is a really common term. My wife has it or so the MD says. She use to have swollen ankles a lot and limited her salt intake. Since I have been using the Himalayan salt the problem has gone away, no swollen ankles. We haven't complained and stopped using the HS so the swelling would come back and she has been enjoying her food a lot more.

[smarkley]

Thanks Barry... I have heard that before about Himalayan salt - I need to try it.