Cream of Anything Soup

For when the recipe calls for a can and you don't have one.

Half the comfort food recipes out there call for a can of cream-of-something soup. This is the from-scratch version: butter, flour, milk, and whatever seasoning gets you the flavor you need. It takes ten minutes, you control the salt, and it's easy to make just the amount you need. It's what I used in my Chicken and Slick Dumplings.

Prep: 2 min · Cook: 10 min · Makes: about 2 1/2 cups (roughly 2 cans' worth)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 2 cups milk

• Seasoning of choice (see below)

Pick your "anything":

• Cream of chicken: 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon

• Cream of celery: 1/2 teaspoon celery seed, or 1/2 cup finely chopped celery cooked in the butter first

• Cream of mushroom: 1 cup finely chopped mushrooms cooked in the butter first, plus salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low-medium heat.

2. Whisk in the flour and cook about 1 minute, stirring, until it forms a smooth paste.

3. Slowly whisk in the milk, a little at a time, so it doesn't lump. Add your seasoning.

4. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until thickened.

5. Use it anywhere a recipe calls for condensed cream soup.

Notes

• Only need one can? Cut it in half: 1/4 cup butter, 3 tablespoons flour, 1 cup milk. This is where it beats the can. No more half-cans going bad in the fridge.

• Adjust as you go. You may need to add more milk once it goes into your recipe, depending on how thick you want it.

• Want it shelf-stable? Make a jar of my Cream of Anything Soup Mix and keep it in the pantry.

Turn It Into Soup

This base works as a soup on its own. Thin it with a little more milk and add:

• Broccoli cheese: steamed broccoli and American cheese

• Loaded baked potato: chunks of baked potato (skin on), American cheese, bacon pieces, and chives

• Tomato bisque: pureed stewed tomatoes

• Cream of leek: well-cleaned leeks, steamed and chopped

• Cream of asparagus: cooked asparagus pieces, topped with grated cheese and bacon (if you use canned asparagus, add a little of the liquid too)

Cream of Anything Soup Recipe.pdf

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