Instant Cream of Whatever Soup

Stop buying canned cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, cream of whatever. This dry soup mix sits in your pantry ready to go, and you can turn it into a cream soup base in minutes by whisking it with water.

Powdered skim milk and cornstarch create the creamy, thick base that normally comes from a can. Chicken broth granules, onion powder, thyme, basil, and pepper add all the seasoning you need. Mix the dry ingredients together once, store the batch, and scoop out what you need for casseroles, pot pies, sauces, or a quick bowl of soup.

This is lighter than the canned version since it uses skim milk powder instead of cream, and you control the sodium.

Kitchen Tips

• To use as a soup substitute in recipes: whisk ⅓ cup of the dry mix with 1 ¼ cups cold water in a saucepan over medium heat until thick and bubbly. That equals one can of cream soup.
• Whisk the mix into cold water first, then heat. Adding the powder to hot water creates lumps.
• Store the dry mix in an airtight container in a cool, dry spot. It keeps for months.

Variations

• Add ½ cup sautéed mushrooms to the reconstituted mix for cream of mushroom soup.
• Stir in cooked, shredded chicken for cream of chicken soup.
• Add diced cooked celery for cream of celery, or broccoli for cream of broccoli.