Imagine having a delicious, piping hot bowl of soup in minutes, without any of the hassle and mess of traditional soup-making techniques. Sounds too good to be true, right? Not anymore. Thanks to the versatile and convenient Cream Soup Base Mix, you can now have a hearty soup ready in no time.
This easy to make kitchen staple is great to keep on hand for soups and casseroles or any other recipe that calls for "Cream of" soup. Or pack it in a mason jar with the instructions for an easy semi-homemade food gift.
Read on to learn how easy it is to make this Cream Soup Mix.
I do not buy canned soup often. For fear of sounding like Ina Garten, I prefer homemade. Most soups are quick and easy to make. Plus, most canned soups are usually loaded with sodium.
Here's a simple dry mix to give as a gift or keep in your pantry to use when you want some quick creamy soup or need some cream of "anything" soup for a recipe (like other casseroles).
Gifts in a Jar: Cream Soup Base
To give this as a gift, pack the mix into a 1 quart mason jar or other container. Decorate and attach these instructions:
To make the equivalent of one can of condensed "cream of" soup, and ⅓ mix plus 1 ¼ cup water, milk or broth plus ½ to 1 cup of desired ingredient (chicken, mushroom, celery, potato, asparagus, etc.). Cook until add ins are tender.
Ingredients and Substitutions for Cream Soup Base
The basic soup mix is fairly straightforward:
- powdered milk (whole milk, non fat or non dairy)
- cornstarch (or arrowroot for corn allergies)
- chicken bouillon powder (or vegan alternative)
- spices:
- minced onion
- parsley flakes
- dried basil
- dried oregano
- dried thyme
- black pepper
Using powdered whole milk in the mix will produce the creamiest result. If you only have non-fat powdered milk, you can make the soup creamier by mixing with milk or adding a little butter when preparing it.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups powdered milk
- ¾ cup cornstarch
- ⅓ cup chicken bouillon powder (or vegan alternative)
- 2 tablespoon minced onion
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Optional Ingredient (add one or more)
- chopped or shredded chicken
- chopped or sliced mushrooms
- asparagus (cut in bite sized pieces)
- celery (cut in bite sized pieces)
- potato (peeled and cut in ½-inch pieces)
- broccoli (cut in bite sized pieces)
- cheddar cheese (grated )
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and place in a quart mason jar or other airtight container. Store until ready to use.2 cups powdered milk, ¾ cup cornstarch, ⅓ cup chicken bouillon powder, 2 tablespoon minced onion, 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon black pepper
Soup Preparation
- To make the equivalent of one can of condensed "cream of" soup, and ⅓ mix plus 1 ¼ cup water, milk or broth plus ½ to 1 cup of desired ingredient (chicken, mushroom, celery, potato, asparagus, etc.). Cook until add ins are tender.
Sound fabulous? Share it!
Marilyn Lesniak
Thank you for hosting! This is what was served the of week 8-26- to 8-30 in my home. On Tuesday is a Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Casserole. it can be served at any meal. Wednesday is a Cheesy Rice Casserole with Broccoli. And ending Broccoli week on Friday I am serving my family favorite Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Crescent Ring. Enjoy!
Kathy A
This sounds great; I want to make some gifts in jars for my church's Christmas bazaar this year. Will use my homegrown oregano, too!
Audrey
Oh, what a great idea for a bazaar.