This homemade dry cream of anything soup mix is a great way to avoid canned stuff and a tasty version of your favorite dishes like chicken pot pie or green bean casserole. Keep it handy for quick meals and enjoy the flexibility of making your own cream of soup variations right from your own pantry.
There’s something so comforting about a creamy, flavorful soup base, whether it’s the start of a cozy casserole, a hearty soup, or a classic chicken pot pie. The good news? You can skip the canned stuff and make your own cream soup base with simple ingredients right from your pantry shelf.
It’s a master mix that allows you to create easy homemade cream soups in minutes. Just add water, broth, or milk, heat on medium heat in a small saucepan, and you have a versatile, creamy soup base ready to use in everything.
Plus, it takes up less space in your kitchen than keeping multiple cans of soup on hand.
Homemade Dry Cream of Anything Soup Base Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 Cups Powdered Milk
- 1 ½ Cups Cornstarch
- ¼ Cup Chicken Bouillon Powder or beef broth powder
- 6 Tablespoons Dried Minced Onion Flakes or 4 Tablespoons onion powder
- 2 Teaspoons Dried Basil
- 2 Teaspoons Dried Thyme
- 2 Teaspoons Dried Parsley
- ¾ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine powdered milk, cornstarch, chicken or beef bouillon powder, dried minced onion, dried basil, dried thyme, dried parsley, and black pepper. Mix well to evenly distribute.2 Cups Powdered Milk, 1 ½ Cups Cornstarch, ¼ Cup Chicken Bouillon Powder, 6 Tablespoons Dried Minced Onion Flakes, 2 Teaspoons Dried Basil, 2 Teaspoons Dried Thyme, 2 Teaspoons Dried Parsley, ¾ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- Transfer to a quart-sized (32 oz) airtight container or mason jar. Store on your pantry shelf for up to 6 months.
Notes
To Prepare as Soup Substitute
In a small saucepan, whisk 1/3 cup of mix with 1 1/4 cups cold water (or ½ chicken broth + ½ water) over medium heat until smooth and thickened.Use in any recipe calling for a can of cream soup, such as cream of chicken, cream of celery soup, or cream of mushroom soup.
Recipe Variations
Dietary Modifications:Gluten-Free. This mix is naturally gluten-free, but double-check your chicken bouillon or broth concentrates for hidden gluten.
Dairy-Free. Substitute oat milk powder or coconut milk powder for the powdered milk.
Low-Sodium. Use low-sodium broth powders or skip the chicken bouillon, adding salt to taste when cooking. Extra Mix-Ins for Richer Flavor: ½ tsp thyme. For a more herby, homemade taste.
½ tsp garlic powder. Enhances almost any variation.
Pinch of nutmeg. Great for creamy soups and white sauces.
1 Tablespoon butter or heavy cream. For extra richness when preparing.
Nutrition
Mix-Ins and Variations: Customize Your Homemade Cream Soup Mix
These are great mix-ins that can take your homemade cream of anything soup mix to the next level. Depending on the recipe, you can stir them in while cooking the soup base or sauté them first for extra flavor.
The mix-in amounts listed are per can replacement, meaning they should be added to ¼ cup of the dry mix when you’re making one can’s worth of soup substitute.
To clarify:
- 1/3 cup of mix + 1 1/4 cup of water (or broth) = 1 can of cream soup equivalent.
Additional Mix-Ins for Flavor & Texture
Asparagus. Finely chop ¼ cup cooked asparagus and stir it in while the soup thickens.
Broccoli. Add ¼ cup finely chopped cooked broccoli for a homemade cream of broccoli soup. A pinch of garlic powder and a splash of heavy cream make it extra rich.
Celery. For cream of celery soup, add ¼ cup finely diced celery while heating. A little extra celery seed enhances the flavor.
Cooked Chicken. Turn any batch into homemade cream of chicken soup by adding ¼ cup shredded cooked chicken while simmering. Great for chicken pot pie filling.
Cooked Shrimp. Stir in ¼ cup chopped cooked shrimp for a seafood twist. Pairs well with cream of tomato or cream of onion bases.
Diced Potatoes. Add ¼ cup cooked diced potatoes to make a creamy potato soup. For extra richness, use ½ cup chicken broth and ½ cup water instead of all water.
Mushrooms. Chop ¼ cup fresh or sautéed mushrooms for an easy cream of mushroom soup. A pinch of thyme brings out the earthy flavor.
Tomato. Stir in ¼ cup finely diced tomatoes for a twist on cream of tomato soup. Use ½ cup vegetable broth + ½ cup water for extra depth.
Onions. For extra onion flavor, add ¼ cup sautéed onions while cooking. This is perfect for cream of onion soup or enhancing other variations.
These fresh ingredients turn your cream soup base into flavor-packed homemade versions of canned stuff from the grocery store. They’re also a great way to use up leftovers and customize soups for slow cooker recipes, casseroles, or as a base for white sauces.
With this basic recipe, you’ll always have a homemade version of canned soup ready to go. A great way to save money, or a way to keep your kitchen stocked with homemade staples, this mix is a game-changer.
This worked exactly as written, thanks!