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This homemade Cream of Chicken Soup Substitute is creamy, flavorful, and SO much better than what you get from a can. Best part is, it only takes 10 minutes to make!
Looking for more from-scratch cooking staples? Try my homemade Dry Onion Soup Mix, Taco Seasoning, Ketchup, or BBQ Sauce!
Why I love this recipe:
- Quick – This cream of chicken soup substitute only takes 10 minutes. That's faster than a trip to the grocery store!
- Healthy – You know exactly what ingredients are added, including fresh pantry ingredients, nothing artificial, and it's definitely lower in sodium than the canned version.
- Delicious – The taste of this homemade cream of chicken soup is outstanding! It's creamy, full of flavor, and will make any meal that calls for canned cream of chicken soup, taste way better.
Ingredients Needed:
- Milk
- Cornstarch
- Butter
- Chicken Bouillon Paste or Cube
- Seasonings
How to make Cream of Chicken Soup:
Combine Ingredients: In a small saucepan whisk together milk and cornstarch. Add butter, bouillon, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and parsley.
Boil: Bring to a gently boil, stirring frequently. Once boiling, simmer for 30 more seconds to thicken.
Use this cream of chicken recipe in any recipe to replace one 10.75 oz can of cream of chicken soup. For other flavors, look at the recipe variations below.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: This is a great recipe to make ahead for quick dinner prep. Make the recipe as directed, and keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
To Freeze: The texture may change a little bit through the freezing/thawing process. Store in a freezer safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw completely in the fridge before using in a recipe.
Recipe Variations:
- Cream of Mushroom: Stir in one (4 oz) can of mushroom pieces to the finished recipe. Use vegetable bouillon instead of chicken, if desired.
- Cream of Celery: Stir in ½ cup sautéed, chopped celery to the finished recipe. Use vegetable bouillon instead of chicken, if desired.
- Cream of Broccoli: Stir in ½ cup of finely diced steamed broccoli. Use vegetable bouillon instead of chicken, if desired.
- Add Chicken: Stir in chopped cooked chicken at the end, if desired.
- Dairy-Free: Use dairy-free butter, and your favorite plant based milk. The flavor will be a little different depending on what milk you use.
Use Cream of Chicken Substitute In:
- Easy Beef Stroganoff
- Funeral Potatoes
- Easy Instant Pot Stroganoff
- Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Pork Chops
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Beef Noodle Soup
- Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Loaded Chicken Enchiladas
Cream of Chicken Soup Substitute
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk, , cold
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon paste, , or one cube
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon dried parsley flakes
Instructions
- In a small saucepan whisk together milk and cornstarch. Add butter, bouillon, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and parsley.
- Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Once boiling, simmer for 30 more seconds to thicken.
- Use in recipes to replace one (10.75 oz) can of cream of (anything) soup.
Notes
- Cream of Mushroom: Stir in one (4 oz) can of mushroom pieces to the finished recipe. Use vegetable bouillon instead of chicken, if desired.
- Cream of Celery: Stir in ½ cup sautéed, chopped celery to the finished recipe. Use vegetable bouillon instead of chicken, if desired.
- Cream of Broccoli: Stir in ½ cup of finely diced steamed broccoli. Use vegetable bouillon instead of chicken, if desired.
- Add Chicken: Stir in chopped cooked chicken at the end, if desired.
- Dairy-Free: Use dairy-free butter, and your favorite plant based milk. The flavor will be a little different depending on what milk you use.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe March 2015. Updated September 2022.
My husband is dairy free. I made this soup with coconut milk. Then, I didn’t have any bouillon cubes or paste so I used 1 cup of low sodium chicken broth. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! It came out beautifully! I’m so happy to have a dairy free cream of any kind of soup now. 🙂
I followed your recommendation and I agree WOW!!! Delicious!
Can you used sauteed or raw mushrooms vs canned mushrooms? if so which would be best?
Either would work great! The flavor of sautéed mushrooms would be best.
Very good indeed! My husband loves it! Thank you for the recipe!
I made cream of “plain” soup and used it with stroganoff. Worked well. I can’t eat salt so I used unsalted chicken bouillon that I got from amazon. Thanks.
Would you then add like 10 oz of milk or water because this is condensed?
If you want to make soup out of it, yes. If you want to use it in a recipe to replace canned cream of chicken (or other flavored) soup, then no.
Used this as a substitute for cream of chicken soup in a chicken casserole. Worked perfectly and it was quick and easy to make.
Can this be frozen for future use?
Can this be frozen for future use?
HI
How would you use this to make cream of tomato soup
You could add the recipe to a skillet of pureed tomatoes and cook it all together to make a soup.
This is perfect! Made it this morning in prep for Polish Hamburgers this evening.
Can this be made with non-dairy milk?
That would probably work fine!
This is great! Thank you! I can’t have condensed soups from the grocery store because of the sodium. I made a zero-sodium version by omitting the salt and, instead of bouillon, adding the ‘syrup’ made from reducing 3 cups of homemade stock down to 1 tbsp. This is a definite keeper.
There is a wonderful product in my area at Meijer-L. B. Jamison’s Soup Base that is sodium free contains 3 grams of carbs and no fat, works great anywhere you need chicken broth, including this recipe! A lot easier than cooking down 3 cups of broth!