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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!
This is by far the BEST condensed cream of anything soup I have ever made. I need low-salt ingredients so I just left out the salt. And I used evaporated milk since I didn’t have regular. It was delish, smooth and creamy! And I loved how quick and easy it was to make! This is now my go-to when a recipe needs condensed cream of something soup!
Is there is a way to make it with flour instead of cornstarch, as our family needs to stay away from corn?
Yes, use flour instead, you may just need more flour then the amount of cornstarch called for.
And you can use 1 1/2 Tbl Xanthan Gum, instead of the 2 T cornstarch.
I have been trying to find ways to substitute food products containing dairy, as I can’t eat it. I’ll hopefully try this using lactose free milk. If it works, it will be wonderful. Thanks for your help.
I just made this with cashew milk as my family can’t eat dairy either and it turned out perfectly!!
Super easy! I have family members who can’t eat dairy as a general rule (although they can eat butter), so I replaced the milk with almond milk and it turned out great.
How would you suggest to make the soup cream of potato?
To make cream of potato soup, I boil diced potatoes and add when cooked. If in a hurry, I add a can of diced potatoes.
I have a recipe that makes up a dry mix using powdered milk but I can’t find any in the stores. I came across your recipe and it’s now my new favorite!!! It’s easy to mix up and very flavorful! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for this great recipe! Can’t wait to try it tonight!
This was so easy to make and a delicious base for the Easy Beef Stroganoff sauce. I’ll be using this recipe again and again. I hate the store-bought “cream of junk” soup and try to modify any recipe I use that calls for it. I often make my own, but I use flour in my base – it’s not quite as simple of a process. I like that this is gluten free since it uses corn-starch for thickening.
I omitted the butter, threw in a cut up baked potato, a handful of cheddar cheese and some chipotle seasoning along with a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. It was amazing! Took five minutes and lunch was done. And so welcome on this cold and snowy day.
I think this is absolutely great for making cream of “anything”. I do not like using the canned cream soups – so many added unfavorable ingredients. My son is gluten free so this makes cooking for him so much easier. Thank you for posting this. I will use it again and again.
BTW it was so easy to make!!!
Thanks, Ginny