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
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Recipe
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
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I originally shared this recipe March 2015. Updated September 2022.
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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!
WOW!
Where has this recipe/life hack been all my life? It was simple enough for me to while up mid cooking another recipe, is delicious, and now I don’t feel the need to stock up on cream of chicken soup (cause let’s be real, that’s twice the cost it should be!)
I’m confused about the sodium content, if you are using only 1 tsp of bullion (Better Than Bullion chicken is 680 mg of sodium) where is all the sodium coming from? Definitely going to give this a try.
The 1/2 tsp salt and the milk
Has anyone canned this for long term storage?
I made this many times during the grocery shortage in 2020 (Covid). It’s quick, adaptable, easy to make & tastes so much better. I won’t buy canned cream of soup anymore.
There’s a gal on Youtube (MakeItMake) that covers Amish canning for cream of mushroom soup. I encourage you to check it out and do your research.
I’m planning on trying out making this into a dry mix (dehydrated butter and possibly milk) and giving that a go to see how it tastes.
So easy & delicious! I use oatmilk & it’s great. My go to cream of soup for every recipe! Thank you.
I was reluctant to use only the oat milk…for fear it might be bland. I used 3/4 cup of oat milk with 1/4 cup heavy cream. Thanks for your comment/input. Next time, I’ll just use the oat milk.
For cream of onion, how many onions would you recommend?
1/2 cup sauteed! Enjoy.
I like to eat clean. Is there any other way to sub the chicken bullion. Or can I skip it altogether? And..Will it affect the flavor?
How much broccoli would you add to the base for cream of broccoli soup? 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup, or more? Would you steam, or cook the broccoli first?
1/2 cup steamed broccoli will be perfect!
Do you need to refrigerate this after cooking if your not using it right away
Yes, I would.
Hi Lauren, just wondering is there another way other than bouillon cube. I’m on a salt free diet and the cubes are very high in salt. Really enjoy reading all your recipes they really make my mouth water. I do have a few ideas, what I do is just eliminate or reduce the salt. But boullion cubes are all the flavour, so would stock be okay? Thanks in advance.
Nancy Smith
Hi Nancy! We haven’t tried them but you can get salt free bouillon cubes on Amazon if you want to try those.
I am also on a restricted sodium diet, we order Reduced Sodium Better than Bouillon on Amazon. Sauté 1/4 cup diced or grated onion, 1 teaspoon finely grated garlic (grated on a rasp grater) and fresh parsley. Also use unsalted butter or olive/avocado oil for the fat component. This will not take the sodium to zero, but it result in a reduced sodium soup. Then you can season it to your taste.
I love this recipe. I started using it when I couldn’t find any “cream of” soups in the stores around here, and keep using it because it tastes so much better. It’s quick and easy to make, and tastes great. I love your blog because everything I’ve tried has worked out perfectly. It’s my go-to when I can’t decide what to make for dinner. Thank you!