Making Cream of "Whatever" Condensed Soups from Scratch

Okay, you might be thinking we are taking this "making from scratch" a little too far when we say we make our own condensed soups instead of buying Campbell's Condensed Soups. We don't always. But it's nice to know you can make your own if you don't happen to have a can of Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Celery soup when you need it. Plus, you can control how much fat or sodium you put in it. And the bottom line is, it tastes better. Remember, this is a condensed soup, it's super thick and should be added to your casseroles or whatever you are baking, not eaten the way it is.

Cream of “Whatever” Condensed Soup
A great way to use an overabundance of vegetables is to make your own creamy condensed soup. This works well with mushrooms, celery, onions, potatoes, broccoli or cauliflower. You can also use chicken or turkey. Use your imagination and your favorite vegetable. Campbell Cream of Mushroom soup has 870 mg of sodium, the Low Sodium Cream of Mushroom has 60 mg. NOTE: We use a vegetable base in place of broth in most of our recipes. If you’ve never tried it, TRY IT! The flavor is rich and it makes your soups and sauces pop. In comes in a small glass jar that lasts for a long time in your refrigerator.		Total Time: 15 min
2 Tablespoons butter “Whatever” ingredient	Chop “whatever” into small pieces. In small skillet, heat butter over medium heat, add “whatever”, cook and stir until soft, not just tender, about 5 minutes. When using poultry, make sure it’s cooked through
¼ cup flour	Add flour to skillet and stir. Mixture will be thick and gooey, that’s okay.
½ teaspoon vegetable base ½ cup boiling water	Vegetable base is sold in small glass jars and is extremely concentrated. You may substitute ½ cup broth Dissolve base in boiling water, add to skillet, whisk to avoid lumps. Bring to a boil, cook for about two minutes
2 cups milk Salt and Pepper	Add to mixture and stir until combined and thick. Season to taste. The vegetable base already has salt added, so taste before you add seasonings