One product I have missed because it is in some of my favorite childhood recipes is condensed cream of mushroom soup. Fortunately there is a remedy... make it from scratch!
My mom passed on a website that has great step-by-step instructions on how to make homemade cream of mushroom soup. The website is http://amysfinerthings.com/homemade-cream-of-mushroom-soup.
There are a couple adjustments I made to the recipe. First, I coarsely chopped the mushrooms instead of slicing them - just a personal preference.
Next, after sautéing the mushrooms and setting the extra aside to freeze, I added only 1 and 1/2 cups of milk*. The additional milk instructed in the recipe is to make the actual cream of mushroom soup - not the condensed form I like to use in various recipes.
I followed the rest of the recipe exactly as instructed and it turned out great!
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| Homemade condensed cream of mushroom soup in a pint size jar. |
To quote Amy (from The Finer Things In Life blog), Just another example of 'if you can buy it, you can probably make it (better)!'
Note added July 12, 2011: To make the recipe gluten free, simply replace the 1/2 cup of flour with 1/4 cup of cornstarch. Be sure to add the cornstarch to the milk - versus adding the milk to the flour roux in the original recipe. (Thanks for the tips Gloria Klassen and Bernice Penner!)
Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms, sautéed in butter
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup flour (replace with 1/4 cup of cornstarch for a gluten free version)
4 cups milk (*I only used 1 and 1/2 cups of milk to make "condensed" cream of mushroom)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp parsley
To make cream of mushroom soup, simply sauté the contents of one bag with an additional 2 tbsp. butter. Mix 1/2 cup flour with 1 1/2 cups milk until smooth. Slowly add to mushrooms, whisking constantly. Then slowly add another 2 1/2 cups of milk. Whisk until smooth and bubbly. Add 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and 1 tsp. parsley flakes. Remove from heat. Soup will thicken as it cools. Feel free to add more milk to reach desired consistency.
wow! I just saw this and can't wait to try it. Looks great!
ReplyDeleteKelly
thank you so much for sharing this! some in our family have MSG and/or gluten sensitivities also, so i'm glad to know of a version from scratch without those offending ingredients. i look forward to re-introducing some old recipes now that we have a way to do so with everyone's health in mind. thanks again! :-)
ReplyDeleteGlad you found it! I was thrilled to revive some family recipes as well. I hope it works out for you!
ReplyDeleteI tried this recipe and found it still came out a tad flour-y tasting. I was always taught that when making a roux, the butter/oil and flour should be mixed and cooked for a few minutes before adding the milk in order to avoid this. I think tweaking the recipe that way might be worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteSo: Sautee the mushrooms then set it aside. Heat the butter/oil in a pan, and slowly add the flour, constantly stirring/whisking until flour is completely added and blended. Cook for a couple of minutes (not boiling!). THEN add the milk, slowly, whisking the whole time. Once it's mixed, add the mushrooms and spices. Simmer for a few minutes so that the mushroom flavor can soak into the milk.