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Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup

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Learning to make Cream of Mushroom Soup will be a fantastic tool to have in your real food kitchen tool belt!

Just in case you lose count while reading the following sentence, I used the word “cream” or “creamy” six times, because apparently I like these words and like to overuse them. And also because once I realized I was doing it, I exaggerated on purpose:

When I shared my Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole recipe, I told you that I don’t usually make cream soups to replace the canned cream soups called for in many creamy recipes, but instead substitute straight cream to make the dish creamy.

(Someone give me a synonym for “creamy” to enhance my future sentence writing creativity.)

However, I have a great recipe for an easy one dish meat and potato meal that I hadn’t made for years because I wasn’t sure how to make it without the cream of mushroom soup. For this, straight cream just wouldn’t cut it. I need to make the soup.

Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup

Therefore, for all one of my recipes that need cream of mushroom soup, here is how I make it:

Homemade Cream of Mushroom SoupYum

Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup
 
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Ingredients
  • ½ cup sliced mushrooms
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup organic corn starch or arrowroot powder
  • 4 cups milk, divided
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Begin by sauteing mushrooms and butter until mushrooms are tender.
  2. In the meantime, shake the cornstarch or arrowroot powder in a jar with 1½ cups of milk.
  3. Use a whisk to mix the milk mixture into the sauteed mushrooms, stirring constantly at medium heat.
  4. Slowly add remaining milk, salt and pepper.
  5. Stir with a whisk until smooth and thick.

You probably could have figured out how to do this step without a picture, but when have I ever missed a chance to take a great photo of a jar?

Ooh, Ahh

This recipe will make around three cans worth of cream soup. I haven’t done it before, but I would imagine you could substitute celery for the mushrooms to make cream of celery soup instead. If you have extra soup that you don’t need, this can be frozen.

This recipe tastes great in my One Dish Meat and Potato Casserole!

What recipes do you make that require cream of mushroom soup?

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Comments

  1. Reagan says

    If I only needed one can of cream of mushroom, how would I store the rest (I’m talking long-term storage–freezer?) Or should I only make 1/3 of the recipe?

    The only recipes I can think of that use cream of mushroom soup are Green Bean Casserole (I make it like once a year!), and Shepherd’s Pie.

  3. Melissa says

    What about Cream of Chicken? For some reason I imagine there is a slightly difference process with this one than mere substitution? I would love to know how to do this one…it’s my go-to soup for many things….and I don’t want to do the can anymore!

  4. Sarah says

    oh thank you! my dish to bring for Thanksgiving is green bean casserole and I just couldn’t bring myself to buy a can of msg soup for it but didn’t know what to do! This is perfect timing! it is also really good with periogies. And I have a slow cooker stew recipe that uses it!

  5. Kristy Taylor says

    I made cream of celery soup by a similar recipe this past Sunday so that I could use it in turkey tetrazini.

  6. ELENA MARSHALL says

    This is great! :o) I have several recipes from friends that include cream of mushroom soup, but I’ve held off from making them,….now, I can! :o) *The one my children request most that they had at a friend’s house is:
    1 ‘can’ cream of mushroom soup
    1 can tuna
    1 lb. frozen peas

    Pour over rice, egg noodles, or toast. They call it, Tuna Wiggles. :o)

  7. Beth says

    Thank you for posting! I’ve been wishing for a homemade version for quite a while now. I will definitely be trying this out!!!

  8. Frances says

    Seems to be a theme in the comments but the traditional Thanksgiving green bean casserole would not be the same without it. Thanks for the recipe!

  11. Beth says

    Thanks for reminding me to get some ready for the green bean casserole. We sometimes add pre-cooked chicken (or whatever small bits of leftover meat we have)and pour it over toast for chicken (or whatever) a la king.

  12. JenJ says

    Thank you, thank you, thank you! Most of the meals I have not been able to make with creamy soups, I have not really missed. But I miss Mexican Chicken Casserole (nacho cheese Doritos,chicken, cheese, cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, and rotel.) Now, if I can just find a nacho Doritos recipe LOL. Thank you also for the cream idea, so simple yet I hadn’t thought of it before :)

  13. Mona says

    I would love to know about cream of chicken too! It’s the one cream soup I buy, but I would love to make my own.

  14. Beth says

    I googled and found this nacho cheese Dorito recipe using sprouted corn tortillas:

    http://thepeacefulkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/vegan-nacho-cheese-chip-recipe-nacho.html

    Do you mind posting your Mexican Chkn Casserole recipe? Sounds good! I would probably just use organic tortilla chips and sprinkle the spices or maybe make the chips ahead. For cream of chicken I just add pre-cooked diced chicken. Since I try to steamline, for this recipe I would probably just add the chicken to the mushrooms in the first step of the recipe since you need both. Does that make sense?

  15. Tiffany says

    Crockpot Beef Stroganoff is one of my family’s absolute favorites, and the Cream of Mushroom is a must!
    1 1/2 to 2 lbs of stew beef
    1 can/box of cream of Mushroom mixed with a bit of sugar and garlic powder (1 teaspoon each)
    Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is falling apart. 1/2 hour before you’re ready to eat, add 8 oz. of sour cream to the crockpot and stir it together with the meat and gravy. Cook on low for remaining 30 minutes.
    Serve over egg noodles. Delicious!

  16. Kimberlee says

    Is this a substitute for CONDENSED cream soup? That is really thick and not soup-like at all. (I substitute 2 cups sour cream with sauteed mushrooms for condensed cream soup, but think your version would taste better.) Just curious.

  17. Tiffany says

    For some reason, I think the homemade version may not work as well. There’s a reason you add teh sour cream at the end – I’m not sure a milk/cream product will work the same in the crockpot.

  18. Suzanna says

    I make cream of chicken soup using recipe very similar to this one
    and substitute half the milk with chicken broth. You can put little
    pieces of chicken in it if you want, but I don’t feel the need. I make
    a big batch and freeze them in pint boxes for future use. Works great!

  19. Crystal says

    We make our own too, and use it in our crawfish etouffe and chicken and rice. I like it just alone, as well.

  21. AmandaZ says

    Thank you so much for sharing this!!!! My son has to be gluten and dairy free, and I am hosting Thanksgiving this year. I’ve figured out subsitutions for most of our meal, but had not been able to figure out the green bean casserole. You’ve posted this early enough that I can try making this with his dairy-free butter and either almond or soy milk. If it totally crashes and burns, I still have time to try something else as well. Thank you!!!!

  23. Heather @ Nourishing the Heart says

    I made a cream of potato soup (great by itself with sour cream, cheese, and pieces of bacon!) last week. I may have to try your recipe with the celery I have in the fridge!

  24. Brandy says

    I was thinking the same thing about replacing half of the liquid with chicken broth (homemade of course), but using heavy cream for the other half to keep it thick and creamy! Synonyms for creamy: velvety smooth, luscious, rich.

  27. Tracy Moore says

    I am so excited to try this! I love creamy soups (especially in recipes) but hate the mainstream ones with the yucky ingredients. I had purchased 2 expensive containers at a popular health food grocery but I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. Thanks, Laura!

  28. Amanda says

    I always add a dash of nutmeg to the soup and some minced garlic. It adds flavor and dimension that is oh so good. I am lucky if I get enough to freeze as my husband usually eats a bowl while I am making it to use in our casseroles.

  30. Laura says

    Good question – it’s been so long since I used a can I forgot how thick those are. I’d say this is not quite as condensed as the canned.

  31. Laura says

    I’m not very mushroom savvy, so I don’t know specific names – I just use the regular white mushrooms?? :)

  34. Ashley says

    Oooh Thanks!
    Cream of Chicken is so easy to make!

    3 tablespoons of butter
    4 tablespoons of flour ( I use whole wheat)
    1/2 cup of milk
    1/2 cup of chicken broth
    couple of pieces of chicken
    salt
    pepper

    Melt Butter
    Stir in flour
    Heat it for a minute
    Slowly add milk
    Slowly add broth
    Add chicken pieces
    Add salt and pepper
    stir until thick and creamy

    Depending on how hot your stove is I turn mine to 4, but if yours is really hot do 3

  35. Hayley says

    Thanks for sharing this! I have a non-recipe-related question; where did you get the lids for your jars?

  36. Kristina says

    That sounds similar to a recipe we used to make when I was younger. It was “Creamed Tuna on Toast” only we made a white sauce and added tuna and then poured that over toast. Yummy!

  37. Kristina says

    If he can have coconut, you might try it with that unsweetened coconut milk from So Delicious. I think that would give it more of a milk flavor that almond milk.

  38. Cathie says

    Yes, I have made cream of celery in a pinch, and we liked it so much better than the can that I may never buy another can of soup.
    I made apple butter this past Saturday, and it was so nice pulling my little jars out to re-use them. I love my jars. And that is a really nice one you have there.
    About the apple butter – I am going to make my husband some homemade poptarts using that instead of the jelly. Yum!

  41. JenJ says

    Here’s the Mexican Chicken Casserole recipe(from what I remember,I
    don’t think we ever wrote it down.)

    1 can cream of chicken, 1 can cream of mushroom, 1 can rotel, 2-3
    cooked chicken breasts, shredded cheese (maybe 1/2-1 cup?), nacho
    cheese doritos.

    Mix soups, rotel,diced chicken in a bowl(Sometimes I do this a day
    before to really let the flavors mix). Layer some crushed doritos
    in a casserole pan(the more chips,the less soupy so you just have to
    play with it the get the consistency you like). Add the chicken soup,
    top with more chips and cheese. Bake at 350 till the cheese is nice
    and golden.

    Thanks for the chip recipe link! I will have to try it. I usually
    just live without chips since I know they are not healthy, but
    sometimes it would be nice to indulge. And I just happen to have a
    pile of leftover corn tortillas, but not sprouted :) And now that I
    can make the creamy soups homemade I will be set!

  42. JenJ says

    I have not missed junk food very much, and I’ve lost 35 pounds by
    eating more whole foods. Now with this Doritos recipe, and the
    homemade Oreo recipe my sister just sent me, I could be in big
    trouble! LOL

  43. Dinorah Hampton says

    Just made this for dinner tonight and the family loved it! My 11-year-old stick of a daughter ate so much her belly hurt! I used it with chicken and rice. Since we have lactose issues in our family, I made it with 3 cups of coconut milk and 1 cup of cream (I find the cpheavy cream doesn’t bother me as much as cow’s milk, cheese, and ice cream and I also use it make my own butter.). Laura, also wanted to thank you for your devotional about what other people think about you. It was a gentle reminder that I really needed.

  44. Jodi says

    Just in case you do not know, you do not have to use corn starch or arrowroot powder as a thickening agent – flour works just as well. Melt butter in a pan, whisk in flour, and when you have a paste, whisk in your liquid. This is the same way to make gravy or any roux or white sauce.

  45. Katie P. says

    I just created a cream of mushroom soup for a recipe last week since we don’t use the canned stuff either (ewww, MSG!) I used it in a crock pot meal with 2 tbsp of french onion soup mix (thanks for the recipe) and cream of mushroom soup on pork chops. I let it sit for 4 hours, and it was great!

  46. [email protected] says

    I am so excited about this recipe and everyone else’s recommendations! I also have held out making recipes with cream-of-anything soups because I used to make my own but frankly have not gotten around to looking up the recipe again! And there is no way I am buying those MSG laden canned products either! Someone mentioned homemade chips, and while they are not doritoes, we make homemade corn chips by cutting corn tortillas in fourths and frying (about five at a time) in coconut oil, and then draining. Add a little salt and cheapo and delic! :) We make these a lot. And save the coconut oil I dried in for later use making chips again!

    Nickole

  47. Janet Kiessling says

    Thank you soooo much for this post! I have searched for a homemade cream of mushroom soup recipe for along time. They all say to use water – YUCK!! Definatly trying this one!! :0) Blessings! Janet

  48. Brit @MomAnswersWithBrit.com says

    My mom always made our “favorite chicken and rice” with cream of mushroom soup, and it’s my favorite go to yummy, easy and cheap meal!

    First, wrap bacon around boneless, skinless chicken breast
    Then mix 1 part cream of mushroom soup and 2 parts sour cream. (I use two cans, but I’ll definitely try making my own!!)

    Put two cups of rice and 2-3 cups of water in a pan, then pour in soup mixture and stir all around then put bacon covered chicken in.

    Cook for 2 hours at 350.

    It’s sooooo good and sooo yummy, I’m alsmost embarrased to tell guest how easy and few ingredients there are.

    I’m excited about this!

  49. Brit @MomAnswersWithBrit.com says

    We do the same thing and they are always a huge hit! It’s amazing how it transforms a corn tortilla.

  50. Sarah Feldt says

    Thank you so much! My twins are allergic to all traces of soy ex: margarine, shortening, reg vegetable oil, soy lecithin in chocolate and MSG. Your website has been God-sent to help me make from scratch because store bought items are not usable for me. Cream of mushroom soup is one of those I’ve needed to figure out. Questions: what is the proper way to thaw the leftovers when you’re ready to use them? How long do they last in the freezer? Is there a best way to reheat so it doesn’t turn grainy(usually my problem with milk/cream when reheated).
    I’m a young mom so I need your expertise so badly. I’ve had so many attempts at scratch cooking/storing/reheating not work.

  51. Lisa says

    I’m so glad you shared this recipe. And it looks so easy! There are so many family type casseroles that list a can of cream of mushroom soup for an ingredient!
    This is so much better for you and I bet it tastes better too!

  52. Erin Mincks says

    I am so making this and using it in my modified GAPS green bean casserole. I was wondering how we would do our GBC on thanksgiving. Thanks for posting this :)

  53. Laura says

    They would last for several months in the freezer. I would probably thaw them by putting them down into hot water, which would thaw them more quickly and also help them not be grainy – hopefully!

  54. Jennifer says

    Just made this “SOUPER” YUMMMY! I cube up some chicken breast put in the soup mixture and put it on rice or pasta.Usually have no leftovers.

  55. Tiffani says

    Oooohhh! I just made this but used onion for cream of onion soup and then I did a batch with celery! It tastes sssssoooooo good!

    Thanks again Laura!!!

  57. Kim says

    We have milk allergies in the house – can this be made with rice milk or coconut milk instead of regular milk?
    Thanks

  59. AmandaZ says

    I used this for our green bean casserole at Thanksgiving, and used almond milk. Everyone loved it!

  61. Stephanie B says

    I use a lot of old cookbooks (Fannie Farmer, Toll-house Cooking (reprint of the 1940’s edition), Joy of Cooking (reprint of the original) and these cookbooks have a wealth of recipes for non processed foods (minus soy etc). My son is also allergic to all things soy and making my own broth/soups changed how I cook. I never buy processed soups anymore. Joy of Cooking has a lot of great references to storage time, equivalents, information about foods in general as well as a ton of great recipes. I make my soups with chicken broth (homemade) and cream, I’m curious to try it with just milk. And so interchangeable with other styles…use chicken, asparagus, celery, broccoli, cauliflower…to the base (with the butter for a smidge) and it totally changes the flavor. Great website! I love truly homemade foods! So much healthier for us.

  63. Suzanna says

    I found them at the grocery store with the canning supplies. There are usually 4-5 containers in a pack for around $3.

  66. Vonn says

    Just found your site. Sweeeet!

    Ancient homeschool mom here and now all the grand kidlets are hometutored!

    Q: Does anyone know how to make that ‘beans w/ bacon soup’ from campbells ?
    Hubby loves the stuff.

    Thank you so very much. Vonn

  70. Janet stern says

    This is the BEST cream of mushroom soup I’ve ever had. I did thicken it with a bit more flour than the recipe called for as I like a thicker cream of mushroom soup, but other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing. Definitely making this again and again.

  71. Sarah says

    Funny Story: I had some broccoli and chicken, and no parmesan cheese for alfredo sauce (bummer), but I thought I’d do a Cream of Broccoli instead. So I get all my ingredients together and saute/steam the broccoli, pour my milk mixture into the pan, and immediately it starts frothing. I think to myself, “Boy, that’s weird. Cornstarch has never done that before. Maybe the broccoli is making it do that.” Pretty soon it’s frothing so much that it’s bubbling over the sides so I transfer it to a stockpot. This tones it down a bit, but starts frothing a bit when it heats up. No big deal, I add the remaining milk, s & P, and stir until thickened. I stir and stir and stir, but it’s not thickening like I think it should. “Hmmmmm, ok, well let’s just add the chicken b/c maybe I haven’t given it enough time”. Add the chicken, stir for awhile, turn off the heat, and…it’s still really liquidy(sp?). “Why isn’t the sauce thickening up? I thought I added enough cornstarch….” GASP! I didn’t add cornstarch!! I added baking powder!!! Agh (while slapping my forehand with my palm). I guess I use baking powder so much that I automatically grabbed it without thinking. It took me over 5 minutes to realize my mistake. Talk about absentmindedness! And I’m not even pregnant! LOL
    I was able to salvage the recipe by straining the mixture and adding the CORRECT ingredients, but my husband and kids laughed and laughed when I told them what happened. :) It was a good sauce though!

  72. Amanda says

    just a helpful hint…for regular mouth jars, I save the lids off of my salad dressing containers (check with some water to make sure they won’t leak)! It’s much cheaper than buying them, plus, less to throw away…obviously, this won’t make a shred of difference if you don’t buy salad dressing/mayo!! :)

  73. lisathompson18 says

    I loved making this and just got done and I think it was great with the pinch I am in and use all of it tonight, but my only thing is…the mushroom taste is not really there! My dad tasted this and was like cream cream…of somthing…

  74. Peachiekiki says

    Great recipe! Can also be promoted as Gluten Free as long as the corn starch is processed in a plant that does not process wheat.

  75. Hallie says

    I was wondering, if you make bulk of this. How long can you freeze this for without it going bad?

  77. Meron says

    Thanks for this recipe! It’s the only one I can find that is vegetarian friendly. No beef or chicken stock! I’m excited to try it.

  78. Tammy says

    Was wondering if anyone has tried to pressure can this recipe? At, say, 75 minutes and 10 lbs for pints, 95 minutes and 10 lbs for quarts? I’m thinking about trying it, maybe with one or two pints to see how it goes.

  79. Sarah C. says

    Does this make “condensed” soup? I use cream of something soups in many recipes, but I never dilute them first.

  80. Laura says

    Mmm, good question. It’s been a long time since I’ve used canned soup. I’d say this is thinner than what would come out of a can, but should work the same in most recipes.

  81. Joyce says

    If you try this, would you let us know how it works out? I haven’t had very good luck trying to can milk or cream-based things in the past, and I would be interested to know if you have any success.

    Thanks!

  83. Joyce says

    I love her blog! I’m surprised I haven’t seen that before. Note — she doesn’t add the milk when pressure canning, but when she opens the jar. That makes total sense.

    Thanks for the link!

  86. Bama Girl says

    Hi Laura, I found this recipe from Stacy Makes Cents. I made it without the mushrooms and put it in the crockpot with the cubed venison. I think it will work just fine! Thanks for sharing! Blessings from Bama!

  87. Brenda says

    Better late than never: a good synonym for “creamy” might be “velvety” or possibly “luscious”!!

  88. Jessica says

    Hi, Laura! I made this recipe yesterday and tossed it in the crockpot with 3 T. of your onion soup mix and a frozen roast. It cooked on low for 8 hours and it was delicious! The cream soup turned into a wonderful gravy for the roast. Thanks for your recipes!

  91. Laura says

    I believe that would work in this recipe, but I prefer the health qualities of actual milk and typically avoid powdered milk. :)

  92. Kari C says

    Don’t like mushrooms but I poked around on other sites and it looks like you could dice celery instead of mushrooms or use a little chicken broth instead of all milk perhaps. I put in a teaspoon-ish of seasoning (a mix from Trader Joe’s called 21 season salute). It was delish with porkchops in the crockpot on high for 4 hours (which Lori told me about doing). Used 2/3 of what I made and put the other 1/3 in the freezer.

  95. linda st. laurent says

    If you freeze this, do you have to let it cool completely? I have never froze anything with milk.

    Thank you for your time.

  97. Kerry says

    Why did my soup turn out sticky, like gak? I used arrowroot…it was like one big blob. When I cooked it with meat, I added more milk and that seemed to help. Ideas???

  98. Laura says

    Oh shucks, sometimes arrowroot powder causes that. Glad adding extra milk seemed to help!

  99. Angela says

    I am lactose and gluten free :( Do you think this would work with lactose free milk? Have you heard of anyone trying it?

  102. Nancy Bengtson says

    Think i could do half the milk for “condensed” and to save on freezer space?

  105. Abbey says

    First, thank you Laura, for the time you put into this blog–I love your stuff!!

    Second, I had started freezer cooking several months ago (inspired by you!) and wanted to make a giant batch of homemade cream of mushroom soup to add to our spoils. I have heard bad things about freezing cream soups, though–is there a trick to it? I have made broccoli-cauliflower cheese soup and frozen it, but it doesn’t have much cream in it, proportionally. The texture of it when it comes out of the freezer isn’t the same as freshly-made, but it tastes just as yummy. Any hints or thoughts??

  107. Sharon says

    When we were kids mom browned hamburger patties and then put them in the crock pot with mushroom soup and let them be for several hours.(or in the oven). She also used flank steak when it was cheap in those days. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice or noodles. We had it with broccoli, mashed potatoes and scratch biscuits last Saturday.

  108. Kathy says

    Just used this for our Thanksgiving Broccoli Cheese Dish I usually serve but have given up on due to the cream of mushroom soup issue. It turned out AMAZING! Thank you!

  109. Abbey Lehman says

    Update: My version of your recipe freezes and thaws beautifully!! Also, cutting half the liquids and freezing it “condensed” style works perfectly, too. It actually helps thaw it more evenly when you add the other half of the liquids during thawing. I used my homemade soup in our green bean casserole for T-day (we ate early due to DH’s work schedule) and it was a HUGE hit! Thanks, Laura! :)

  111. Desi says

    I am making this as we speak because I had a “Cream of Soup” emergency! Only I didn’t have mushrooms, so I used onions… I like onions better anyway. :-) Thanks so much for posting this!

  112. Mommy B says

    Just for fun, my Thesaurus lists “milky, oily, rich, smooth, thick, velvety” as alternates for creamy!

  113. Audrey says

    Thanks, Laura! With this easy recipe (easier than others I have tried), and all the great tips from the other comments, I can now make a GF version of an old family recipe without skimping on the flavor of the condensed CoM and CoC soups that went into the topping. It totally changes the flavor when they are omitted. I can’t wait to try this and taste the memories! Thanks again, so much. Blessings!

  114. Gail says

    Made the soup today for a crockpot roast tomorrow.

    How long will it keep in the fridge? This close to Thanksgiving, I want to use it for my green bean casserole!

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