Amazing 1 cream of chicken soup upgrade

Okay, let’s talk about shortcuts we can actually feel good about. For so long, my pantry was full of those condensed cans—you know the ones. Casseroles just weren’t the same without that specific, familiar flavor, but that high sodium count always made me wince! I promised myself I was done settling for processed convenience. That’s why I developed this recipe for homemade cream of chicken soup. Trust me when I say this: once you taste the velvety texture and pure flavor of this from scratch version, you will never go back to the can again. It completely changed my weeknight cooking routine, and I’m genuinely excited for you to see how easy it is to achieve this level of comfort food quality! You can find the full, printer-friendly version of this recipe right here: my favorite scratch soup guide.

Why This Homemade cream of chicken soup Recipe Beats the Can

I know what you’re thinking: “Alex, I love cream of chicken soup, but I barely have time to chop an onion, let alone make a roux!” I totally get it. Convenience is king sometimes. But honestly, making this creamy chicken soup recipe completely changes the game for all those casseroles and comfort food dishes you love.

When you make this yourself, you gain total control, and that’s a huge win for your kitchen confidence. We’re leaning into that wonderful whole-food feeling here, swapping out the mystery ingredients for things you trust. You can see exactly what goes into making that amazing base. Check out my guide on best practices for handling those soup swaps if you need more advice!

• You control the salt, which is huge—no more worrying about sodium bombs in your casserole!
• The texture is honestly unmatched; it becomes this rich and velvety coating instead of that slightly gelatinous canned stuff.
• Using fresh garlic, real butter, and actual shredded chicken just tastes brighter and cleaner.

Quick Prep for Your cream of chicken soup

The best part? Even though this is entirely from scratch, we’re looking at about 30 minutes total time. Seriously! That means you can whip up this easy cream of chicken soup from scratch on a Tuesday night and still have time for the kids’ homework. It’s fast enough for emergency weeknight dinners, but gourmet enough that nobody realizes how little effort it took. Wow!

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Gathering Ingredients for Your Velvety cream of chicken soup

Alright, let’s get our mise en place set up. This list is short, sweet, and relies on real things you probably already have floating around. This simple ingredient list is what makes it such an incredible canned soup substitute. We’re talking about the good fats and fresh flavor here!

For about four generous servings, you’ll need:

• Two tablespoons of good quality, unsalted butter—don’t skimp here!
• A quarter cup of all-purpose flour to build our lovely roux.
• One small yellow onion, and you want this finely chopped so it melts right into the base.
• One cup of chicken broth; I always recommend low-sodium so we can control the salt later.
• A cup of whole milk, or if you’re feeling fancy, use half-and-half for extra richness!
• One cup of cooked, shredded chicken breast—rotisserie chicken works like a charm here for speed, giving you a great weeknight creamy chicken dinner in no time.
• A half teaspoon of salt, a quarter teaspoon of pepper, and just a tiny pinch of dried thyme for that classic flavor.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

I get asked a lot about the chicken, and honestly, using leftover rotisserie chicken is my absolute biggest hack for saving time. It’s already seasoned and cooked, so it melts right in! If you want to lean into that luxurious texture we talked about, go ahead and swap out some of that whole milk for heavy cream. It dials up the gourmet factor instantly, making it instantly feel like a rich and creamy soup idea rather than a quick fix.

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Step-by-Step Instructions for Easy cream of chicken soup from Scratch

Okay, here’s where the magic happens! Making this soup from scratch is actually way simpler than complicated recipes that take hours. We’re building layers of flavor, starting with a classic roux—that’s just butter and flour cooked together. Get your medium saucepan warm over medium heat. Toss in the butter, let it melt, and then add your finely chopped onion. You want those onions to get soft and sweet, which takes about five minutes. Don’t let them brown, we are going for pale gold here!

Next comes the flour. Whisk it in quickly to make that paste we call a roux. You have to cook this for one full minute, stirring constantly; this takes out that raw flour taste. Then, go slow when adding your broth, whisking until it’s totally smooth. After that, the milk goes in, still whisking. Once the base is looking thick—it should coat the back of a spoon nicely—toss in your cooked chicken and seasonings. Let it all simmer gently for five minutes. Seriously, that’s almost it! This is the secret to a fast and satisfying weeknight creamy chicken dinner.

Achieving the Perfect Creamy Texture in Your cream of chicken soup

Step eight is where you get to customize! If you like a traditional look with pieces of chicken and onion floating around, you can skip this step entirely. But if you truly want that luxuriously thick, smooth texture—the kind that feels like velvet in your mouth—you need to blend part of it. I highly recommend using an immersion blender directly in the pot. Just plunge it in and pulse a few times until about half the soup is smooth, leaving some texture behind. If you don’t have one, be super careful: let the soup cool down a bit first, then transfer just half to a standard blender, blend until smooth, and pour it back in. Safety first!

Tips for the Best Rich and Creamy soup Ideas

Making a great soup is one thing; making a memorable, soul-satisfying one that tastes like it simmered all afternoon? That takes a couple of little tricks. Since we are putting in the effort to make our own cream of chicken soup, let’s make sure it shines! This is where we cement that feeling of luxury and warmth, making it the perfect addition to your favorite comfort food rotation.

First up: the onions. I mentioned not browning them during the first step, but here’s the deeper secret. If you have an extra five minutes—maybe you’re having a slow Sunday kitchen day—sauté those onions on very low heat until they are almost translucent and smelling super sweet, maybe 8 to 10 minutes total. They dissolve into the base much better, adding this incredible, subtle sweetness that you just can’t get from a quick five-minute sweat.

Next, let’s talk seasoning. Taste everything! Don’t just rely on the salt and pepper measurements I gave you. Once you simmer the chicken in the base for those five minutes—that’s when you taste it. Does it need a little more brightness? Maybe squeeze a tiny bit of lemon juice in there, even though it’s not in the main recipe. It wakes up the creaminess without adding any more dairy! If you think it tastes a little flat, a tiny extra pinch of salt always helps flavors pop.

And finally, if you are planning to use this as a base for something like chicken pot pie filling, I always recommend adding that dried thyme *earlier*—maybe right when you add the broth. Thyme needs a little time to bloom its flavor into the fat and liquid, and letting it simmer longer extracts that earthy, piney note that defines classic savory soups.

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Using Homemade cream of chicken soup as a Canned Soup Substitute

One of the main reasons I developed this recipe aside from satisfying that craving for something truly creamy was for those nights when a casserole just calls your name. Let’s be real, some dishes—like that classic tuna noodle bake—just aren’t the same without that condensed base. The good news? You can absolutely swap this homemade cream of chicken soup in for the canned stuff, but you have to know one tiny trick.

Because my version isn’t condensed, it’s already got the perfect soup consistency. If a recipe calls for one 10.5-ounce can of soup, use roughly one cup of *this* soup. However, if you notice your casserole mixture seems slightly too wet once you stir everything together, it’s easy to fix! Just make another quick, super-thin roux (a tablespoon of butter and flour whisked with a splash of water or broth) and stir that in, or simply cook it uncovered for an extra 10 minutes until it thickens up nicely. You’re basically upgrading every dish you put it in! Check out how I use this base in my favorite baked recipes over at my casserole guide.

Variations: Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Soup Ideas

This recipe is so neutral and flavorful that it serves as the most delicious starting point for so many other meals. If you want to turn this into a full, cozy meal in one pot—something that becomes a true creamy chicken and vegetable soup—you just need to toss in some extras at the end.

I love adding a big cup of frozen vegetables right after I’ve stirred in the shredded chicken and seasonings. Frozen peas, carrots, and especially sliced celery work beautifully. Since everything else is hot, the frozen veggies will cook through perfectly during that five-minute simmer time. It bulks up the meal instantly, making it heartier for a family dinner without needing another side dish. It’s an absolute game-changer for meal prep, too!

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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips for cream of chicken soup

One of the biggest benefits of making a big batch of this homemade cream of chicken soup? You can absolutely make it ahead! This isn’t just for tonight’s dinner; this is for stocking your freezer to fight those looming busy weeknights when a can just won’t do. Remember how I mentioned this recipe is fantastic for meal prep? Well, we need to store it correctly to keep that velvety texture.

First, and this is really important for any creamy soup, always let it cool down completely on the counter before you seal it up. Stuffing hot soup into a container messes with the condensation and can ruin the texture when reheating. Once it’s room temperature, you have two easy options.

For the fridge, use any standard airtight container. It stays wonderfully fresh for about four days. That’s perfect for lunch leftovers or whipping up a quick casserole early in the week. If you want to tuck some away for later, freezing is your friend! I usually portion mine out into single-serving or two-serving containers. This makes thawing super easy.

The notes mentioned it freezes well for up to three months, and I’ve tested that—it holds up beautifully! When you’re ready to use it, just thaw it slowly in the fridge overnight. When reheating on the stove, you might need to whisk in a tiny splash of milk or broth just to reintroduce that beautiful, silky consistency. It’s so worth being prepared! You can get more of my deep-dive tips on planning ahead in my guide to freezer friendly creamy chicken soup recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions About cream of chicken soup

I get so many messages about this recipe—and that’s wonderful! It means you’re ditching those cans, and I’m here for it. Most of the questions revolve around texture or how to transform this base into a full meal. I tried to keep things simple, but a few tweaks can make all the difference!

Can I make this a healthy cream of chicken soup?

Yes, you absolutely can tailor this to be a healthy cream of chicken soup! Remember, by making it from scratch, you’re already ahead of the game because you control the salt. To lower the fat content, swap out the whole milk or half-and-half for skim milk or even unsweetened almond milk, though it will be slightly thinner. If you decide to use skim milk, you might need to whisk in your flour just a tiny bit longer until it really thickens up nicely. For the sodium, just use a very low-sodium or homemade chicken broth, and go easy on the added salt until the very end when you taste it.

What is the best chicken to use for this recipe?

Oh, this is my favorite question because it lets me share my biggest time-saving secret. The absolute best chicken for this recipe is pre-cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken! It’s flavorful, tender, and means you can have this entire creamy chicken soup recipe done in under 30 minutes. If you have time, though, poaching a fresh chicken breast in water or broth until cooked through, letting it cool, and then shredding it yields a cleaner flavor. Either way, make sure it’s shredded into thin strands rather than chunky cubes—that helps it blend seamlessly into that velvety base.

How do I make this into Chicken Pot Pie Soup?

That’s a fantastic idea, and yes, this base is perfect for a Chicken pot pie soup recipe! To transform this into a hearty meal, you just need to add some bulk when you add the chicken in step six. Before simmering, toss in about half a cup of finely diced celery and half a cup of small diced potatoes (yellow potatoes work great because they hold their shape). You’ll also want to throw in a cup of frozen mixed veggies—peas and carrots are key here! Let it simmer those extra few minutes until the potatoes are tender, and you have a complete, warm, comforting meal in one pot!

Estimated Nutritional Snapshot for cream of chicken soup

I always want to be super clear about what we’re eating, right? Since this recipe uses whole milk and standard amounts of butter and flour, the numbers reflect that tasty, traditional approach. Please remember these are estimates based on the ingredients listed earlier—if you switch to skim milk or skip the butter when making your roux, your personal stats will be different!

• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 320
• Fat: 18g
• Protein: 25g
• Carbohydrates: 12g

Look at that protein content! That’s why this homemade version feels so much more satisfying than anything you can get out of a can. It’s real food fueling your day!

Share Your Homemade cream of chicken soup Creations

That’s it! You have officially upgraded your pantry forever by making this cream of chicken soup from scratch. I want to hear all about it! Seriously, cooking should always be a two-way street, and knowing that this recipe brought some joy and ease into your kitchen means the world to me.

When you finish your batch, please do me a huge favor: click over to the recipe card and leave me a star rating. Even a quick review helps other home cooks who are nervous about ditching the can know that this is the real deal. I love seeing how you use it, whether you baked it into a glorious casserole or just enjoyed a quiet, creamy bowl on a chilly evening.

If you snapped a picture of your beautiful, velvety soup, tag me on social media! I always look through and share my favorites on the Pure Cooking Joy page. You can connect with our community right here on Facebook: Find us on Facebook. Let’s keep sharing the joy of actually cooking real food! And if you’re hungry for more ideas just like this one, pop over to my main blog page for new inspiration every week!

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup: A Better Alternative to Canned Soup

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Ditch the can and make this rich, velvety homemade cream of chicken soup from scratch. It is easy to prepare and perfect for weeknight dinners or as a base for your favorite casseroles.

• Author: purejoyalex
• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 20 min
• Total Time: 30 min
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Soup
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup chicken broth (low sodium preferred)
• 1 cup whole milk or half-and-half
• 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken breast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch of dried thyme

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Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Do not brown the onion.
3. Whisk in the flour to create a roux. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
4. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth until the mixture is smooth and starts to thicken.
5. Slowly pour in the milk or half-and-half, continuing to whisk until the soup base is smooth and coats the back of a spoon. Bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Stir in the shredded cooked chicken, salt, pepper, and thyme.
7. Reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
8. If you prefer a smoother texture, you can carefully blend half of the soup using an immersion blender before serving.
9. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed before serving hot.

Notes

• You can use rotisserie chicken for quick preparation.
• For a richer flavor, substitute some of the milk with heavy cream.
• This soup freezes well for up to 3 months; cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
• Use this as a substitute for canned condensed soup in your favorite casserole recipes.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 320
• Sugar: 3
• Sodium: 450
• Fat: 18
• Saturated Fat: 10
• Unsaturated Fat: 8
• Trans Fat: 0.5
• Carbohydrates: 12
• Fiber: 1
• Protein: 25
• Cholesterol: 75