PrintHow do you replace canned soup in recipes?
I have a recipe (Curried Chicken) - a family favorite - that calls for an undiluted can of cream of mushroom soup. I don't want to abandon the dish (I like it too) but I don't want to cook with canned soup. Is there a suitable substitute that won't tack on lots of extra prep time?
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10 Comments:
If I were you I'd do some googling and search out to see if there is a comprable recipe out there without the crappy soup ingredient.
In my life there is always room for tuna noodle casserole - so while I am a huge food snob, I'll admit I have plenty of mushroom soup in my cupboards!
Lilartist at 10:27AM on 04/27/08
I've never tried replacing cream of mushroom soup in a recipe, but maybe you could try simmering canned mushrooms in a tight bechamel. Here's what I'm thinking: one small can of button mushrooms (mushrooms cut up and liquid reserved), 2 T butter, 2 T flour, 1 c milk. Saute the mushrooms in the butter, stir in flour to make a roux, stir in milk and simmer until thickened, add reserved liquid from mushrooms until you reach the desired constistency. That should take about 10 minutes +/-.
I'd love to know what you end up doing and how it works out for you. I love green bean casserole, but I can't stand the thought of making it anymore because of that darn cream of mushroom.
buffyholic at 10:29AM on 04/27/08
If I were you I'd do some googling and search out to see if there is a comprable recipe out there without the crappy soup ingredient.
This is the way to go for the quickest answer. You'll probably find an awesome recipe.
OTOH, you can always make some sort of "mock" mush soup by combining:
Duxelles of Mushroom (chop shrooms finely in the FP - use Cremini or something with flavor)
Olive Oil
S&P
Maybe chopped garlic (only a little)
Saute off the shroom duxelles in a pan with olive oil. When the shrooms render their water and it has been absorbed, add S&P. Let the shrooms render water again and then add chopped garlic. Saute a few minutes more. Add a can of evaporated milk.
Voila - Unwretched "cream of mushroom" soup.
chiff0nade at 10:41AM on 04/27/08
I had the same question about a month ago, and got a wide variety of responses:
http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2008/03/has-anyone-developed-an-alternative-for-cream.html
The other day I tried the bechamel version for a rice casserole. Sauteed some chopped mushrooms until they gave off almost all their liquid, then pushed them to the side and added 2 tbs. butter and 2 tbs. flour. Stirred that together until the flour smell cooked off, then poured in just shy of 2 cups milk (basically you want to equal the total volume of liquid in your recipe). Whisked it so be smooth, let it thicken up a little, and proceeded with the recipe.
Worked quite well (I had other issues with the recipe), but figured out that I should have started with some onions, at least, for the extra flavor. I ended up adding onion powder to the sauce as it simmered, which helped a lot.
You're also going to more salt than you'd otherwise use, because there's a lot of sodium packed into that can. Your scratch version will of course contain less, but you still have to put it in there.
renzata at 11:41AM on 04/27/08
Thanks for the comments so far. Help from the group is one of the best features of SE!
renzata - thanks for the heads up to your previously posted question. It looks like lots of us are struggling with how to replace those cans of soup.
chiffOnade, I like where you are heading, but then there is that can of milk. I am trying to cook without cans for the most part, especially after learning they are nearly all lined with that BPA plastic coating.
Same thing with your otherwise good idea, buffyholic, I would like to try to get the cans out of my kitchen!
And sure, Lilartist, I could search the internet for a similar recipe but I was hoping somebody on SE has already tried something out and can assure me I won't be wasting time/ingredients on something that won't work very well. (I don't like to think of myself as LAZY - just, "efficient"?)...
OK - no perfect alternative has shown up for canned soup. There are red cans and other healthier can alternatives but all still involving cans so far. Or 1500 extra calories.
I'm not a food snob either - I cook and eat what I like - what tastes good. Tuna casserole, green bean casserole, this Chicken Curry recipe - all big comfort food favorites. I would like to keep enjoying them without having to use cans, though. Maybe this will remain a "moderation" situation.
Any other ideas/suggestions out there?
texasdeb at 12:03PM on 04/27/08
Texasdeb, the bechamel I described involved zero cans. I used fresh mushrooms and regular milk from the fridge. The weakest part was the onion powder, but that's really not so bad (doesn't taste as good, but it's not bad) and easily remedied with some proper diced onion at the start.
renzata at 12:25PM on 04/27/08
A really thick béchamel seems most like the soup -- both in consistency and in flavor. You can punch it up with whatever flavors are in the soup you want to replace.
-- Mushroom already described
-- Use chicken stock instead of milk for a cream of chicken substitute.
-- Sauté some celery and add some celery seed or salt to make cream of celery.
-- Cooked asparagus puree for a cream of asparagus soup. You can use some of the cooking water for added flavor in the béchamel.
-- Add some grated cheddar and you've got a morney, use where a cheddar cheese soup is needed.
kjgibson at 12:37PM on 04/27/08
Yup, they have got it on the quick white sauce with fresh ingredients.
No cans needed! Those really do work quite well. A bit more time to make it than just dumping in a can (but so much better in a million ways!) I hate seeing those gross canned soup recipes...bleh.
You can even make more than you need and freeze the concoction once made up in good airtight containers and use as you want it. Just don't heat too high or fast or it will separate.
Simmering the mushrooms in a stock for a long time is a good way to add extra flavor and mimic the "canned" softness rather than sauteeing, though that is tasty too!
I even simmer my mushrooms in some stock til good and tender. Not too much liquid though. I add onions and seasonings too. Once cooked, I remove, cool and chop. To the cooking liquid I thicken with some milk and flour (make a roux) and add back the shrooms. A bit thinner than canned soup, but really tasty.
sadiepix at 4:08PM on 04/27/08
Thanks all for the suggestions. Looks like some sort of a bechamel using mushrooms - maybe some onion etc. to punch up the flavor a little. Yes some more trouble than opening a can, but worth it long run to know what is REALLY going into my recipes.
I will try this out in one of my few remaining "add a can of" recipes soon and blog on the results. Y'all be sure to check in there some time and say hello!
http://austinagrodolce.blogspot.com/
texasdeb at 7:56PM on 04/27/08
Ah! I see I missed the "pernt." I thought it was just the cream of gak soup you're trying to eliminate. I felt that the evap milk was an "ingredient" vs. a "supposed complete product" like the soup.
You can always use half and half instead of the evap milk but be sure to heat gently. :D
chiff0nade at 5:06PM on 04/29/08