Learn to master the simple roux base to make homemade gluten free cream of chicken soup, and bring back all of those old favorite recipes your family loves. Potato and mushroom varieties, too!
Progresso and Pacific Foods make gluten free cream of condensed soups, but they're not always available, are expensive, and of course they're not as good as what you can make at home. With this homemade recipe, you can use exactly the herbs and spices you like.
Let me show you how to make your own homemade gluten free cream of mushroom, gluten free cream of potato and gluten free cream of chicken soup, and you decide if it's worth a few minutes of your time—at least some of the time!
What makes them condensed soups?
Cream of condensed soups are made with a roux, which is just a mixture of butter and flour used to thicken sauces. A condensed soup has less moisture, and concentrated flavors.
All of the ingredients are thickened and reduced (moisture removed by cooking). They are great starting points for all types of recipes, and can be thinned with milk or chicken or vegetable stock to make a hearty meal, quickly.
It's important that you use my basic gum-free gluten free flour blend, which is a very simple mixture of superfine white rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca flour (linked below). With a gum-containing gluten free flour blend, you will have one gummy mess on your hands—and in your pots and your utensils.
How to cook the chicken for cream of chicken soup
The cream of chicken soup calls for cooked cubed chicken. But you can make it without adding in the chicken at the end and it still tastes amazing.
You can also use shredded rotisserie chicken if you can find a safe, gluten free variety, and your family likes the flavor. The way I cook plain chicken breasts, they have a more neutral flavor that doesn't compete with the herbs and spices added to the soup.
My favorite method for cooking plain skinless boneless chicken breasts
Place the raw breasts in a lined or greased casserole dish. Drizzle them lightly with olive oil, sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cover completely with parchment paper placed directly on top of it, covering the chicken completely.
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place the dish in the hot oven and cook for about 20 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of each breast reads at least 165°F. Allow to rest outside the oven, still covered, for 10 minutes before dicing.
How the mushroom and potato varieties are different
Don't be intimidated by the list of ingredients, as it's mostly the same for each of the 3 varieties. I wanted you to have all of the recipes in one place, so I listed them together. But once you master the basic roux-based technique, you'll be able to bring back all of those old favorite recipes your family loves.
The simplest variety cream of soup is the cream of mushroom soup, as the mushrooms cook down very quickly in the beginning of the process right along with the shallots. Plus, they add really nice depth of flavor.
If you're thinking about making a classic gluten free green bean casserole, cream of mushroom is a must. The cream of potato soup is a bit extra creamy because of the diced potatoes that simmer in the soup as it reduces and thickens.
Ingredients and substitutions
Dairy
The only dairy in the main recipe for gluten free cream of chicken soup, plus the other varieties, is butter to saute the shallots, and evaporated milk to enrich the sauce. They're both pretty easily replaced if you have the right nondairy substitutes.
To replace the butter, I think you'd be successful using nearly any nondairy butter substitute, even Earth Balance buttery sticks. Since Earth Balance sticks have more moisture, you should allow the roux to cook lower and slower, so it doesn't burn but the moisture cooks off.
To replace the evaporated milk, Carnation makes a nondairy cooking milk in a small carton that is reduced down to a similar moisture content. If you use a “regular” nondairy milk, use something unsweetened and neutral-tasting, like almond milk.
If your milk isn't reduced-moisture, either reduce it separately in a saucepan, stirring constantly over medium-low heat, or add more milk and cook longer. Either way, you'll have to cook off that extra moisture or your soup will be too thin.
Some readers have reported successfully replacing the evaporated milk with a mixture of half canned coconut milk and half “regular” nondairy milk. I think “light” coconut milk in the can might work, too—but really you're just paying for thick coconut milk and water so I never buy the light kind.
Gluten Free Cream of Chicken Soup | Potato and Mushroom Varieties
Ingredients
Cream of Chicken Soup
1 tablespoon (14 g) extra-virgin olive oil
1 small shallot, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter
5 tablespoons (45 g) basic xanthan-gum free gluten free flour blend (30 grams superfine white rice flour + 10 grams potato starch + 5 grams tapioca starch/flour)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried poultry seasoning or herbs de Provence (See Recipe Notes)
1 1/2 cups (12 fluid ounces) chicken stock
1 can (12 fluid ounces) evaporated milk
1 cup diced cooked chicken
Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 tablespoon (14 g) extra-virgin olive oil
1 small shallot, peeled and minced
1 pound fresh button or baby portabella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thickly
3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter
5 tablespoons (45 g) basic xanthan-gum free gluten free flour blend (30 grams superfine white rice flour + 10 grams potato starch + 5 grams tapioca starch/flour)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups (12 fluid ounces) vegetable stock
1 can (12 fluid ounces) evaporated milk
Cream of Potato Soup
1 tablespoon (14 g) extra-virgin olive oil
1 small shallot, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter
5 tablespoons (45 g) basic xanthan-gum free gluten free flour blend (30 grams superfine white rice flour + 10 grams potato starch + 5 grams tapioca starch/flour)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder (optional)
1 1/2 cups (12 fluid ounces) chicken or vegetable stock
1 can (12 fluid ounces) evaporated milk
1/2 pound red-skin potatoes, peeled and diced
Notes
To make your own poultry seasoning, combine 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley + 1 teaspoon dried sage + 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme + 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram + 1/2 teaspoon rosemary.
To make your own herbs de Provence, combine 1 tablespoons dried thyme + 2 teaspoons dried marjoram + 2 teaspoons dried savory + 1 teaspoon dried rosemary + 2 teaspoons dried lavender (optional) + 1/2 teaspoon dried sage.
Instructions
For cream of chicken soup, in a medium-size saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, and cook until translucent (about 4 minutes). Transfer the shallots to a small bowl, and set aside. To the same medium-size saucepan, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the flour blend, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning, and stir to combine well. The mixture will clump at first, and then smooth. This is the roux that will thicken the soup. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has just begun to turn a very light brown color.
Add the stock to the roux very slowly, stirring constantly to break up any lumps that might form. Add the evaporated milk, and continue to stir until the mixture is smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about one-quarter (about 7 minutes). Remove the saucepan from the heat, and add the cooked chicken. Stir to combine.
For cream of mushroom soup, in a medium-size saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and mushrooms, and cook until the shallots are translucent and the mushrooms are fork tender (about 4 minutes). Transfer the mushrooms and shallots to a small bowl, and set it aside. To the same medium-size saucepan, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the flour blend, salt and pepper, and stir to combine well. The mixture will clump at first, and then smooth. This is the roux that will thicken the soup. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has just begun to turn a very light brown color.
Add the stock to the roux very slowly, stirring constantly to break up any lumps that might form. Add the evaporated milk, and continue to stir until the mixture is smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about one-quarter (about 7 minutes). Remove the saucepan from the heat, and add the mushrooms and shallots. Stir to combine.
For cream of potato soup, in a medium-size saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, and cook until translucent (about 4 minutes). Transfer the shallots to a small bowl, and set aside. To the same medium-size saucepan, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the flour blend, salt, pepper, and optional mustard powder, and stir to combine well. The mixture will clump at first, and then smooth. This is the roux that will thicken the soup. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has just begun to turn a very light brown color.
Add the stock to the roux very slowly, stirring constantly to break up any lumps that might form. Add the evaporated milk, and continue to stir until the mixture is smooth. Add the diced potatoes , stir to combine and bring the mixture to a simmer. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and the mixture is reduced by about one-quarter (about 10 minutes). Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Originally published on the blog in 2014. Video, most photos, and most text new. Recipes largely unchanged.
Lari G says
Nicole this soup is perfect. I prepared the cream of chicken (no chicken) and added shredded provolone to the sauce, poured it over a dish of sliced potatoes for scalloped potatoes. Delicious!
I am glad to hear you had good news on your health scare.
and one more thing – I am excited to be a member of your new membership club!
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Lari, oh my gosh that sounds so delicious I have to try that! Thank you so much for the kind words about my health. I’m very grateful that the biopsy turned out well (certainly a wakeup call!). And I’m so glad to have you in the membership!! I’m working out how to embed a live video right on the site, rather than having to resort to Facebook. I will definitely give advance notice, but stay tuned!!
Louise says
Thank you so much for the great recipes! I am so happy for you that your health results are ok! Take good care of yourself!
Nicole Hunn says
Aw, thank you, Louise!!
Jeannette Schieck says
Help please! I can bought both superfine sweet rice flour and plain rice flour. Can these be used interchangably? If not, can you please explain where one would use each of these types of rice flour.
Nicole Hunn says
No, they can’t, Jeannette. My flour blends only call for superfine (plain) white rice flour. Sweet white rice flour is actually rather useful on its own, since it’s made from short grain or so-called glutinous rice. In recipes like this, where flour is being used in a relatively small amount to thicken a liquid, you can sometimes use that flour in place of the blend called for here.
Sandy says
Thank you so much for this, Nicole! We are on a tight budget and those canned gf soups just are not a reasonable option. This recipe looks tastier and more healthful, too!
Nicole Hunn says
It’s so nice to have a homemade option, Sandy. I feel like, even if you do sometimes buy, you won’t accept something subpar when you know you can also make it yourself.
Jill says
Oops – Just re-read the recipe blurb and answered my own question.
Nicole Hunn says
?
Jill says
Does this make a ready-to-eat soup or does it need some water or milk added to make a bowl of soup? I have some recipes that call for a tin of condensed soup but no extra liquid is added. If it I need to use a more concentrated soup base, should I just add half of the milk and broth?
Kathy says
I have a recipe for GF cream of mushroom soup that includes two teaspoons of GF Worcestershire sauce. It gives it a nice pop of flavor.
Nicole Hunn says
I like that, too, Kathy! You can also add some tamari for that umami flavor, which mushrooms already have but it helps intensify.
Carole says
I’ll have to try mixing things up for cream of celery. Thanks for the inspiration and knowledge of how to do it.
Melissa says
Just to share, I used Organic Coconut Milk in place of regular milk for a dairy-free version & it worked out beautiful! Can sub 1/2 water & 1/2 coconut milk for thinner consistency. Great to have a DIY alternative!
Nicole Hunn says
Thanks so much for letting us all know, Melissa!
Marilyn Barnes says
So happy to have these. Didn’t like the canned stuff even when I could have it. May have to experiment with the dairy part too but this is a great place to start.
Kelly says
So, Better batter all purpose won’t work here?
Nicole Hunn says
Correct, Kelly. I discuss in the post that a gum-containing blend will not work for a successful roux.
Kristiana says
Oh! This is so simple and the one I had been using was not. I will be taking Donia’s advice and pre-making with all the ingredients ready to go. Thank you Nicole. I use both of your cookbooks frequently and give your blog to everyone I meet who is gluten something! I am celiac and and very much appreciate your knowledge
marie says
When using in a recipe do I substitute one can of condensed in recipe fore the same one can measurement of this fully prepared gf soup. Thanks and I love your Site. Meg
Nicole Hunn says
You’ll need to measure it by weight, Marie, to substitute in a recipe. So if a recipe calls for 14 ounces of cream of ____ soup, measure out 14 ounces (by weight) of this recipe.
Pam Moore Wildes says
Can you make these and then store them? Wondering if you can “can” them like you do vegetables. Would like to make ahead of time and then just be able to pull them out.
Donia Robinson says
Nicole will know for sure, but my guess is no because canning low-acid or low-sugar items requires some other trickery to keep the product from spoiling. Preservatives, factory canning (that can’t be done at home), magic, etc.
And I would normally vote for the freezer, but I do know roux-based sauces like to separate. I think it would be weepy and sad. :(
The reason I’m weighing in here is to offer encouragement to try one of three other methods:
1) Make it on a weekend and pull it out of the fridge to make the final dish on a weeknight. Maybe even make two batches of it over the weekend, two different types, and then use it in two different recipes throughout the week. Makes it look like the fam is eating two completely different dishes (they’ll never know how similar they are!!!)
2) Dive right in, even on a weeknight! I try to be as efficient with time as I can when I’m cooking, and I can promise you that cooking a roux-based sauce is pretty quick and easy. Promise. Nicole doesn’t lie, and I don’t either. Pinky promise. :) Plus, then it’s already hot for the final dish you’re making!
3) Make little roux kits for your pantry. Line up 5 cans of stock, 5 cans of evap milk, and a 5 little baggies or plastic containers with the dry ingredients, salt, and pepper in them. When it’s time to make condensed soup, you won’t even have to get out the kitchen scale! (I do this with bread recipes. I get out the scale and all the dry ingredients, then measure out into about 5 containers. When the day comes to make bread, I just have to measure out the wet ingredients. I love it! Seems much less daunting!)
May the roux be with you.
Lucy says
nanny webcam alert! I’m planning on making corn chowder, I have some corn on the cob that’s not desirable to eat on the cob. Perfect timing Nicole.
I’m enjoying the DIY Friday lessons :)
Nicole Hunn says
It’s in the teddy bear, Lucy, as always!