Cream of Anything Soup

If I've seen one recipe calling for a can of 'cream of crap' soup, I've seen a hundred.  And I've studiously avoided those recipes.

Until now.

There are plenty of reasons to avoid cans of 'cream of crap' soup in your regular cooking.  For me, the main reason is that I've never been a fan of anything that easily disguises a bunch of unknown ingredients.  I like to know exactly what I'm eating.  And of course, the actual ingredients in most cans of cream of _________ soup are, well, crap.  I looked up the ingredients online for Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup, and I couldn't identify at least half of the ingredients if my life depended on it.  Soy protein concentrate.  Modified food starch.  (Modified?  Modified how?)  A whole bunch of chemically sounding names that are probably intended as preservatives.  And that friends is the 'healthy' option.

Solution?

Make your own!

(and no, nothing about these pictures will be at all attractive or delicious looking - it's more about practicality..)

Recipe: (from onceamonthmom via Pinterest)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 an onion, diced
1/2 cup main ingredient, diced (chicken, mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus etc.)
1/4 cup butter or substitute
1/4 cup flour or substitute
1 cup milk or substitute (I used skim and it seemed to work fine)
3/4 cup broth

Saute garlic, onion, and main ingredient (for mine - chicken) and set aside.

Melt butter over medium heat.

Whisk in flour.  Cook for about 2 minutes.

Add milk and broth.

Stir in the sauteed garlic, onion, and main ingredient.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring regularly until reaches desired consistency (about 10-15 minutes).

Season with salt and pepper to taste and use as you would a can of condensed cream of whatever soup.

Can refrigerate up to four days OR freeze in a pint-sized freezer bag and thaw when needed.

Verdict:
First of all, this wasn't made as a meal or dish in itself, so I won't judge it for flavor, texture, etc on its own merits.  I used it in another recipe - post to come!

What I do love is how I know exactly what went into this 'can' of soup, and I can pronounce and identify all the ingredients!  And it was never in a can, so it's one less potential source of BPA I have to worry about.  Is it more work than popping a can of soup?  Of course.  Is the additional work worth it?  For me, yes.

And while my concerns are simply overall health and avoidance of the unknown factor using canned ingredients (when possible), this is also wonderfully adaptable for people with serious food concerns and/or allergies.  Unlike a can of soup, the recipe on the original website (above) includes a chart for modifications to make this recipe suit vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free diets.

And as far as the work is concerned, like most soups, sauces, and chilies, it is not that much more work to double, triple, or quadruple the recipe (I actually made a double bath this time around) then freeze and store individual 'cans' for nights when you need that kind of convenience.  Again, directions for doing so are on the original website.

This recipe, and the website where I found it, are both tools that I will be using as I try to cook as healthfully as possible the majority of the time.