When I think of Cream of Something Soups, I immediately envision iconic 1950s ads of creamy casseroles made by happy, smiling home cooks in aprons and pearls. My second thought then quickly turns to: what are those cream of...something or other...soups really made of?!
The answer:
WATER, MUSHROOMS, VEGETABLE OIL (CORN, COTTONSEED, CANOLA, AND/OR SOYBEAN), MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, WHEAT FLOUR, SALT, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, DEHYDRATED CREAM (CREAM [MILK], SOY LECITHIN), YEAST EXTRACT, FLAVORING, DEHYDRATED GARLIC.
This is the why I have avoided any recipe that includes "cream of" in the ingredient list for years. However, I have now discovered that you can easily make your own Cream of Something Soup at home with just 7 ingredients- all of which you can recognize and pronounce!
To make Cream of Mushroom Soup, follow this simple recipe:
The beauty of making homemade cream of something soups is you can control the ingredients. Once you get a hang of the base recipe, you can make Cream of Just About Anything Soup by swapping out ½ cup of whatever main ingredient you need: cooked chicken, mushrooms, celery, asparagus, etc.
Can’t consume gluten? No worries, simply substitute cornstarch for flour. Use this table as a guide for modifying the original soup base to meet your dietary needs.
No "Cream Of" Green Bean Casserole
Makes 6 Servings
Try this fresh twist on the classic green bean casserole at your next family gathering using your own cream of mushroom soup and homemade french “fried” onion topping.
Ingredients
3 cans (14.5oz each) green beans, no added salt, drained*
1 batch of homemade "cream of" mushroom soup (see recipe above)
French "Fried" Topping:
1 ½ onions, thinly sliced into rings
¼ cup flour
2 Tbsp panko bread crumbs
Salt, to taste
Directions
- For the topping, preheat oven to 475°F. Combine onions, flour, panko and salt in a large mixing bowl. Toss to combine.
- Cover a sheet pan with foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Evenly spread onions on the pan in a single layer. Place pan in oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Toss onions 2-3 times during cooking. Remove from oven when done and set aside.
- Turn oven down to 350°F. Combine "cream of" mushroom soup, green beans, and half of the cooked onions.
- Pour into a casserole or glass baking dish.
- Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. Top with remaining half of onions the last 5 minutes.
*If you choose to use fresh green beans, first blanch them for 5 minutes in boiling water.
Nutrition Information per Serving: Calories: 160, Total Fat: 8gm, Saturated Fat: 5gm, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 300mg, Carbs: 18gm, Fiber: 4gm, Protein: 5gm
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