After realizing my family can’t rotate 40 cans of cream of chicken soup fast enough to keep them from expiring, I was determined to find a way to make a replacement from scratch. At about the same time I discovered bean flour and the miraculous way it can substitute for butter and oils. This recipe is the marriage of those two ideas! The canned stuff is creamier in its condensed form, but as I’ve used this substitution in our recipes, we haven’t noticed the difference. In fact, Spicy Girl poured today’s batch (I was trying to get you a good photo!) all over her pasta at dinner and pronounced it delicious! Which gives me an idea for a casserole…
Speaking of the picture…cream of chicken soup isn’t exactly a glamorous specimen of culinary delight. Open at your own risk!
Yikes! Like I said, there's nothing attractive about this cream of chicken soup -- well except the nutrition and the price! Looks aren't everything, eh?!
Yield: About 2 cans of cream of chicken soup
- 3 tablespoons bean flour (I use navy beans and grind them in my Nutrimill)*
- 2/3 cup flour — (I used wheat)
- 1 tablespoon dry milk powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 2-4 teaspoons chicken bouillon, depending on how much chicken/salt flavoring you like
- Put bean flour, wheat flour, milk powder, onion powder and water in a large saucepan.
- I do this over high heat because I’m always anxious to have it ready, but you may want to use a medium setting.
- Whisk until smooth and bring to a boil.
- Boil and stir 1-2 minutes. Add bouillon to taste.
- If you need a can of cream of chicken soup in your recipe, you have now arrived!
- If you want reconstituted soup, add 2 more cups of liquid. I usually go for water. Milk is fine, too.
- After adding additional liquid, re-taste because you may now want the extra teaspoons of chicken bouillon!
- If you’re planning to eat it as soup, I’d recommend adding a can of chicken so you have some chunks.
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Wonderful! Thank you thank you!
I had to laugh at your price comment because I cringe at the price on Cream of Chicken soup unless it is the case lot sale and even then I am buying Western Family! I guess that is a lesson in perspective! —for all of us! It helps me see there is light at the end of the student life tunnel and someday cream of chicken soup won’t be a rationed pantry item. (and this made it come all the earlier!)
I still cringe…well, I did before I figured out how to make this! There are lessons from the student life that (if you’re lucky) will stick with you forever!
Hey – this looks like a great recipe for me because we go through the stuff like CRAZY I tell you!!! One problem — I have no idea what bean flour is or where to find it…??? Thanks!
Hey Lynne!
I just updated it, so it now explains the bean flour…basically, I’ve just been dumping navy beans in my wheat grinder and making them into bean flour. I keep it in a quart jar and have it ready whenever I need it! I If you want more detailed info, click on Tips and Tidbits and read the section about beans.
Sorry about that…I think I put the info on all of the recipes last week EXCEPT that one.
Mellyn