An endless number of culinary favorites begin with cream of mushroom soup. But starting a recipe that calls for this staple and then realizing you are out can be annoying, to say the least. Put an end to your frustration by trying one of these 8 handy substitutes for cream of mushroom soup.
For most recipes, basic white sauce, either like this mix type or homemade, is one of the best possible substitutes you can use.
Of course, it all depends on the recipe and the exact taste you are trying to achieve. The rest of this article will cover all you need to know to help you find the best cream of mushroom substitute for your recipe.
1. Heavy Cream
Heavy cream can replace cream of mushroom soup in a recipe. However, this substitution will produce a shift in flavor. Put another way, it will allow you to taste the other ingredients in your recipe more strongly. Some people enjoy the simple taste produced by the heavy cream, but others miss the flavoring the cream of mushroom soup provides.
Use your best judgment based on the purpose of cream of mushroom in your recipe.
- If the main purpose is to enhance the flavor, you may want to try another option. Or, to compensate for this reduction in taste, you can introduce some spices and/or herbs.
- If it is mostly as a thickener, then heavy cream will work really well. Feel free to make a roux with it, if you require it to be a bit thicker.
Conversion: You will want to substitute 1 cup of heavy cream for every can of mushroom soup called for in the recipe.
Related The 5 Best Substitutes for Cream of Celery Soup.
2. Sour Cream
Sour cream can replace cream of mushroom soup in most recipes since it has a similar creamy consistency, albeit with an altered flavor pallet. Like heavy cream, sour cream allows the natural flavors of the recipe to stand out.
Once again, use your best judgment on whether this is a good substitution for your recipe.
Conversion: Every can of cream of mushroom soup in a recipe needs to be replaced by 1 cup of sour cream
3. Cream Cheese & Milk
Combining milk and cream cheese produces an effective substitute for cream of mushroom soup by providing a similar creamy texture. To make this recipe taste more like traditional cream of mushroom soup, you could add a cup of sliced mushroom, a cup of milk, and 2 tablespoons of butter. Then, season to taste.
Conversion: Every can of soup needs to be replaced with 1 cup of milk and 4 ounces of cream cheese. This recipe lacks a mushroom flavor but does help the ingredients in your dish stick together.
4. Cream of Chicken Soup
Many people often choose to substitute cream of chicken soup for cream of mushroom because of a mushroom dislike. The cool thing is that almost any creamed can soups can be used interchangeably in recipes. Of course, there will be a slight difference in taste, so just use which kind you like the best.
Cream of chicken soup really shines in casseroles. The only time where another substitute will be necessary is if the dish you are using the substitute in is beef, where cream of chicken soup’s flavoring might clash.
Conversion: Substitute cream of chicken soup on a 1:1 basis.
5. Basic White Sauce
You can substitute cream of mushroom soup with a homemade basic white sauce. It’s just like making a roux. All you need is milk, butter, and flour to create this elementary substitute.
How to make basic white sauce:
- Simply melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan.
- Add 2 tablespoons of flour.
- Stir with a whisk and continually mix butter and flour together until it just starts to brown a little.
- Slowly pour in a cup of milk. The sauce will slowly thicken as you continue to whisk it. Feel free to increase or decrease the amount of milk to create a thinner or thicker sauce.
Just keep in mind that this white sauce is bland and basic. Add other ingredients to increase the flavor. Salt, pepper, beef bouillon, and mushrooms are perfect to improve the taste of this sauce and can even mimic the flavor of cream of mushroom.
Conversion: The recipe above will make just over a cup of white sauce. Feel free to increase or decrease the ingredients, as necessary, to match your recipe requirements. Anything near a 1:1 basis with cream of mushroom soup should work well.
Cool Tip: I often make this white sauce simply seasoned with salt and pepper and use it as a gravy for putting over mashed potatoes, rice, or any type of meat or poultry.
6. Almond Milk (Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup)
Finding a substitute for cream of mushroom soup or any dairy product can be difficult. Almond milk is an amazing product that is vegan-friendly, dairy-free, and gluten-free. It is also much healthier than canned cream of mushroom soup.
How to Make Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup With Almond Milk
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1/2 cup of chickpea flour or your favorite vegan flour substitute
Directions:
- Add your olive oil into your saucepan and warm for a bit over medium heat
- Saute 3 cups of mushrooms and 2.5 tablespoons of chopped green onions.
- Add in your chickpea flour to thicken the sauce and whisk continuously.
- Slowly add in the unsweetened almond milk and whisk until thickened.
- Cook the mixture for about 15 minutes on low heat. The longer the vegan soup cooks the more it will thicken.
That’s it! Your vegan cream of mushroom soup is ready to be used as a replacement in your recipe.
Cool Tips: You could also add a couple of garlic cloves or salt and pepper to improve the taste of the sauce. Also, cooking the soup slightly longer than 15 minutes will take the soup to a consistency perfect for a green bean casserole.
Related Does Almond Milk Help With Spicy Food? (With 18 Other Cures).
7. Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup
If you do not have a can of prepared cream of mushroom soup sitting in your pantry, you can make your own fairly easily. You can even leave the mushrooms out if you don’t happen to have any on hand.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of cream (milk or half and half work too)
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 can of chicken broth (14.5 oz)
- 1/2 cup of mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons of flour
Directions:
- In a saucepan, under medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and saute a cup of thinly chopped mushrooms.
- Add 6 tablespoons of flour, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, and 1 can of chicken broth. Whisk together until there are no lumps.
- Continue stirring for a few minutes after you bring the soup to a boil. This will give the soup a chance to thicken.
- Reduce the heat and add in 3/4 cup of cream. Let soup sit at low heat while stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.
For additional flavor, you could add garlic or onion.
It is straightforward to make this soup, and it can be eaten alone or folded into another recipe on a 1:1 basis. Enjoy!
8. Golden Mushroom Soup (Dairy-Free Option)
Golden mushroom soup can be substituted for cream of mushroom soup. These products are both types of mushroom soups and only differ in texture, coloring, and taste.
- Cream of mushroom soup has a thick consistency, and a light coloring, and is made with cream.
- In contrast, golden mushroom soup has a thinner consistency and darker coloring. It is not made with cream and uses tomato paste. It also has beef flavoring.
Note: Both canned soups contain some unhealthy ingredients, including modified cornstarch. So, if you are concerned about these ingredients, you may want to use a homemade soup option instead.
Conversion: The substitution ratio is 1:1. That is to say, every can of cream of mushroom soup called for in a recipe needs to be replaced with one can of golden mushroom soup.
Final Thoughts
After reading this, I bet you can guess that my favorite substitution is to make my own. I highly recommend the basic white sauce. It literally takes like 2 minutes to make and, once seasoned, is a yummy replacement.
By the way, a convenient option that many people don’t know about is to have soups delivered from Amazon. Here are the most popular brands of healthy cream of mushroom soup.
I hope this article has been helpful. Thanks for stoppin’ by!
Jelly Grandma
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Anne James has a wealth of experience in a wide array of interests and is an expert in quilting, cooking, gardening, camping, mixing drinks (worked as a professional bartender), and making jelly.
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