Everybody loves a potluck. Midwestern churches are famous for them, offering dishes like green bean casserole, chinese noodle and hamburger hotdish, cheesy hashbrown bake, and green jello. 😋
Introduced in 1934, Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup takes center stage in dozens of potluck recipes, and in even more quick, easy family specialties. Even though it is a staple, as people try to eat more healthy, the ingredients list sends up almost as many red flags as the nutrition facts.
INGREDIENTS: SKIM MILK, MUSHROOMS, CREAM, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN OIL AND/OR CANOLA), BLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, WHEAT STARCH, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF: SALT, SUGAR, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, FLAVORING, HYDROLYZED YEAST PROTEIN, DISTILLED VINEGAR, DEHYDRATED SOY SAUCE (SOY SAUCE [SOYBEANS, SALT, WHEAT], MALTODEXTRIN, SALT), DISODIUM GUANYLATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE, YEAST EXTRACT, HYDROLYZED WHEAT GLUTEN, SPICE, DEXTROSE.
Since I avoid gluten, this isn’t going to be in my diet. But I have to give kudos to the Campbell company for the first 3 ingredients. (Look at the label for their Cream of Chicken soup, and you will understand why I’m impressed that milk, mushrooms and cream are in the top 3.)
What makes me most nervous is the nutrition information: only 1/2 cup of the soup serves up a whopping 810 mg of sodium. The American Heart Association recommends less than 1,500 mg per day for “normal” people (not people who sweat a lot, like professional athletes and firefighters). That means one serving of green bean casserole at the potluck gives you more than half the recommended intake of sodium!
It is not my intention to slam the Campbell’s company, but it is the processed food industry that contributes most to obesity issues, and many health problems. The thing is, there is an easy and healthy alternative — and it tastes better!
I like to buy mushrooms when they are on sale, or whenever I get to Trader Joe’s. Sliced portobello mushrooms are sold in 10 ounce packages, while shiitakes are sold in 4 ounce packages. Get 2 of each, and you’ll make a nice, large batch of cream of mushroom soup to use.
We like mushroom chunks, so I just cut the slices a little more with the pizza cutter. Is it any quicker than using a knife? Probably not. But I don’t really care. It’s one of those rare things that I do just because it’s more fun.
Grating the onion and garlic causes them to add lots of flavour without the risk of crunching on a chunk. But since we like onion, I take the pieces that don’t grate well and chop them.
Sauté the onions, garlic, and mushrooms in olive oil and butter until tender. Then add 4 cups of liquid (I use a combination beef broth, white wine, and water). After simmering for a few minutes, thicken with cornstarch.
At this point, I freeze most of the soup in 10-12 ounce amounts. You could add the cream and then freeze, but the consistency seems to change. When you’re ready to use soup – for a potluck, or not – thaw the soup base, and add cream.
Which cream of mushroom soup would YOU prefer? The gelatinous glop of grey goo? Or the rich, healthy, tasty blend of homemade goodness? Just saying!
Cream of Mushroom Soup (Gluten Free)
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 3 "cans" 1x
Description
A tasty staple to have on hand for every potluck dish, or on its own
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 24–30 ounces of mixed mushrooms, chopped
- 1 onion, grated
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- fresh nutmeg
- 4 cups liquid (at least 2 cups broth, and the rest wine and water)
- 4–6 Tbsp cornstarch
- cream – for every 12 ounces, add 1/2 to 1 cup cream (or milk substitute), depending on how rich or thick you want it
Instructions
- In a large pan, heat olive oil and butter. Sauté mushrooms with onion and garlic until tender.
- Add salt and pepper. Grate in some fresh nutmeg. Add liquid, allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir corn starch into a small amount of water. Add to soup and simmer until thickened.
- This is the time to freeze soup in can-sized portions *
- When ready to use, add cream
Notes
* purchased cans of cream of mushroom soup are about 10 ounces, so 1 1/2 cups in a zip freezer bag is the perfect amount to swap out
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
Thnx!