Cream of chicken soup is a dish that many people love since they were children. It is often possible to find the condensed version in a box, to which water must be added to obtain a cream. This variant is also used to prepare stews and other recipes. However, canned soup can be full of sodium, preservatives, and other less-than-healthy ingredients. Luckily, you can make an exquisite cream at home whenever you feel like it, so you can control everything you use. At home you can also prepare the condensed version to have it at hand. The choice of the recipe that is right for you depends on the degree of complexity you are looking for. This article explains both how to prepare an elaborate soup and a simple one with only 5 ingredients.
Ingrediants
Ready-to-Eat Chicken Cream
- 115 g of butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 chopped celery stalks
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 75 g of flour
- 1, 5 l of chicken broth
- 3 sprigs of parsley
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 400 g of diced cooked chicken
- 120 ml of heavy cream
- 10 ml of dry sherry
- 18 g of kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 g chopped flat-leaf parsley
Doses for 4-6 servings
Cream of Condensed Chicken
- 360 ml of chicken broth
- 180 ml of milk
- 65 g of flour
- 3 g of salt
- 1 g of garlic powder
- ½ g of freshly ground black pepper
- ½ g of onion powder
- ½ g of dried thyme
- 30 g finely diced cooked chicken
Doses for 750 g
Simple Condensed Cream of Chicken
- 45 g of butter
- 25 g of refined flour
- 120 ml of chicken broth
- 120 ml of milk
- Salt and Pepper To Taste.
Doses for 300 g
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Prepare a Ready-to-Eat Chicken Cream
Step 1. Melt the butter
Put 115 g of butter in a large saucepan. Heat it over medium heat until it melts completely. This should take about 3 minutes.
Step 2. Cook the vegetables in butter until soft
Once the butter is melted, add 1 chopped medium onion, 2 chopped celery stalks and 3 peeled and chopped medium carrots. Cover the pot and let the vegetables dry. This should take about 12 minutes.
Stir the vegetables occasionally during cooking to make sure it is evenly done
Step 3. Stir in the flour and cook for another couple of minutes
Withered vegetables, pour 75 g of flour into the pot. Stir well with a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients and cook for another 2 minutes.
Step 4. Incorporate the broth and bring everything to a boil
Pour 1.5 liters of chicken stock into the pot and bring it to a boil while stirring constantly. It should take 5 to 7 minutes for it to start boiling.
You can use homemade or bought broth. In the latter case, opt for a low sodium product
Step 5. Tie the herbs together with kitchen string and place them in the pot
You will need 3 sprigs of parsley, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme and a bay leaf to add flavor to the soup. Make a bundle of herbs and pin them tightly with kitchen twine before placing them in the pot.
Step 6. Simmer for 15 minutes
After adding the herbs, reduce the heat to medium-low. Put the lid on the pot and let it simmer, stirring occasionally.
Step 7. Add the chicken and bring to a boil again
After letting it simmer, add 400 g of diced cooked chicken. Adjust the stove to medium-high heat again and bring the soup back to a boil. This should take about 5 minutes.
If desired, the chicken can be cut into strips
Step 8. Remove the pot from the heat to incorporate the cream, sherry, salt and pepper
Once the soup has come to a boil, remove the saucepan from the stove. Add 120ml heavy cream, 10ml dry sherry, 18g kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Stir with a wooden spoon to make sure you mix all the ingredients well.
Step 9. Remove the bundle of herbs and pour the soup into the bowls using a ladle
Scoop the bundle of parsley, thyme, and bay leaf out of the soup with a spoon and discard. Serve the soup in 4-6 bowls with a ladle.
Step 10. Garnish with parsley and serve
Garnish the soup with 3 g of chopped parsley and serve while hot.
Method 2 of 3: Make a Condensed Chicken Soup
Step 1. Bring the chicken stock to a boil
Pour 1 cup (360 ml) of chicken stock into a large saucepan. Adjust the stove over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. This should take about 5 minutes.
You can use homemade or bought-in chicken broth
Step 2. Beat the milk and flour
Pour 180ml of milk and 65g of flour into a medium bowl. Beat the ingredients with a whisk until the flour dissolves.
Step 3. Pour the flour and milk mixture over the broth
While the broth is boiling, pour the flour and milk mixture into the pot. Beat well to make sure you incorporate it completely.
Step 4. Incorporate the herbs and spices
Add 3 g of salt, 1 g of garlic powder, ½ g of freshly ground black pepper, ½ g of onion powder and ½ g of dried thyme. Stir well to make sure you incorporate them evenly.
Step 5. Lower the heat and let it simmer
Season the soup, reduce the heat to a moderate temperature. Simmer the soup again. This should take approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
The cream will have started to simmer once bubbles have formed on the surface
Step 6. Let the soup boil until it thickens
Once it starts to simmer, let it cook until it thickens. It should take about 3 minutes to reach this consistency.
Step 7. Add the chicken and remove the pot from the heat
Add 30g of finely diced cooked chicken and mix well until fully incorporated. Then, remove the soup from the heat.
If you want, you can exclude the diced meat, as the soup will still have an intense chicken flavor
Step 8. Serve the soup immediately or store it in the fridge
Once the cream is removed from the heat, you can eat it right away. Add water to serve a bowl of soup or mix it into a recipe that calls for condensed chicken soup. Transfer it to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to a week if you don't intend to serve it right away.
To make a bowl of soup, mix equal parts of the condensed soup and water. You can also dilute it with a water and milk solution if you prefer a creamy consistency
Method 3 of 3: Make Simple Condensed Chicken Soup
Step 1. Melt the butter in a saucepan
Put 45g of butter in a small saucepan. Heat it over medium heat until it melts completely. This should take about 2 minutes.
Step 2. Incorporate the flour by beating it and cook until the cream thickens
Once the butter has melted, pour 25 g of refined flour into the pot. Incorporate it evenly with the help of a whisk and cook the cream until it thickens. This should take approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
Whisk the soup constantly during cooking to prevent it from burning
Step 3. Add the chicken stock and milk
Add 120ml of chicken stock and 120ml of milk to the pot. Beat the ingredients to make sure you mix them well.
For the soup, you can use both homemade and bought broth
Step 4. Bring to a boil and cook until the cream thickens
Continue to cook it over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Let it simmer to make it thicken. This should take approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
Be sure to constantly beat the soup while cooking to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot
Step 5. Remove the pot from the heat and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste
Once the soup has thickened, remove it from the stove. Season with salt and pepper as you like, mixing well to make sure you season it evenly.
Step 6. Use the soup immediately or keep it in the fridge
Seasoned the cream, you can eat it or keep it. Add it to recipes that call for condensed chicken soup or mix it with water to make a bowl of soup. Transfer it to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 2 or 3 days if you don't intend to eat it right away.
