Basic Homemade Cream Soup

One of the staples of the kitchen are cream soups. Grandma preferred to make her own, rather than depend on a can. After all a creamed soup is just a simple white sauce with milk, chicken broth and mushrooms or celery added, along with your good taste to flavor it. You can whip up a couple batches of it in about 15 minutes over the weekend and save it for your casseroles during the week. Delicious, cheaper, and much healthier than the "synthesized" version.

So here's Grandma's "secret" recipe.  Hello? You can wake up from your faint now! It IS that simple. Funny how we think things are more complicated than they are.

Basic Homemade Cream Soup

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
¼ tsp salt (optional)
1 cup whole milk or half & half (we use heavy cream)

Heat milk over medium low heat until just steaming. Do not boil.

In a heavy pan, melt butter, sprinkle flour in and whisk to combine, then continue cooking over medium low heat for 2 to 3 minutes whisking continuously. Slowly pour in heated milk and whisk until thickened. (Season to taste...you may have enough salt if using the broth.)

*For cream of chicken use ½ cup chicken broth and ½ cup milk. 

*For cream of mushroom, saute ¼ cup finely diced mushroom in the butter, then add flour and prepare as you would cream of chicken, using ½ cup chicken broth and ½ cup milk.

*For cream of celery, saute ¼ cup finely diced celery in the butter, then add flour and prepare as you would cream of chicken, using ½ cup chicken broth and ½ cup milk.