D.I.Y. Friday: Gluten Free Cream of (Chicken) Soup

Welcome back to D.I.Y. Fridays, an occasional blog series in which I’ll show you how to D.I.Y. a basic (sometimes naturally gluten free) recipe (like today’s homemade cream of mushroom, cream of chicken and cream of potato soups) or other ingredient that you might be inclined to buy. Cream of condensed soups are necessarily flour-based, as they’re made with a roux, a mixture of butter and flour used to thicken sauces. It’s really really important that you use my basic gum-free gluten free flour blend (or an equivalent that you prefer) to make the roux in these cream of soups, or you will have one gummy mess on your hands—and in your pots and your utensils and you get the idea. These days, companies like Progresso and Pacific Foods make gluten free cream of condensed soups, but they’re not cheap, and they’re of course not as good as what you can make at home. Plus, when you D.I.Y., you can use exactly the herbs and spices you like.

The simplest variety cream of soup is the cream of mushroom soup, as the mushrooms cook down very quickly in the beginning of the process right along with the shallots. Plus, they add really nice depth of flavor. And with Thanksgiving on its way, you know you want to make Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole. The cream of potato soup is a bit extra creamy because of the diced potatoes that simmer in the soup as it reduces and thickens.

The cream of chicken soup calls for, well, cooked cubed chicken. But frankly you can make it without adding in the chicken at the end and it still tastes amazing. If you do add the chicken, though, you’re more than halfway to these Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pies To-Go. Comfort food at its finest! Don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients, as it’s mostly the same for each of the 3 varieties. I wanted you to have all of the recipes in one place, so I listed them together. But once you master the basic roux-based technique, you’ll be able to bring back all of those old favorite recipes your family loves. Long live D.I.Y. Fridays!

Prep time: 10 minutes       Cook time: 15 minutes       Yield: About 3 1/2 cups condensed soup

Ingredients

Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 tablespoon (14 g) extra-virgin olive oil

1 small shallot, peeled and minced

1 pound fresh button or baby portabella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thickly

3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter

5 tablespoons (45 g) basic xanthan-gum free gluten free flour blend (30 grams superfine white rice flour + 10 grams potato starch + 5 grams tapioca starch/flour)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups (12 fluid ounces) vegetable stock

1 can (12 fluid ounces) evaporated milk

Cream of Chicken Soup
1 tablespoon (14 g) extra-virgin olive oil

1 small shallot, peeled and minced

3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter

5 tablespoons (45 g) basic xanthan-gum free gluten free flour blend (30 grams superfine white rice flour + 10 grams potato starch + 5 grams tapioca starch/flour)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon dried poultry seasoning (or 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley + 1 teaspoon dried sage + 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme + 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram + 1/2 teaspoon rosemary)

1 1/2 cups (12 fluid ounces) chicken stock

1 can (12 fluid ounces) evaporated milk

1 cup diced cooked chicken

Cream of Potato Soup
1 tablespoon (14 g) extra-virgin olive oil

1 small shallot, peeled and minced

3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter

5 tablespoons (45 g) basic xanthan-gum free gluten free flour blend (30 grams superfine white rice flour + 10 grams potato starch + 5 grams tapioca starch/flour)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder (optional)

1 1/2 cups (12 fluid ounces) chicken or vegetable stock

1 can (12 fluid ounces) evaporated milk

1/2 pound red-skin potatoes, peeled and diced

Directions

• For the cream of mushroom soup, in a medium-size saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and mushrooms, and cook until the shallots are translucent and the mushrooms are fork tender (about 4 minutes). Transfer the mushrooms and shallots to a small bowl, and set it aside. To the same medium-size saucepan, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the flour blend, salt and pepper, and stir to combine well. The mixture will clump at first, and then smooth. This is the roux that will thicken the soup. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has just begun to turn a very light brown color. Add the stock to the roux very slowly, stirring constantly to break up any lumps that might form. Add the evaporated milk, and continue to stir until the mixture is smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about one-quarter (about 7 minutes). Remove the saucepan from the heat, and add the mushrooms and shallots. Stir to combine.

• For the cream of chicken soup, in a medium-size saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, and cook until translucent (about 4 minutes). Transfer the shallots to a small bowl, and set aside. To the same medium-size saucepan, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the flour blend, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning, and stir to combine well. The mixture will clump at first, and then smooth. This is the roux that will thicken the soup. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has just begun to turn a very light brown color. Add the stock to the roux very slowly, stirring constantly to break up any lumps that might form. Add the evaporated milk, and continue to stir until the mixture is smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about one-quarter (about 7 minutes). Remove the saucepan from the heat, and add the cooked chicken. Stir to combine.

• For the cream of potato soup, in a medium-size saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, and cook until translucent (about 4 minutes). Transfer the shallots to a small bowl, and set aside. To the same medium-size saucepan, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the flour blend, salt, pepper, and optional mustard powder, and stir to combine well. The mixture will clump at first, and then smooth. This is the roux that will thicken the soup. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has just begun to turn a very light brown color. Add the stock to the roux very slowly, stirring constantly to break up any lumps that might form. Add the evaporated milk, and continue to stir until the mixture is smooth. Add the diced potatoes , stir to combine and bring the mixture to a simmer. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and the mixture is reduced by about one-quarter (about 10 minutes). Remove the saucepan from the heat.