Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

The picture is not the most exciting, but how thrilling can cream of chicken soup be.  I try to cook healthier (lower sodium, lower fat).   The canned "cream of ..." soups in that variety are more expensive.  I make my own chicken stock or save chicken broth.  I freeze it in 1 1/2 to 2 cup containers.    Then I have low sodium chicken broth for use in recipes.  It can also be used to make cream of chicken soup.  I have not had the best luck with it in slow cooker recipes, but it works wonderfully in others.



Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 t sage
1/4 t thyme
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t black pepper (or to your taste)
1/4 t salt (also to taste)
1/4 t parsley
a bit less than 1/8 t paprika
1 1/2 cups milk (I use milk made from powdered milk)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Combine chicken broth, seasonings, and 1/2 cup milk.  Bring to a boil.  Stir together remaining milk and flour until mostly smooth.  Pour into boiling broth mixture.  Whisk well as you are pouring.  Keep whisking until the mixture is smooth and thickened.  This makes about two cans of cream of chicken soup.  I have frozen this if I only needed one "can" of soup. 

The seasonings can be adjusted to your family's taste.  I have also added in a good portion of chopped fresh (or frozen) mushrooms to make cream of mushroom soup.  You might want to omit the sage and thyme if going that route.