Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

Learn to make this homemade cream of chicken soup. With just a few ingredients you will have soup ready to add to your favorite recipe.

I love to make casseroles and Hawaiian Haystacks, but hate to buy cans of cream of chicken soup at the store. If you look at the labels of those cans, they have so many ingredients that you can't even pronounce. If you have an extra 20 minutes, you can make this soup yourself next time you need cream of chicken soup for a recipe. And it tastes so much better than the canned ones you buy at the store.

Ingredients

1 T butter

1/4 onion - chopped (see my tip below)

2 T butter

2 T flour

1 1/2 cup chicken broth (homemade or from the store)

1 cup milk (use half-and-half for more creamy taste)

3 or 4 chicken tenders - cut into bite size pieces * (see below)

salt and pepper to taste

TIP - Do you hate having your eyes water while cutting your onions? I learned a great tip while watching a TV show once. No, not on the Food Network; I was watching Veronica Mars. Grab a regular spoon you use for ice cream, cereal, or soup from your cupboard/drawer and place in your mouth, with the rounded side up toward the roof of your mouth. Cut your onions and you will not have any watery and stinging eyes. I know, sounds really strange but it totally works! I shared this tip a few years ago on my Facebook page and people tried it and said they didn't believe it would work, but it did.

* a note about the chicken. Generally I use whole tenders that are raw. Because of poor planning, I boiled 4 frozen tenders for 4 minutes - just until they were soft enough the I could cut them.

Instructions

1. Place your 1 T of butter in a large frying pan over med heat. Add the onions and saute for about 3 minutes  until they start to get softer and golden.

2. Add the remaining butter, melt a bit, then add the flour. This will create a roux. It will thicken the soup. You want to make sure that you cook this for at least 2 minutes, whisking so it doesn't burn. You cook that amount of time so the soup doesn't taste like flour.

3. Slowly add the chicken broth while whisking. The mixture will be a bit thick.

4. Remove from direct heat and slowly pour in the milk, while whisking. Mix until smooth. Return to heat and cook over med-high heat 3 minutes until slightly thickened.

5. Next you will add the chicken to the soup. You will cook it for 10 minutes. If you use whole pieces of chicken you will need to cook longer so it is done all the way through. Stir often during the cooking time so it doesn't burn on the bottom.

6. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. 

Your soup is then done! You can use it in a recipe or you can ladle a bowl to eat with crackers.

This homemade cream of chicken soup version does take longer to prepare than opening a can from the store, but the taste doesn't compare! It is flavorful, made with ingredients that you know, and oh so tasty.

What is your favorite recipe that calls for Cream of Chicken soup?