"Mmmm Better" Cream of Mushroom Soup(s). Non-GMO and a GF Version.

Shazam!  I finally did it!  I have managed to come up with TWO phenomenal substitutes for canned Cream of Mushroom Soup!  I swear the stars and planets were aligned the day I stepped into the kitchen in an effort to come up with a healthy, MSG free, non-GMO, organic version of  Mushroom Crap in a Can.  I apologize for the harsh language however accurately it describes that "soup" that people use in so many recipes.  I have no idea what took me so long to make my own.  I think part of it was fear that I wouldn't be able to get it right without spending a ton of money.  Much to my shagrin I managed to make two versions, one Organic/GMO-Free and the other version is Organic/GMO-Free and Gluten Free!  You read that correctly.  I went ahead and made a GF variety as well.  Because I'm super cool like that. 

I was very pleased with how both varieties tasted and how easy it was to make.  You can actually taste the mushrooms.  I couldn't stop dipping my tasting spoon into the saucepan!  It was cream of success!  I'll be playing around with flavors, seasonings and herbs in an attempt to make a cream of chicken, cream of celery and a golden mushroom substitute so that I can kiss Campbell's good-bye once and for all!

You may be wondering why I chose to have a picture of diced mushrooms instead of showing you the pictures of both soups.  The reason I chose that picture is because both soups although much more colorful and real looking than the gray stuff in the can, kind of looked like... well, um- they look like baby pooh.  I tried several different things to make the soup photograph well, and nothing worked.  No matter the plate, bowl, spoon or angle, the stuff just looks unappetizing in a photo.  Don't let this deter you.  After seeing my soup next to the can of canned one you'll want to make your own going forward because the stuff in the can is gray and nasty looking and mine is the color of mushrooms! 

The texture and consistency of my Organic/GMO-Free recipe was similar to the actual product I was trying to make a substitute for.  The GF version was a little looser and a little less smooth.  I used a rice flour for the GF version two reasons.  The first reason is that it was the only GF thickener I had on hand that wasn't corn starch.  The second reason is that it's the only GF flour I've used aside from almond flour and almond flour wouldn't have worked at all in this recipe.  

I have not yet tested this soup in a slow cooker recipe.  I did test it in a skillet chicken dish I make and in a baked chicken and rice dish.  The soup held up and didn't separate or curdle or do anything funky.  Not that I expected it to, but you never know.  If you happen to test it in a slow cooker recipe before I do, please let me know how your dish turned out.  I'd love feedback.

Many of you have asked for me to come up with or find an alternative to Cream of "whatever" soup recipe, and I'm happy that I could grant your request.  I did search for an existing recipe but they used SO much flour and corn starch I could hardly call them healthy.  One recipe called for almost a cup of flour and another a half cup of corn starch.  Holy cow!  There is NO way.  I also was able to achieve a good, thick soup (doesn't have to be as gelatinous-ly solid as the canned stuff) with using mostly milk and a little cream instead of all cream.  My goal was to try and keep the fat and calories a bit lower if possible without sacrificing taste. That goal was met! 

Finally, to get the most flavor for these soups I knew I'd need to use some mushroom stock/broth.  In order to make that I was going to need some dried mushrooms.  I chose to use some dried porcini mushrooms.  They have a nice flavor that isn't too overpowering and in soaking them in hot water to reconstitute them, you end up with instant mushroom broth!  Any organic dried porcini mushroom will do and they are easy to find.  You could also used dried shiitake mushrooms or dried baby portabella mushrooms.

Top left picture.  The top left soup on the plate (heart shaped blob) is the GF/Organic-GMO-Free version the one to its right is the Organic/GMO-Free version and the whitish/gray blob on the bottom is the canned variety.  Top right picture is the canned variety in all its non-splendor.  The bottom left picture is the GF/Organic-GMO-Free version and the bottom right is the Organic/GMO-Free version.

I am excited to be sharing this recipe on Cultured Palate for her weekly Blog Carnival: Tasty Traditions Thursday.  Make sure you stop on by and view the other great articles, ideas and recipes from other REAL food bloggers.



Mmmm Better Cream of Mushroom Soup
Recipes by KaceyCooks
Makes 12 ounces  (2 ounces more than a can)
Time: 30 minutes inactive (soaking mushrooms) 30 minutes prep/cook

**All ingredients in this recipe were organic or certified Non-GMO**

INGREDIENTS: 

For the Organic/GMO-Free version:

• 1 TB olive oil
• 1 TB unsalted butter
• 2 TB flour
• 1/3 cup yellow onion- diced very small
• 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 cup diced fresh mushrooms (I used baby portabella mushrooms. They have more flavor than white button mushrooms)
• 1/4 cup dried mushrooms (soak them in 1/2 cup hot water for 30 minutes, and save the mushroom liquid, dice the reconstituted mushrooms and set aside)
• 1/2 tsp. fresh garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup reserved mushroom liquid strained through a paper towel to catch all the dirt and impurities from the shrooms
• 1/4 cup water- if needed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• granulated garlic to taste (garlic powder will work- but NOT garlic salt)

For the Gluten Free & Organic/GMO-Free version:

• 1 TB olive oil
• 1 TB unsalted butter
• 3 TB ground rice flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
• 1/3 cup yellow onion- diced very small
• 1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 cup diced fresh mushrooms (I used baby portabella mushrooms. They have more flavor than white button mushrooms)
• 1/4 cup dried mushrooms (soak them in 1/2 cup hot water for 30 minutes, and save the mushroom liquid, dice the reconstituted mushrooms and set aside)
• 1/2 tsp. fresh garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup reserved mushroom liquid strained through a paper towel to catch all the dirt and impurities from the shrooms
• 1/4 cup water- if needed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• granulated garlic to taste (garlic powder will work- but NOT garlic salt)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a 2 qt. saucepan over medium heat add olive oil and butter.  Once melted add onions, a pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring often until they start to get golden brown around the edges.
2. Add the mushrooms and stir to coat them in the oil/butter/onion mixture.  Add another pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper.  Lower heat to medium-low.  Add half the reconstituted mushrooms and stir.
3. Continue cooking mushrooms until most the water has been cooked out of them and they've been reduced down and caramelized- this takes between 10-12 minutes.
4. Add minced garlic and the white wine vinegar and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add 2 TB flour (3 TB if using rice flour), and cook for about 2 minutes.  The mushroom and onion mixture will get kind of pasty but you need to stir continuously and cook the raw flour taste out of the flour.
6. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved mushroom broth/liquid and 1/4 cup of water.
7. Stir well to keep the flour from clumping. 
8. Add 3/4 whole milk and a pinch of granulated garlic.  Continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until soup thickens.  About 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium if soup isn't thickening fast enough.
9. Add 1/4 cup of heavy cream, stir to combine and take pan off heat.
10. Take one cup of the soup and put in a bowl.  Using an immersion blender (or put in a regular blender) and blend until smooth.  Return the blended cup of soup back to the saucepan and return the saucepan to the heat.
11. Cook the soup over medium-low heat until desired consistency is reached.  Add the last of the reconstituted dried mushrooms and either use immediately in a dish, or store in an air tight container.  This will keep for about 5 days in the fridge and a few months in the freezer.

Top left: onions and mushrooms caramelized. Top middle: this is what your mushrooms will look like after you add the flour and cook for a couple minutes.  Top right: mushrooms with flour all mixed together.

Middle left: mushrooms with mushroom liquid stirred in (it will get thick fast due to the flour).  Middle-middle: mushrooms with mushroom liquid- slightly thickened.  Middle right: Soup with cream added, half of it blended and fully thickened.

Bottom left: the left spoon is the homemade and the right spoon is the canned version.  Bottom middle: The GF homemade soup.  Bottom right: The regular organic/Non-GMO homemade soup.