Cream of... Soup Mix

I admit, there are some things that are just not the same without a can of cream of "something" soup.  My momma's meatloaf calls for a can of cream of celery soup for the gravy, and I'm just not sure it would be her meatloaf without it.

However, one of the first things I cut out when I started my cooking journey was multiple cans of cream soup in recipes.  It frustrates me to no end to find what looks like a good recipe in the blogsphere or even read a brief review that the recipe to follow is "the best ever!" only to find that it's basically a can or two of cream soup and a protein.  And I will almost always click off a recipe without even considering it if it's mostly just canned cream soup.

Now that I'm also gluten free, canned cream soups are completely out of the question.  They are all loaded with gluten, not to mention sodium and preservatives.

But this mix, adapted from One Orange Giraffe, changes all that.  Vicky at One Orange Giraffe, uses powdered bouillon.  I haven't been able to find any without gluten in it, so I've opted to leave the bouillon out completely and mix this with chicken, beef broth, or vegetable broth when I'm ready to cook with it.  Also, I found her version slightly on the oniony side for our tastes, especially if I'm making something with onions already in it, which I often do.  If you don't normally cook with a lot of onion, you might enjoy bumping up the amount in the mix.

Cream of... Soup Mix

1 cup dried milk
3/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons dried minced onions
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk well to combine.  Store in airtight container.

Mix scant 1/3 cup of dry mix with 1 1/4 cup water or broth.  Stir well and simmer in small skillet or saucepan until thick, stirring often.  Add chicken, mushrooms, or diced celery if desired.  Add to your recipe as you would one can of condensed soup.