Cream of Mushroom Soup

One of the most convenient cans in the kitchen is "cream of" soup.  It adds so much flavour to so many dishes and casseroles.  You don't really realize how much you use it until you can't ... because it has wheat (and MSG ... but we won't even go there - I could go on forever about the chemical carcinogen "cream of" cans they try to sell us as soup, but I'll save that conversation for another day :) ).  Have you ever tasted the canned "cream of" condensed soups?  Salty ... with the consistency of snot.  Sorry ... that was gross, but ... true.

I did happen upon a gluten-free substitute that was pretty good made by Progresso, but it wasn't condensed and didn't give the same thick and creamy consistency.  So ... out of a yearning for Mr. Dell's Potato Casserole (sub Kettle potato chips for the corn flakes) and the Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti made with rice pasta,  I was determined to come up with an easy gluten-free recipe ... and my friends, I have it!

I can't believe how good this soup really is!  We were fighting over who got to lick the spoon!  It was PERFECT, not to mention, it stores really well in the fridge or freezer (bonus!) ... and came together in around 20 minutes (double bonus!).

It could be made with celery too (for cream of celery) ... same ingredients, just sub celery for mushrooms.  You might have to add a little extra broth before you add the flour ... but it should be an easy substitute.

I'll be posting my cream of chicken in a few days.  I hope that, again, you are encouraged by what you see.  Just because you've been diagnosed with a food allergy/intolerance or have decided to eliminate gluten for better health, doesn't mean you have to be deprived of the things you love. You just have to think a little outside the box ... or the can. :)

1 recipe = 4 cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/4 cup butter
around 6 cups chopped mushrooms - any kind
3/4 cup brown rice flour (you can use wheat flour if you don't have gluten issues)
2 cups warm water
2 cups half and half
1 organic vegetable bouillon cube (I use GoBio)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Roughly chop mushrooms.

On medium heat, melt butter in a large wok or dutch oven.

Add mushrooms and cook down until they start to release all their moisture - around 5 minutes.  It's crazy how much they shrink!

Sprinkle flour all over the top and stir.  It will get REALLY thick.  Cook for a couple minutes, stirring constantly so the flour gets a little browned and doesn't taste raw.

Mix bouillon cube into the water and slowly stir into the mushroom "paste".  Stir in cream.

Bring just to a boil, stirring regularly.  Remove from heat.

Cool to room temperature and pack in jars to store in the fridge (if you're using in the next couple days) or package in ziploc freezer bags for the freezer.  See how thick it gets!!  Now give it a little taste ... wow!  SO GOOD and SO MUCH better for you! :) YAY!