How to Make Dairy Free Cream of Chicken Soup

Go back in time to the 70's and a casserole was "What's for dinner." Every recipe started with the ubiquitous red and white can of soup. This Dairy Free Cream of Chicken Soup recipe is easy, has only five ingredients and is the perfect gluten-free and dairy free (Paleo and Whole30 friendly, too) sub for any recipe calling for "the can".

Can't I Just Buy Dairy Free Canned Soup?

Yes, you can. Technically, there is a dairy free, gluten free mix at Walmart that you simply mix with milk or cream. It contains no chicken other than chicken fat plus it also has several nutrient poor ingredients such as corn syrup, soybean oil and thickeners. My version takes only a few minutes more and contains just 5 whole food nutrient dense ingredients. There are no canned versions of dairy free creamed soups that you can swap one-for-one.

What Are the 5 Ingredients?

The primary ingredients are chicken broth and dairy free yogurt. To thicken without using gluten or grains, I use a blend of almond and tapioca flours cooked with ghee or butter and avocado oil. (The oil keeps the butter from browning too much.)

Method for Making Dairy Free Cream of Chicken Soup

The method is classic for making any cream sauce. You start with a roux. Cook for a minute to combine. Add liquids and whisk until thickened. If you are making a white gravy, you would use milk or cream for the liquid but for broth based sauces, you add the creamy ingredient at the end.

Step One - Start with a Roux:

• Melt butter in oil.

• Add almond flour and tapioca starch.

• Whisk to combine.

Step Two - Add liquid and seasonings:

• Add chicken broth.

• Add Magic Salt or other seasonings.

• Whisk until thickened.

Step Three - Add creamy ingredient

• Add yogurt.

• Whisk to incorporate

• Transfer to a jar if not using right away

How to Substitute Gluten Free Dairy Free Cream of Chicken Soup in your favorite recipe

This recipe makes just a bit more than two cups. A typical can of cream of chicken soup is 10 oz. To substitute in a recipe that is a sauce for meat like this Creamy Chicken recipe simply follow the recipe. If you are using the soup along with other creamy or liquid ingredients, reduce the other liquids by 1/2 cup total. The reason is this soup recipe has a more liquid consistency than the canned soup. You could add more thickener. However gluten and grain free thickeners tend to be very sticky (stretchy, IMO) which makes the thicker version very unappealing.

How to Store Dairy Free Cream of Chicken Soup

You can store the soup for 2-3 days in the fridge or you can freeze it in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. I usually add liquids to a freezer bag and lay it on a cookie sheet to freeze flat then store it in the freezer once it's solid. I am seeking out a non-China made silicone bag, but have yet to find one. If you know of one, let me know in the comments below as I really don't like using plastic ziploc bags.

Other Ways to Use The Soup

I have featured a version of this recipe in other recipes on my blog.

• Use in Chicken Broccoli Casserole instead of the original sauce recipe. I used a version with more ingredients when I originally wrote this recipe. To make it simpler, this soup recipe in for the sauce ingredients and saute the onions and garlic separately to either add to the sauce or to the cubed chicken.

• Use in my Paleo Chicken Enchilada Casserole. The sauce is exactly the same as on this post without the onions and garlic. Again, you can saute separately then add to the sauce or chicken.

• Use in your favorite hashbrown casserole recipe in place of the soup and sour cream.

• Use as a base for chicken pot pie. Simply saute onions, carrots and celery in a little ghee or butter until soft. Mix with cooked chicken and the soup. If you are serving as a soup, add more chicken broth until you like the consistency. If you are making chicken pot pie, transfer to a pie crust and then place another pie crust on top.

Yield: 4

Author: Christi Flaherty

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Dairy Free Cream of Chicken Soup

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 35 Min

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

White Sauce

• 1 tbsp butter or ghee
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp tapioca starch
• 2 tbsp almond flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 1/2 tsp Magic Salt
• 1 cup yogurt (regular or dairy free)

Instructions

1. Melt butter in oil over medium heat.
2. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are pretty soft.
3. Mix almond flour and tapioca together well.
4. Stir in almond flour/tapioca mixture and whisk well to incorporate.
5. Add chicken broth slowly, whisking the whole time.
6. If the mixture looks pretty thin at this point, mix another 1/2 tbsp each almond flour and tapioca starch with some of the sauce and whisk in well.
7. Turn off heat and add yogurt and spices.
8. Taste and add more salt if you think it is necessary.

Notes

Store in freezer in bag for up to 3 months or in fridge for 2-3 days. 

©2024 Christi Flaherty, Flaherty Culinary Concepts and realfoodsanity.com. All Rights Reserved. No part may be reproduced, used to create a derivative work, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written consent of the author.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @realfoodsanity on instagram and hashtag it #realfoodsanity