condensed cream soups

i've never used them. i have a head filled with pop culture references to them being gross and/or unhealthy.

are they really that bad?
can i easily diy/sub them in casserole recipes?

i want to explore the world of american casseroles, but the thought of cream soups turns me off on some recipes.

am i completely wrong about this mythical ingredient or should i steer clear?

Re: condensed cream soups

There is nothing inherently bad in them but like any other canned or processed food they have a lot of sodium and probably some preservatives and chemicals
But, you'd have to be eating tons of it to have any adverse affects.
My theory is always- moderation. Using a canned cream soup in a recipe once in a while wont' harm you. Eating it 3 times a day- maybe steer clear.

But to answer your other question I have seen recipes for casseroles that say- no canned soups- so it can be tweaked. You can probably google how to make fresh cream of mushroom soup etc....

My husband makes a healthy version of a green bean casserole for Christmas and he doesn't use any canned soup- he uses like fresh heavy cream etc to give it that texture. So there are specific recipes for this.

But it's a lot of work for something that's supposed to be a time saver.

Re: condensed cream soups

I grew up with my mom cooking everything from scratch, but I don't have the skills and I have used condensed soups here and there. They have worked for what I have made, but of course the taste is so much better when it is all natural. I'm just lazy sometimes and prefer quick options. Has Nell said, I don't find it terrible if it is not every day.

condensed cream soups

ok. you've convinced me to explore.

i'll give the canned soup a try and i'll give the diy version a try.

thanks for the info.

Re: condensed cream soups

When I started "cooking" I didn't really know how to do it properly so I did use condensed soups for a lot of recipes. They were fine! Really tasty actually. Aside from the sodium content, I think it's fine to use them.

Now I'm exploring cooking from scratch more and while I think cooking from scratch tastes better and is healthier, it's also more expensive and time consuming. I haven't recently but I'd gladly still use condensed soup in recipes.

Re: condensed cream soups

I always use them around Thanksgiving time. I make the string bean casserole with the cream of mushroom soup its delicious. I also make a casserole with egg noodles/chicken and broccoli and use cream soups. you can use the mushroom or the creamed chicken. Give it a try!

Re: condensed cream soups

I never used condensed soups for recipes but some sound really good.

Try it, why not. If they had less sodium I would. Too much salt and I puff up like no one business.

adding:: I might try one anyway :)

Message edited 4/4/2021 1:22:01 AM.