Vegan Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

ByBrittany Roche
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Get ready to veganize all the cozy casseroles of your childhood with this remarkably simple recipe for vegan condensed cream of chicken soup! It’s the perfect healthy vegetarian and dairy free substitute with just 5 ingredients, 20 minutes, and amazing taste. Let’s do this!

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The first time I made this recipe for vegan condensed cream of chicken soup was this past summer. It happened by complete accident as I was initially testing some blender soup recipes (like this one or this one) that could be served cold. 

As soon as I tasted it though, I was shocked how much it tasted like those cans of Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soups. And, side note: Kinda funny since we just posted T’s veganized version of Campbell’s vegetable soup this past weekend. As it cooled, I noticed it even thickened up exactly like the condensed soups. Food magic!

Immediately, I began dreaming of alllll the cozy soups, stews, and casseroles I could make with this fantastic creation. That is, until I snapped back to the humid, sweaty reality that was my sweltering NE Philly kitchen on the hottest day of the year.

So, I vowed to keep this recipe on the back-burner until using my oven sounded like something more enticing than the torture I knew it would be at that moment. And here, in the throws of December, it seems like a much more appropriate time. I am so happy to share this recipe with you today!

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Get ready to veganize alllll the cozy casseroles of your childhood with this remarkably simple recipe for vegan condensed cream of chicken soup! It's just 5 ingredients, takes 20 minutes, and the taste will blow your mind. #vegan #soup #veganrecipes #dairyfree #vegetarian #plantbased // plantpowercouple.com

Ingredients in Vegetarian Cream of Chicken Substitute

To make this magical plant-based cream of chicken recipe, you’ll need just a few basic ingredients:

  • Red lentils – These are the KEY to creating that incredible real deal texture. I know it sounds a little weird, but TRUST.
  • Unsalted / unroasted cashews – These add incredible creaminess and fat to our condensed soup. If you have a nut allergy, you can sub sunflower seeds or hulled hemp seeds.
  • Vegan chicken-style bouillon powder – We always use our homemade vegan bouillon powder, so I can’t vouch for other brands.
  • Sea salt

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An overhead photo of the ingredients needed to make vegetarian and dairy free condensed cream of chicken soup substitute: water, cashews, red lentils, vegan chicken bouillon powder, and salt.
Three photos showing the steps to making vegan condensed cream of chicken soup recipe: first, simmer all ingredients in a pot. Then, add them to a high-powered blender like a vitamix. Finally, blend and pour into 3 8-ounce jars. Cover and let them thicken as they cool.

How to Make This Vegan Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

It could NOT be easier to make this vegan condensed cream of chicken soup. You’ll start by throwing all five ingredients into a medium sauce pan. Then, bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Next up, carefully add the contents of that simmering pot to your Vitamix or other high-powered blender. Blend on high until smooth and luxuriously creamy. It’s basically mandatory to take a taste at this point, both to test and adjust seasonings and also to marvel at the beauuutiful creation you just made!

Because the soup thickens quickly as it cools, I like to immediately pour it into three 8-oz mason jars and put the lids on each right away. Then, I let them cool completely on the counter before transferring them to the fridge. 

When you go to use your jar of vegan condensed cream of chicken soup, it will be super thick and almost gel-like. I know that kinda sounds weird, but if you’ve ever opened one of those Cream of… cans, you know exactly what I mean.

This makes it an ideal 1:1 replacement for condensed cream of chicken soup in any and alllll the recipes! Eeek! I can’t be the only one who gets excited about that, right?!

To learn more about making vegan condensed soups (+ how to freeze them!), check out our Vegan Condensed Soup Guide.

Get ready to veganize alllll the cozy casseroles of your childhood with this remarkably simple recipe for vegan condensed cream of chicken soup! It's just 5 ingredients, takes 20 minutes, and the taste will blow your mind. #vegan #soup #veganrecipes #dairyfree #vegetarian #plantbased // plantpowercouple.com

Go forth and veganize ALL THE THINGS!

I have a feeling this vegan condensed cream of chicken soup is going to become your secret weapon for creating the BEST cozy winter food. We’ll have some more recipes coming your way soon that will utilize this stuff. For example: vegan chik’n and rice casserole , vegan hashbrown casserole, and pot pie casserole *SWOON*), but we cannot wait to hear what you do with it too!

Looking for a mushroom version of this soup? Check out our Vegan Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe or Condensed Cream of Potato Soup Substitute!

Let us know when you make this recipe and what you do with it! Leave a rating and review below or tag us on Instagram! If you’re not hanging out with us over there, we’re @theplantpowercouple with the “the”.  We cannot wait to see what kind of magical deliciousness you will create!

Yield: 3 (8-oz) mason jars

Vegan Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

Get ready to veganize alllll the cozy casseroles of your childhood with this remarkably simple recipe for vegan condensed cream of chicken soup! It's just 5 ingredients, takes 20 minutes, and the taste will blow your mind. #vegan #soup #veganrecipes #dairyfree #vegetarian #plantbased // plantpowercouple.com

Get ready to veganize all the cozy casseroles of your childhood with this remarkably simple recipe for vegan condensed cream of chicken soup! It's just 5 ingredients, takes 20 minutes, and the taste is amazing.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. SIMMER: Add all the ingredients to a medium sauce pan and stir. Turn the heat to high, cover the pot, and bring the mixture to a boil. When the mixture begins boiling, turn the heat to low and let simmer (covered) for about 10 minutes.
  2. BLEND: Pour the mixture into your Vitamix or another high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.
  3. To store: Immediately pour the mixture into three 8-oz mason jars and cover with the canning lids. Let them cool on the counter completely. When cooled, gently press down on the center of your canning lid (it should seal when you do this if it hasn't already) and place in the fridge for future use in all your cozy soups, stews, and casseroles!

Notes

  • Accurate measurements are key to the best final texture in this recipe! If your soup looks too liquidy after blending, feel free to blend in 1-2 more Tbsp of cashews to thicken it up!
  • It's also important to use a saucepan that holds at least double the volume. This is especially vital if you're doubling the recipe!
  • Make sure you bring the ingredients to a full rolling boil on the stove before turning the heat to low and simmering. Keep a very close eye on it when it starts to bubble. From here, it will bubble up to the top fast and can bubble over if you're not watching it. When you see it start to do this, it's time to turn down the heat (but not before!).

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

3

Serving Size:

1 (8-oz) jar
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 204Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 715mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 4gSugar: 1gProtein: 11g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and may not always be accurate.

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© Brittany Roche
Cuisine: American / Category: Soups

Watch our Dairy Free Cream of Chicken Substitute web story here!

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75 Comments

  1. Just made this last night. Mine didn't seem to thicken up? Even this morning in the fridge it is still fairly runny. I don't think I measured anything wrong - it filled the 3 jars. It does taste amazing though! I'll have to try it again. Thanks for the recipe!
    Reply
    1. Hey, Kelly! I'm glad you love how it tastes but sorry to hear it's not thickening as you'd like. To make it thicker, I would suggest adding more red lentils or less water. Let us know how it goes!
      Reply
  2. Thanks Brittany! I'm going to go ahead and use what I made to make the broccoli rice casserole tonight. Maybe just add a little less water to it? I will def make the condensed soup recipe again though with your suggestions.
    Reply
    1. My pleasure; let me know how it goes! The casserole should still turn out perfectly with just a little less water than what the recipes calls for. Even with the same amount of water, I think it would be good - just saucier. So excited for you!
      Reply
    2. Hi! Just a quick question. I followed the recipe but mine came out super runny! My pot pie turned more into pot pie soup haha. Any suggestions on what I might have did wrong? Or what I could do for future? Still tastes yummy!
      Reply
      1. Hi, Sam. Sorry to hear about the issue you had with the condensed soup. First question: did you give it the time to thicken in the fridge after cooling? If yes, I'd suggest adding a little less water next time. I am happy to hear you still enjoyed the flavors of the dish!
        Reply
  3. Hey Brittany, just an update. When I went to use my condensed soup it was a little thicker, so it worked out great. Excellent recipe! I can't believe how much it tastes like "the real thing". Actually, I think it tastes better!
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  4. This looks awesome! Can’t wait to try it out. How long would you suggest these will store in the fridge? Could a version be made with mushrooms for Cream of Mushroom soup? Thanks so much for sharing this!!
    Reply
      1. This was amazing! I used 2 TBLS Better Than Bouillon no chicken base because I didn’t have everything for the veggie bouillon powder. The soup worked great in a hash brown casserole! Next time I will make the soup with a less processed bouillon (like your veggie powder). This recipe is a great base for different flavorings, will work on a mushroom soup. Thanks for posting!
        ★★★★★
        Reply
  6. Do you think I could freeze this?? I have a problem using things up fast enough from my fridge.
    Reply
    1. Hi, Claudia! It's possible this could be frozen, but I can't be sure because I haven't tried it (yet)! If you do give it a go, be careful to leave an inch or two in the mason jars for the soup to expand as it freezes. Let us know if you try it!
      Reply
  7. This looks amazing! I don’t have veggie bullion powder, but I do have Better Than Bullion No Chicken base. Could I use that instead?
    Reply
    1. I think that would work! But if you have an extra 5-10 minutes, we totally recommend making the homemade bouillon powder we linked in the recipe. It's out of this world!
      Reply
        2. Laura - you will LOVE the bouillon recipe and totally shocked that it tastes just like chicken bouillon! I don’t what difference it makes, but I added Italian and poultry seasonings also.
          Reply
  10. With cashew allergy in the family I would love to know if there’s a substitute for that ingredient that works just as well. I was so excited to read about the recipe and was disappointed that once again that creaminess is from cashews.
    Reply
    1. Hi, Mindy! I've had some success using sunflower seeds as a replacement for the cashews in recipes like this. Hulled hemp seeds could also work. Let me know if you give it a try!
      Reply
        1. Hi, Melody. We've never tried it using beans, but I think you'd definitely need to increase the fat content (olive oil maybe?) if subbing beans for cashews. I'd be interested in hearing the results if you give it a go.
          Reply
  11. I just made the bouillon and then the cream soup. So easy! When a recipe calls for a 10 1/2 oz can cream soup, would you suggest just going with the 8 oz portion?
    Reply
    1. Right on! So happy you found the recipe easy to make. :) The easiest thing might be to just use the 8 oz portion. You can always add a little more water and/or bouillon powder if need be. Let me know how it goes; would love to know what you're making!
      Reply
    1. I haven't tried this, but my first thought is maybe canned chickpeas. I wouldn't use dried and you'd have to play with the amount of chickpeas you use to get the right texture. Let me know if you give it a try!
      Reply
  14. Amazing - so easy and taste wonderful. Mine did not make quite as much but it was nice and thick.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  15. how do you use this? do you use one mason jar of water, kinda like when using campbell's, you'd mix one can of water to reconstitute it, so to speak? thank you
    Reply
    1. Hi, Sue. While we have not, we know of others who have. Don't know of any reason why it shouldn't work. The condensed soup is intended to be used just as a can of it would. Just reconstitute and add per recipe directions. Hope this helps!
      Reply
  17. Hello, making this for my roommate as a surprise but we don’t have a super blender, just a normal one. How badly will that impact texture/flavor in a casserole?
    Reply
    1. Hello, Stephanie! A regular blender should be fine. Just check to ensure a truly smooth consistency before transferring. You may need to blend it a little longer or drizzle just a tad more HOT water in through the hole while it's running to make sure it's smooth throughout.
      Reply
  18. Hi! I know this is an older post, but do you think the cashews could be swapped for white beans? I have seen some other recipes use them interchangeably, and I am looking for a way to make the recipe nut-free. Thank you!
    Reply
  19. I made this to use in a chicken pot pie where I subbed lightly fried, pressed tofu for the chicken, it worked out beautifully and gave it a nice savory gravy!
    Reply
    1. So glad it worked out for you, Sam! We also love to use this in our pot pie casserole recipe, but we usually use soy curls rather than tofu. Again, glad you liked it, and thanks for reaching out to let us know!
      Reply
  20. This recipe is a mother-fudging game changer! I wanted to make “funeral potatoes” for Christmas breakfast but needed a cream-of-anything soup for the base and was worried I wouldn’t be able to find a suitable replacement. This stuff is magic. I’ve made at least four more batches since Christmas and have been in vegan heaven - making caseroles, pot pies, soups, etc. Magic.
    Reply
    1. Right!?! ALL the casseroles! LOL! Thank you SO much, Sharon! We really love it too! Not going to lie, I had to look up "funeral potatoes", and the dish looks as delicious as the name is somber! Definitely going on my to try list!
      Reply
  21. Can I put all the ingredients in the vitamix and use the hot soup option, instead of boiling and transferring over?
    Reply
  22. Hi, I just made this today. I didn't have 8 oz jars so I used the ones I had. It filled three 6 oz Mason jars perfectly! It's thick and creamy and tastes really good. Can't wait to make chic pot pie with soy curls & veggies! Thanks for the recipe! It's now in my recipe app and I will definitely make it again.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  23. I made this to make your Chicken Pot Pie. I decided to make half as I was only making a half pot pie. Yumm-o!! I was sorry I did make a whole recipe! Tastes like the SAD one! Thank you!
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  24. Holy Moly this was perfect. Used in a slow cooker potato and veggie soup and tasted just like chicken pot pie. I was blown away. Thick and creamy How it taste like the real thing is scary lol. Thank you so much for sharing this! Game changer!
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  25. I'm curious if I could use sunflower seeds in place of the cashews? My friend who is also plant based is allergic to tree nuts. Thanks! Amazing recipe by the way! 😉
    Reply
    1. Hi, Gretchen! Thank you very much! We've had success replacing the cashews with sunflower seeds in a 1:1 swap. I'd also suggest adding a little bit of olive oil to recreate the fat content found in the cashews. Hope this helps!
      Reply
  26. I just made it with hemp seeds. It was pretty runny when ot went into the jars. Has anyone else tried it with hemp seeds? Our little guy can't have dairy, soy, nuts, eggs or wheat. =(
    Reply
    1. Hi, Rose, we haven't made it with hemp seeds, so I can't speak directly to that. The recipe is a little thin going into the jar usually, but it thickens up as it cools. I don't know if yours finally set properly, but I'd be interested to know how it turned out in the end for you.
      Reply
    1. Hi, Janet! Although it's something I've always wanted to learn, I'm not tremendously knowledgable about canning. With what little I do know about it, I honestly don't see why it wouldn't work. I don't exactly know why, but I'd suggest leaving a little extra space for the pressure canning vacuum seal in case the soup rises a bit. Hope this helps, and I'd love to hear how it turns out so we can share the info with everyone else!
      Reply
  28. This was SO good. I loved my Mom’s canned chicken, pasta with cream of chicken soup but I can’t eat dairy anymore. This was so good. I can’t get over how these simple ingredients made this delicious soup in under 30 mins. Thank you so much for giving me back a childhood favorite.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
    1. Oh, Marjorie, you just made my heart so happy! I'm elated you're able to enjoy a childhood favorite all over again! This is exactly what we were looking to do with recipes like this. Thank you so much for reaching out with the kind words.
      Reply
  29. Would regular lentils work in place of red lentils? Can’t wait to try this! I’m dairy free and finding a good substitute for cream of anything soup has been so hard. My family is from the Midwest and casseroles are such a staple comfort food. Thanks!
    Reply
    1. Hi, Tabitha. Regular lentils (I assume you mean green?) have a grainier texture and don't seem to work the same as their creamier counterparts. Red lentils really blend up much more nicely for the texture and continue to absorb the liquid after jarring, giving the final result the desired texture and consistency. Hope that helps.
      Reply
  30. So so good! I use this as a sub in a southern cabbage casserole recipe and EVERYONE raves about it. Thank you so much for veganizing this.
    Reply
  31. I love this recipe! What do you add to this to reduce the concentrate and thin it out? Do you add water, veggie broth or plant milk?
    Reply
  32. Hi! This looks amazing!! Unfortunately, I am allergic to cashews. I can do almonds though. Do you think they would work in this recipe? Or could I maybe sub some of the water and cashews for oat milk?
    Reply
    1. Hi, Alyssa. I don't know how well almonds would work out. We haven't tried that one. My usual recommendation as a sub for cashews is either sunflower seeds or hulled hemp seeds. Hope this helps and I'd love to hear how it turns out for you.
      Reply

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