Cream of Broccoli Soup Substitute

This is one of the easiest ways to make cream of broccoli soup at home, no bulky cans, no wasted pantry space. It’s just one dry mix that takes up the space of a single can from the store, made from pantry ingredients you probably already have.

Cream of broccoli soup substitute in a nutshell: Whisk 1/3 cup of cream of soup dry mix with 1¼ cups of water in a saucepan, bring to a slow boil until thickened, then stir in 1/2 cup of cooked broccoli. This makes the equivalent of one small can of condensed soup.

Why Make This Instead of Buying It

Storing one container of dry mix instead of a shelf of cans is a genuine space-saver, especially if your kitchen doesn’t have much pantry room to spare. It’s also cheaper, made from ingredients you’re likely already stocking, no separate trip to buy a specialty can.

If you want the real numbers on how much this actually saves compared to buying pre-made cans, I broke that down in a full cost comparison.

The Recipe

I’d suggest making the base mix in bulk, this is genuinely the dry mix I run out of fastest, since it’s so universal. The same base makes cream of mushroom and cream of chicken too, so one batch covers three different soups depending on what you stir in.

How to Use This

Use it exactly like a can of store-bought cream of broccoli soup. This batch is equivalent to one small can, if a recipe calls for more, just double the recipe as many times as needed.

This recipe is intentionally low sodium, so add salt to taste if you prefer more.

The recipe everyone actually makes this for: broccoli cheddar rice casserole. Stir this substitute together with shredded cheddar and cooked rice for a simple, comforting side, it works exactly like the canned version in that recipe. It’s also great in soups, pasta bakes, or as a quick sauce over chicken.

Storage

The dry mix: store in an airtight container to keep it from going stale. Properly stored, it lasts for months, though in my experience it usually gets used up long before that becomes an issue. This is the airtight container I use.

The broccoli: a few options depending on your setup. Fresh broccoli stored in the fridge, frozen broccoli in the freezer, or freeze-dried broccoli stored right in the pantry. Whichever you choose, keeping air off it helps it stay fresh longer, submerging fresh broccoli in water, vacuum sealing frozen broccoli, or vacuum sealing freeze-dried broccoli in mason jars all work well.

The finished soup: once made, store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. It’ll thicken further as it cools, whisk in a splash of water or milk when reheating.

Here are all my favorite kitchen tools for this process.

Want to build a from-scratch kitchen without the overwhelm? I put together a free guide for exactly that. It’s called the From-Scratch Pantry Starter Guide, grab it below.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the finished soup last? Up to a week in the fridge in an airtight container. It’ll thicken as it sits, just whisk in extra water or milk when reheating.

Is this gluten-free? It depends on how your Cream of Soup Base was made, check that recipe’s notes for the gluten-free option if that matters for your diet.

Can I use frozen broccoli instead of fresh? Yes, just cook and drain it well first, same as you would with fresh.

Can I make this dairy-free? Yes, as long as your Cream of Soup Base batch was made with coconut or almond milk powder instead of regular powdered milk.

Does this taste like the canned version? Better, most people find, since you’re using real broccoli and controlling the seasoning rather than relying on fillers.

Other “Cream Of” Flavors to Try

This base mixture is genuinely universal, the same one behind the entire “cream of” section of the soup aisle. Also try Cream of Mushroom Soup and Cream of Chicken Soup, both made from the exact same base.

Got a “cream of” flavor you’d like to see next? Let me know in the comments, I’m always taking requests.

Conclusion

This is the dry mix I reach for constantly, one base, three soups, and a shelf that used to hold a stack of cans now holding almost nothing at all.

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