GF Cooks and the Cream of Mushroom Soup Dilemma

 

 

Ah, yes! We Americans love our Cream of Mushroom soup. It’s the gloppy substance that we have come to know so well.  We rely on it to “complete” us. But there’s a love/hate relationship that lies within us regarding this ultimate American shortcut. We love our foods smothered in this creamy concoction, yet the foods we love are often unrecognizable after being covered with this soupy stuff.

The kind of food we would devour in days of yore is now found in a can. This is one of the signature ingredients in most tasty dishes that are all too easy to prepare. And my heart sinks when I see the ingredient list and the first thing to jump out of the page is the line: “1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup.” I say this knowing that if you are GF you can’t have this. It’s got wheat in it.

In my case, it’s a double whammy because I can’t have the milk either. So…what do you do? You pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try like mad to find a suitable substitute for the elusive pimpernel known as Cream of Mushroom Soup.

 I remember many times watching my grandmother standing over a stove wearing an apron and stirring. And stirring. She was making a white sauce. That is the type of food that takes patience and a bit of skill to prepare. And if you are gluten-free, that is exactly what you need to replace the glorious flavor found in Cream of Mushroom soup.

 

The Vita-Mix blender does come in handy. You can whip up a white sauce fairly fast. And it does taste pretty good. Or I will "cheat" at times and use the rotation method where I simply eat off my GF diet. That can only take you so far.

 

 

 

You must be inventive and there are ways and ways to get round this. I have tried healthy organic versions of Cream of Mushroom that end up in the deep-6 file (the trash) PDQ. And then there are some cases where substitutes will work. Mayonnaise is a wonderful blend, but it’s just not the same as the cream of mushroom soup. Damn it, that goopy stuff does taste good! That’s why people like us… (by us I’m talking about lazy Americans who really don’t like to cook), use this substance. It takes a lot of the guesswork and complicated measuring out of the cooking process. You just dump it in and mix it around whatever you happen to be cooking and….voila! Supper is ready!

I still use this canned goop in some recipes. That is because I can’t find adequate substitutes that taste good and are quick and easy. So the good ol’ Cream of Mushroom soup is still in some of the holiday dishes and staples found in my upcoming cookbook. If you are severely allergic to wheat, as are those with celiac disease, then you cannot use Cream of Mushroom soup. But don’t despair. There are plenty of alternatives listed and the white sauce is better than the creamy glop. You may have to invest in a very good blender, but it will be well worth it in the end.