Description

Cream of chicken soup is a common type of canned soup made from chicken. It is one of the most versatile products, which should surely be in your kitchen. Dr. John T. Dorrance, a chemist with the Campbell Soup Company invented condensed soup in 1897. The Campbell Soup Company began producing "Cream of Mushroom Soup" in 1934. Today, Campbell's Tomato, Cream of Mushroom and Chicken cream soups are three of the most popular soups in America.Cream of chicken soup is often used as a base ingredient in many casseroles and comfort foods. This easy-to-find and inexpensive canned soup forms a main ingredient for thickening gravies, rice casseroles, chicken dishes and can be even relished in itself as hot soup with toasted wheat breads. It enhances flavor, thickens or thins, and makes superb gravy. Because of its high usability, great shelf life, and cheap price, canned cream of chicken soup is quite popular.

How to select

While selecting the canned soup, look carefully at the nutritional labeling and the expiry date. Avoid selecting the cans which are bulging or dented (may cause food poisoning) or if the can appears to be rusted or leaking.

Culinary uses

Cream of Chicken Soup is used as a staple for many recipes.
" Open the can of chicken soup and pour it in a pan. Bring the soup to a simmer. You may prefer to dilute it as per your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The same procedure may be followed by placing the pan in a microwave and heating it for aminute or so.
" The soups are often used as a simple base for homemade soups, with the flexibility of adding anything from a few vegetables to eggs, vegetables and pasta.
" Chicken soup gets really useful when you use it as a base for sauces. You can basically use it to make anything from Chicken stew to Tuna Casserole to Smothered Chicken. What makes a difference is the amount of dilution and what you use to dilute it (water, milk, chicken stock).
" The Cream of Chicken soup may be added for rice preparations like chicken fried rice, where it is made a bit thinner and mixes superbly with the rice.
" Chicken tortilla soup can be prepared by using canned soup, beans, and tomatoes to help get dinner to the table quickly.
" Sour cream and cream of chicken soup make a tasty sauce for these cheesy chicken enchiladas.

How to store

Canned cream of chicken soup should be placed in a cool and dry cupboard. When opened they must be refrigerated in a plastic, glass or ceramic container.

Health benefits

" One serving of canned cream of chicken soup has a total Calorie count of 302 Calories. This breaks down as 178 Calories from Fat, 94 Calories from Carbohydrate, and 29 Calories from Protein.
" This soup is usually high in sodium and trans fats content. However, the manufactures have come up with low salt and no trans fat versions as well.
" You can improve the health benefits by adding vegetables or tofu to the soup while cooking or diluting the soup to reduce the sodium content.