Cream of Whatever Soup Mix

(this is Maxine Von Risen’s recipe, from the Stamford (Nebr.) Centennial Cookbook, via soar.berkeley.edu)

2 c non-fat dry milk

3/4 c cornstarch

1/4 c instant chicken bouillon (veggie bouillon?)

2 T dried onion flakes

1 t crushed dried thyme

1 t crushed dried basil

1/2 t pepper

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

To use: To substitute for one can of condensed cream of something soup, mix 1/3 cup of dry mix with 1-1/4 c water in a saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened. Add cheese, mushroom bits, or celery to duplicate the canned soup called for in the recipe. In my not-so-humble opinion, there’s really not much difference in taste between the different kinds of cream of whatever soups. Mostly it’s just something that holds the casserole together. So, while it won’t hurt to add some mushrooms or celery or whatever, it probably isn’t necessary.