Cream of shrimp soup is basically the cream soup that uses shrimp as the main ingredient. These cream soups are made with a combination of milk, half and a half, cream, and light cream. In addition, it is flavored with seasonings, such as butter, onion, garlic, bacon drippings, celery, wine, and salt. The seasonings might vary with the recipe. However, if you cannot find the cream of shrimp soup, we are sharing some substitutes with you!
Substitute For Cream Of Shrimp Soup
- Sour Cream
Cream of shrimp soup is widely used as a flavoring, which is why we are sharing information about sour cream as it can be used as a flavoring. Sour cream is a great binder, which helps pull multiple ingredients into the pasta dish or casseroles. It is recommended that you use sour cream in bean-based recipes that include cheese. In addition, sour cream can be used as a substitute for creamed veggies, especially when it is flavored with different spices. To replace one can of cream of shrimp soup, you can opt for one cup of sour cream.
- Chicken Broth
If you don’t want to use sour cream, you can also use chicken broth but make sure you opt for condensed chicken broth. This is because the regular broth doesn’t have a full and rich body – at least, it won’t be enough to replace the cream of shrimp soup. Having said that, you can opt for condensed chicken broth or mix the chicken broth with flour to increase its thickness. In fact, if you have some seafood-based flavored cubes, you can add them to the broth to add the shrimp-like flavor.
- Plain Yogurt
Plain yogurt is a perfect choice for people who only want to replicate the thick texture of cream of shrimp soup. This is because it doesn’t have the shrimp or seafood flavor, but it has a low-calorie count and a higher calcium content. It can be used as a thickener, and in fact, you should opt for Greek yogurt as it’s thicker as compared to fresh yogurt. In addition, you can run the Greek yogurt through the paper towel to extract moisture before it’s added to the dish. All in all, you can use plain yogurt as a replacement for the cream of shrimp soup in chicken and rice recipes.
- Roux
Roux is a well-known binder that’s a combination of fat and flour – these two ingredients are blended over the stovetop. It is commonly used as a thickener and has a mild nutty flavor, which can change the recipe’s flavor. The best thing about roux is that it freezes well, which means you can make some batches and freeze the portions for easier use. However, you can also make the roux by mixing equal amounts of oil or fat and flour or starch. In addition, you should begin by heating the fat to melt it and then add starch while whisking everything constantly. Once prepared, you can use it as a thickener for the recipes.
- Whipping Cream
If you are still looking for a replacement for the cream of shrimp soup, you can also use whipping cream. The whipping cream can be combined with chicken stock to enhance the flavor and make sure it adds flavor to the recipe. It’s recommended that you opt for shelf-stable whipping cream as you can keep it in the pantry. Whipping cream has a velvety texture, but you must add some flavoring to overcome the bland flavor. In addition to chicken stock, you can also add some seasonings to create umami flavor.
- Thickening Agents
If you only need to use cream of shrimp soup to thicken the texture of the recipe, you can opt for regular thickening agents. The thickening agents can add texture to casseroles, stews, and sauces. For instance, if you have to make recipes like gumbo, you can opt for wheat-based thickeners, while cornstarch-based thickeners are recommended for Asian stir-fries.
- Creamed Soups
In case you have a stocked-up pantry, there are high chances that you have other canned creamy soups available. Having said that, you can use any creamed soup to replace the cream of shrimp soup as it will add creaminess and subtle flavor. For instance, cream of celery soup is perfect if you are preparing something with beef or meat!