We’re all busy. You don’t have to make everything from scratch if you don’t want to. Just look for condensed cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup in the store. They work exactly the same way in recipes, and the flavor is close enough that only a real food snob will notice.
Or, pick up a jar of cream of chicken soup base (the kind in the powder aisle). A spoonful stirred into warm water gives you a rich, can-like result in seconds. I keep a jar in my pantry for those “I forgot to defrost anything” nights.
