To help you add more whole foods to your diet, I’ve compiled some recipe links and tips to substitute fresh ingredients when the recipe calls for canned.
I know many of us love easy recipes where you can just open up a few cans, mix ’em together with some seasonings, maybe add some rice or pasta and voila! You have a tasty soup or casserole. That’s great when you are pressed for time, but what if you want to do the opposite and use more fresh ingredients instead of canned?
I had a reader ask me this exact question: “My husband and I have been talking about eating more whole foods. A lot of the recipes that I have call for cans and other processed foods. I have been trying to figure out if I can substitute whole foods for cans and [use] recipes that only call for whole foods. It seems like a lot of my recipes call for cans of black beans, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, enchilada sauce and diced tomatoes. I would love to know healthy substitutes for these.”
In today’s post I will share with you some tips and recipes I have compiled to substituting fresh ingredients when the recipe calls for canned. This can vary greatly, depending on the canned product, but overall can be relatively simple.
For example, switching out canned blueberries for fresh in some muffins is pretty easy, but what if it calls for something a little more complex? Well, it turns out it’s not really that hard – in fact quite simple – and tastes SO much better!
As I started writing this post I had compiled so much information for you all that it was WAY too long. So to save you from having to sort through a novel of a post, I’ve decided to break it up into several posts. I will start you out with a few recipes to replace canned cream of chicken soup, how to make chicken stock from scratch, and how to make homemade enchilada sauce.
In the days and weeks to come I will continue adding additional posts with ideas to incorporate more whole, fresh foods into your diet. So stay tuned!
That Cream of Chicken Recipe calls for chicken broth…how do I make that from scratch?
If you want to make your own chicken or vegetable stock, it really isn’t as hard as it might seem. And to make it more cost effective, you are able to use the leftovers and unwanted food scraps from other meals you have made.
When I worked for Temple Square Hospitality in both The Lion House and JSMB catering kitchens, we made our own chicken stock from leftover chicken carcasses, the ends of celery that didn’t look pretty enough to be plated and served to guests, and other vegetable “scraps” that still have plenty of flavor in them and are perfectly suitable for making stock.
While making your own chicken stock may take more time, it is well worth it in the end and can be used for multiple future recipes and meals. Here is a recipe from The Food Network by Alton Brown. Remember that all recipes can be tweaked to suit your own taste preferences.
You can also check out my tips on making homemade stock, including which vegetables are best to use and which ones to avoid in my book, The Healthy Family Cookbook (affiliate link).
Is there anything I can use in place of cream of chicken soup?
If you are looking to swap out those cans of gooey ‘cream of whatever’ soup for something less processed and little healthier, here is a great recipe from Buns in My Oven.
Easy Semi Homemade Blueberry Pie Using Canned Blueberries | Freezable
FAQ
Can you substitute fresh blueberries for canned?
Do you have to rinse canned blueberries?
Can you use frozen blueberries in place of fresh?
How long do canned blueberries last?