Make Your Own Onion Soup Mix
I dont know about you, but I have a few favorite recipes that include dry Lipton onion soup mix. Id rather use a homemade onion soup mix that has better ingredients. And it would be nice to have a gluten free Lipton onion soup mix recipe so I started trying out different onion soup mix recipes to find the very best one.
As with all DIY homemade mixes, you get to be more in control of the ingredients. This homemade dry onion soup mix can be gluten free, low carb, and dairy free. And if you already have the ingredients on hand, it can be a lot easier to whip up a batch of homemade onion soup mix than to run to the grocery store!
The bouillon is a big part of the recipe, so be sure that you check over the ingredients and choose one that you like. There arent very many healthier bouillon products out there, but you should be able to find one or two options that are a little bit better than the norm. This is the beef bouillon that I use is gluten-free and also comes in a sodium-free version!
Celery seed is kind of an unusual ingredient in my mind. I mean, I didnt even know that celery has seeds. But I actually already have a small container on hand because I use it in my favorite sloppy joe recipe. If you have celery seed, it is a great addition to this onion soup mix recipe!
I like this onion soup mix with some garlic powder, but that is just my personal preference. Feel free to leave the garlic powder out if you arent a big fan of garlic.
Other Uses For Onion Soup Mix
- Classic Onion Dip Add 2 tbsp homemade Onion Soup Mix to 8 oz of sour cream and stir until completely combined. Chill until ready to serve.
- Chicken Marinade For a flavorful marinade, add 1 tbsp of Onion Soup Mix and 1 tbsp oil, per pound of chicken for maximum flavor
- Roasted Veggies Vegetables like bell pepper, squash, cauliflower, and broccoli can be tossed with Onion Soup Mix and oil and then baked on a sheet pan at 425F for 15-20 minutes for super flavorful and healthy side dish.
- Potatoes Add 2 tbsp onion soup mix and 3 tbsp oil to 2 pounds of red or yukon gold potatoes that have been quartered. Baked at 425F for about 30-40 minutes.
- Juicy Burgers Add 1 tbsp per pound of meat to your hamburgers for extra flavor and juiciness.
Storing Your Beefy Onion Soup Mix
Because all of the ingredients are in dry format, this mix will keep for quite some time if you are careful to store it in a cool, dry place.
If you live in an area where humidity is high, youll want to keep this in an airtight container to extend the shelf life.
Typical shelf life should be 6-12 months, depending on the storage environment.
Read Also: Campbell Soup Recipe For Chicken And Rice
How To Store And Freeze
- Transfer leftover cooked meatloaf to a shallow covered container within 2 hours. Refrigerate the leftovers for up to 4 days. Reheat leftover meatloaf in the oven or microwave until it reaches 165 F, the minimum safe temperature for leftover cooked food.
- If you don’t plan to use the leftovers within a few days, it may be frozen. Freeze cooked, cooled meatloaf in airtight containers or zip-close bags for up to 3 months.
- To reheat frozen meatloaf, put it in a baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Heat in a preheated 350 F oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until it reaches 165 F.
How Can You Save More When Making This Recipe
Consider these strategies from the Good Cheap Eats System to help you lower your costs even more:
- Use what you have. While the onion flakes, salt, and pepper are required for the recipe, you can take a little liberality with the other spices, swapping in whatever youve got in the house, such as oregano for the thyme, chili powder for the paprika, and onion powder for the garlic powder.
- Make a plan for leftover ingredients. One batch of this mix will probably serve you for at least two recipes. Make sure to use it all so as not to waste it.
- Visit the store with the best prices. The cost of herbs and spices can vary widely from store to store. Compare prices so you know where to stock up.
- Check the sales and clearance. When you see great prices, load up on these ingredients so you can have your own onion soup mix whenever you want.
- Buy spices in bulk. I love shopping at Costco to save a few dollars. Instead of paying a few dollars for a small jar of garlic powder or onion flakes, I buy larger container for even less!
#GOODCHEAPEATS
- In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.
- Store in an airtight container.
- To use, stir into recipes as you would commercial onion soup mix .
Recommended Reading: Lipton Dry Onion Soup Mix Rice
Homemade Delicious And Tested
So I set out to find a recipe that tastes like the packet kind but where I could control the sodium. And for that, I had to find sodium-free beef bouillion cubes or granules. I easily found it at Walmart. So I whipped this up and then tested it in a couple of recipes. And I gotta say, not only did it taste amazing, it worked seamlessly and I couldn’t even tell the difference between the two. It might’ve actually been a tad bit better.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED:
What Are The Ingredients In Lipton’s Onion Soup Mix
The ingredients in Lipton’s onion soup mix include onions, salt, cornstarch, onion powder and salt. Some of the other main ingredients are autolyzed yeast extract, caramel color, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, monosodium glutmate and corn syrup. The mix also contains disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate and sulfur dioxide.
Lipton also carries beefy onion, onion mushroom and golden onion soup mixes, all of which have varying ingredients. For instance, beefy onion soup mix has wheat flour while onion and mushroom soup contains mushrooms.
Lipton onion soup mix can be used to make a variety of dishes ranging from soups and dips and can also serve as a primary ingredient in beef pot roast. To make beef pot roast, combine a pot roast and 2 envelopes of Lipton onion soup mix in a slow cooker. Top with baby carrots, new potatoes and 2 cups of water, and cook at low heat for up to 10 hours.
To make rather than purchase onion soup mix, combine 3 tablespoons of dried minced onion, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/8 teaspoon of celery seeds, 1/4 teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of celery flakes in a container. Add 4 teaspoons of beef bouillon granules, and season with freshly ground black pepper. Use the mix in place of 1 envelope of Lipton’s onion soup mix.
Don’t Miss: Red Potatoes And Lipton Onion Soup Mix
How To Make The Best French Onion Soup
There are two essential components of a good French onion soup.
The first is the stock. Your soup will only be as good as the stock you are using. This soup traditionally is made with beef stock, though sometimes a good beef stock can be hard to come by and expensive to make.
If you use boxed stock, taste it first! If you don’t like the taste, don’t use it.
The second most important element is to properly caramelize the onions. Caramelizing the amount of onions needed in this recipe will take at least 40 minutes. Caramelizing is a chemical process that occurs when the sugars in the onions reach a certain temperature.
This only happens after a long cooking time . The more caramelized, the deeper the color of the onions and the more flavor you’ll get from them.
History Of Onion Soup
You may be surprised to find out that this delicious soup has a really lengthy history. Experts seem to agree that onion soup has been made and eaten since ancient Roman times! But wait, why is onion soup considered such a French classic today? Thats because the modern day version of onion soup, often called French onion soup, was introduced in 18th century Paris, France.
To this day, its easy to find onion soup on restaurant menus in Paris and other parts of France as well as around the entire world. It will likely be served in ramekins with gratinee with baguette slices on the side.
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Homemade Onion Soup Mix The Easy Way
I have to admit that for years of my life it would have NEVER dawned on me to make onion soup mix from scratch. Why not just use a perfectly good envelope of Lipton Onion Soup Mix?
Well, I am not against it, and I still do sometimes, BUT there are a few really great reasons to make onion soup mix from scratch instead!
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Read Also: Lipton Soup Pot Roast Recipe
Beefy Onion Soup Mix Ingredients
Simple ingredients for superb tastes!
- Dried Onion: I prefer the chopped dried onion, more flavor and texture.
- Beef Bouillon: If you only have cubes, crush them into granules.
- Onion Powder: Gives that extra punch of onion.
- Dried Parsley: Flavor and color
- Paprika: Adds a nice mild flavor.
- Salt and Pepper: Add to taste.
Onion Soup Mix Ingredients
Once you have your spices on hand, you can start making your seasoning mixes! For onion soup mix the following 8 simple ingredients.
- dried onion flakes
- celery salt
- black pepper
If you prefer a more conventional mix, you can leave out the tumeric. If you like your mix on the sweeter side, you can add sugar. The beauty of a homemade seasoning mix is in the homemade!
I like to store my seasoning mixes in vintage jelly glass jars like this one because they dont have designs on the glass and the labels will adhere easily. Seal your mix with an airtight lid and store it in a cool, dry place. When ready to use, shake it up a little and use it.
Don’t Miss: Low Sodium French Onion Soup Mix
Whats In Homemade Onion Soup Mix
Well, if youre buying it from the store, a whole bunch of weird stuff. However, making your own, you have the control! Heres whats in this recipe :
- dried onion flakes
- coconut sugar
- black pepper
- paprika
- celery seed
You might notice salt is not included in this list, either! I want you to be able to control the salt levels, and if youre adding this to soup with a beef broth, that may add all the salt you need. If you make dip, give it a taste and add salt as needed!
As soon as I first made this recipe and tried it as French onion dip, I immediately bought more onion flakes and filled up a whole jar with this mixture. I know you guys are going to do the same, too.
You can also use this onion soup mix as a handy and quick way to season recipes like homemade beef stew, vegetable soup, or pot roast.
More Homemade Spice Blends:
Homemade Onion Soup Mix Faqs
What is in onion soup mix?
Most commercial varieties on the market have the basics: dehydrated onions, onion powder, a LOT of salt and sodium, some sugar, and then several flavor additives and sometimes fillers. While some do not list gluten-containing ingredients, they generally cannot be relied upon to be gluten-free, and many state that they contain milk.
Can this onion soup mix be made gluten-free?
Yup! Sure can. Because this recipe does not use fillers and additives, you have much more control over your ingredients. Youll need to find gluten-free options for each ingredient, which generally arent too hard to find as many of them are naturally gluten-free. But pay special attention to make sure your beef bouillon does not contain any gluten!
How long will this mix last?
If stored in a cool, dry place and kept as air-tight as possible, this mix can easily last 6-12 months. If you live in a very humid environment, you may find that you get a slightly shorter shelf-life out of it.
Here are some great recipes where you can use this copycat Lipton onion soup mix:
Also Check: Onion Soup Mix Dip Recipe
How To Use Dry Onion Soup Mix
This simple and delicious seasoning can be used to add flavor tons of recipes. Apart from the most obvious, here are a few more ways to enhance your favorite recipes.
- Add 1 tablespoon to this Instant Pot Brown Rice
- Mix with this oil-free salad dressing to make a delicious marinade for veggies and tofu
- Add it to some hot veggie broth for a simple and healthy French Onion Soup
How Much Homemade Soup Mix Do You Add For A Packet
You will probably not need a one-to-one substitution for the dry mix. Keep in mind that the mixture is based on onion flakes. Two tablespoons of onion flakes is the equivalent of 1/2 onion.
Start with the following and adjust to suit your tastes.
Onion dip: 2 tablespoons of the mix to 1/2 cup sour cream
Pot roast: 4 tablespoons sprinkled over a pot roast plus 1/4 cup water
Soup, stew, or chili: 3 to 4 tablespoons
Meatloaf or meatballs: for every pound of meat add 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1 egg, and 2 tablespoons tomato sauce or ketchup
Burgers: for every pound of meat add 2 tablespoons
Don’t Miss: Red Potatoes And Lipton Onion Soup Mix
How To Make Onion Soup
So how do you make this French onion soup? Its actually super easy. First, youre going to make some caramelized onions. This is a really important step to any good onion soup because the caramelized onions are the rich and delicious star of the show. If you dont caramelize the onions first, this soup would turn out to be really unimpressive to say the least.
Next, youll add in your chicken broth and beef broth. If you have chicken or beef stock on hand, those can work too. All thats left to do now is add some seasoning, bring it to a boil and then allow for some cooking time so this onion soup can reach its ultimate rich and flavorful potential. Lets get started.
To begin, in a large stockpot over medium heat, melt the ghee. Then add in the sliced onions. If you want, you can replace the ghee with grass-fed butter or avocado oil. While some onion soups contain olive oil, I dont recommend substituting olive oil because it does not have a high heat threshold.
Cook the onions until theyre lightly caramelized, then add in the broths and garlic. Add salt and pepper and try a sip so you can adjust to taste.
Then crank up the heat so the mixture boils. Once its bubbling, reduce the temperature and let the onion soup simmer for 3035 minutes. The longer it simmers, the more flavor youll be rewarded with. In fact, you could even turn this into a slow cooker recipe.
Serve this classic French onion soup recipe hot and enjoy!
Total Time
How Many Tablespoons Equals One Packet Of Lipton Onion Soup Mix
There are about 3 tablespoons in a Lipton onion soup packet, give or take a smidge. In most recipes, you can eyeball the amount and use a little more or a little less without worry of ruining the recipe.
The only thing to be mindful of is salt content. If the recipe calls for additional salt, add the soup mix and then season with salt accordingly. Adding both could make it to too salty. Same goes for recipes using broth, opt for a low-sodium broth so you can control the saltiness.
Don’t Miss: Lipton Onion Soup Mix Nutrition Label
A Few Notes On The Ingredients:
Dry minced onion I keep these on hand at all times in my kitchen. To be honest, whenever a recipe calls for onions, this is almost always what I use because I do not usually keep fresh onions around. You can find these at any grocery store.
Beef bouillon You can use powdered or granules in this recipe. You can also use bouillon cubes and just crush them before adding them to your mix. Granules and cubes can be found at any grocery store, although powdered bouillon is harder to find.
Pro Tip: If you are needing a low-sodium substitute for onion soup mix , make sure to use a brand of beef bouillon that is low-sodium or sodium-free. Herb Ox makes a great sodium-free bouillon.
Celery seed I prefer to grind my celery seeds. I keep a small coffee grinder around for grinding spices. Or you can place them on a cutting board and crush them carefully with the bottom of a glass or cup.
