Cream of Onion Soup Substitute
Tired of using salty condensed soups in your casseroles? Then use our homemade cream of onion soup instead and add as little or as much salt as you want!
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Imagine digging into a plate of fiesta chicken casserole only to be overwhelmed with the flavor of salt.
But, you can avoid that problem by making your own cream of onion substitute!
Best of all, once you learn to make a cream of soup base, you can use that to create any sort of soup you need. Like cream of bacon soup!
If you need a baking mix recipe, then try our homemade bisquick mix.
How to make cream of onion soup?
Start by whisking the milk and flour together in a small bowl until it’s smooth with no lumps, then set it aside. Use your whisk for this step because it will help break up the flour.
Next, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low to medium heat, then add the onions. I like to let them cook slowly, stirring every so often, until they’re soft and the edges pick up a little golden brown color. That’s where a lot of the flavor in this soup comes from, so don’t rush this part.
Once the onions have caramelized a bit, pour in the broth, chicken or vegetable both work here (vegetable broth keeps the soup vegetarian), along with the garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, and bring it to a simmer.
Then I whisk in the milk and flour mixture a little at a time, stirring the whole time so it doesn’t clump up. It takes about 3 to 5 minutes to thicken. I know it’s ready when it coats the back of a spoon and has thickened significantly.
Last, I turn off the heat, and that’s it, our cream of onion soup substitute is ready to use anywhere a recipe calls for the canned version.
Cream of Onion Soup Substitute Recipe Tips:
- If you wish to eat this recipe as a regular soup, then consider adding a cup of extra broth to thin it out a little.
- While the recipe can be made in a pressure cooker, it’s easier to do it on the stove-top.
- Feel free to add extras to the recipe like cooked bacon, sautéed mushrooms, or anything else you desire.
How to Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup white onion, diced or thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¾ cup low sodium vegetable broth, or chicken broth
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
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Instructions
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the milk and flour until smooth. Set aside.½ cup milk¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Heat a medium saucepan over low-medium heat. Melt the butter in the pan, then add the onions. Stir the onions every couple of minutes until they begin to caramelize and brown slightly.1 tablespoon unsalted butter½ cup white onion
- After the onions caramelize a bit, add the broth, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, and allow the broth to come to a simmer.¾ cup low sodium vegetable broth⅛ teaspoon garlic powder⅛ teaspoon smoked paprikaSalt and pepper
- When the broth begins to simmer, pour in the milk and flour mixture and stir constantly until the soup thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Use the soup in place of canned cream of onion soup in casseroles or other dishes. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days until ready to use.
Notes
- The calories listed are an approximation based on the total recipe. Since it is intended to be used as a full substitute for canned soup, individual serving sizes were not calculated. Actual calories will vary.
- The soup can be stored in your fridge, in a sealed container, for up to 4 days.
I made this for the first time after learning all the unheathy ingredients they put in store bought soup. This was by far much better, fresh, tasty and cream. I would only add a bit more salt.
Thanks so much, Angela! We’re happy you liked it. Have a wonderful day! 🙂
I tried your recipe today because I needed a can of Cream of Onion soup and didn’t have any. It tastes pretty close! I wanted to thank you for adding the ingredients within the directions. That is the first time I’ve seen an author do that and it was so helpful! Thank you for helping me with this substitution!
Thank you Angela! We try to make things as easy on our users as possible. We’re glad you like the extra info. Thank you again for commenting and have a great day!
Your print button doesn’t work. It just takes me back to the top. I want to make this. Looks good.
Good morning Susan, let me apologize for the late response. We’ve been having some tech issues on our site that affected our comments section. As far as the print recipe button is concerned, we will look into it ASAP. If we can’t fix it, we can reach out to the app developer and have him take a look at the issue. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. In the meantime, you can always bookmark or favorite the recipe page in your browser. That way, you can return to it with a single push of a button. I hope this information helps. Have a lovely Friday!
Is this recipe equal to one can of soup?
Hi Rose!
Yes, it’s approximately the same amount. We use it in place of 1 can of cream of onion soup in dishes that call for a 10 ½ ounce can. It works great! Have a great night! 🙂
So thankful, and excited I stumbled across your Cream of Chicken, Cream of Celery, and Cream of Onion Soup Substitutes! Who likes spending all that extra money at the store when you need soup for a casserole! As seniors on a budget, these are a great find and I usually have all the ingredients on hand! I sent hubby to the store and he came back without my cream of onion soup! Rather than give him a lecture or go without making my casserole, I did a google search and you popped up! Yippeee Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Tracee!
We’re so glad these worked out for you! They work great in casseroles and are so easy to whip up. Thanks so much for the comment, and we hope you have a wonderful week! 🙂
I am curious if you make a large enough batch of this soup if it can be canned and save to have later so that you don’t have to make a new batch each time
Good Morning Maxine, that’s a good question. Unfortunately, we know nothing about canning vegetables, soups, or anything like that. So, I’m unable to answer the question. Kim and I chatted, and we feel like freezing the soup might an option. Also, you might want to try a Google search (if you haven’t already), there might be some information available about canning cream of onion soup. I hope these suggestions help. Thank you for coming by to ask the question. Have a lovely day 🙂