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Diced onions on a cutting board.

Homemade Cream of Onion Soup Substitute

Cooking, Recipes, Soup

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Looking for a savory onion soup for your dinner? This hearty cream of onion soup whips up in just a few minutes and is delicious. 

Wooden bench knife scooping onions up and putting them into a bowl.

Why I Love This Recipe

Homemade cream of onion soup substitute is a must-have recipe! This healthy substitute works wonderfully in a casserole, soup, Instant pot, slow cooker, and sauce recipes without any of the junk of store-bought canned versions. Plus, it's extremely frugal and fast to make with standard pantry ingredients you probably already have at home.

Cream of mushroom soup with a bowl of mushrooms on a table.

What Can I Substitute for Cream of Onion Soup

Looking for a different cream of soup flavor? Try my cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, cream of celery or gluten-free cream of anything soup recipes too. They are just as easy and delectable. You won’t ever need to buy them from the store again!

Health Benefits

I love doing something great for my family’s health. Who’s with me? I used to buy condensed Campbell's Cream of Onion soup until I took the time to look at the ingredients.

With MSG and questionable ingredients like added flavoring, I knew I needed to find a better option. Now that I make this homemade version with just 6 whole-food ingredients, I am confident that my family is eating quality food.

Cast iron pan with green bean casserole and a wooden spoon.

How to Use This Soup Recipe

This rich and creamy onion soup is great served with a piece of crusty bread to dip in it and a garnish of grated cheddar cheese. Pair it with my Easy No Knead Artisan Bread Recipe and you’ll have an easy comfort food meal.

Here’s a sneak peek of a couple of other great recipes you can use cream of onion soup in.

  • Green Bean Casserole – From Scratch
  • Thin Crust Chicken Veggie Pizza – My original recipe has no red sauce. Try using this soup as the sauce for a surprisingly delicious pizza sauce.

Click here for more delicious homemade recipes with your copy of Hand Made, and see what others have to say!

Diced onions on a cutting board.

Ingredients Needed & Substitutions

  • 3 Tablespoons Butter (or non-dairy substitute like coconut oil)
  • 3 or 4 Tablespoons Flour. If you need a gluten free version, I’ve got you covered.
  • ½ Cup of Chicken Broth. You can use chicken stock or Homemade Bone Broth for a truly exceptional soup.
  • ½ Cup of Milk. Try using heavy creams (like whipping cream or heavy cream) to make it even more smooth and rich. For dairy free, switch out the milk for full fat unsweetened coconut milk.
  • ¼ tsp of Salt & a dash of Pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder (or garlic powder to make Cream of Garlic Soup)

What is in Condensed French Onion Soup

French onion soup is the savory, non-dairy cousin of cream of onion soup. It has beef broth, onion powder, butter, flour or other thickeners, and a few other seasonings like parsley and paprika. Try substituting beef broth for the chicken broth and milk in this recipe and garnish with parsley and paprika for a homemade French Onion Soup.

Homemade condensed cream of soup in a bowl.

Directions

It really only takes a few minutes to whip this up. Grab a pot and your 6 ingredients.

  1. Melt butter (or other fat) in a large pot over medium heat. (If you want to add some caramelized onions, toss in about ½ cup of freshly diced sweet onions and caramelize them in the butter.)
  2. Whisk in the flour to make a thick paste, stirring constantly so that the butter doesn’t brown or burn.
  3. To the butter and onion mixture add the milk or cream and simmer (but do not bring to a boil)  over medium-low heat for just a couple of minutes. If it is too thick, add more liquid. Remember, it will get thicker as it cools. 
  4. Now reduce heat and season with salt and dash of pepper.
  5. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly before serving. 

That's it! Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. Then snap a picture and tag me on social media @melissaknorris so I can see!

A table filled with onions ready for storage.

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Homemade condensed cream of soup in a bowl.

Cream of Onion Soup

Melissa Norris
Looking for a savory onion soup for your dinner? This hearty cream of onion soup whips up in just a few minutes and is delicious. 
No ratings yet
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Prep Time 1 min
Cook Time 4 mins
Total Time 5 mins
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 3 servings
Calories 166 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 Tablespoons butter or coconut oil for non-dairy
  • 3 Tablespoons flour plus one more Tablespoon, if needed
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth or beef broth
  • 1/2 cup milk or heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • dash pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 cup chopped onions optional

Instructions
 

  • Melt butter (or other fat) in a large pot over medium heat. (If you want to add some caramelized onions, toss in about ½ cup of freshly diced sweet onions and caramelize them in the butter.)
  • Whisk in the flour to make a thick paste, stirring constantly so that the butter doesn’t brown or burn.
  • To the butter and onion mixture add the milk or cream and simmer (but do not bring to a boil)  over medium-low heat for just a couple of minutes. If it is too thick, add more liquid. Remember, it will get thicker as it cools.
  • Now reduce heat and season with salt and dash of pepper.
  • Remove from heat and let it cool slightly before serving.

Notes

  • Be sure to check out my other cream of soups:
    • Cream of Mushroom
    • Cream of Chicken
    • Cream of Celery
    • Gluten-Free Cream of Anything Soup

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cupCalories: 166kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 3gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 446mgPotassium: 122mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 417IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 0.4mg
Keyword Cream of Onion Soup
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Melissa Norris

Melissa K. Norris inspires people's faith and pioneer roots with her books, podcast, and blog. Melissa lives with her husband and two children in their own little house in the big woods in the foothills of the North Cascade Mountains. When she's not wrangling chickens and cattle, you can find her stuffing Mason jars with homegrown food and playing with flour and sugar in the kitchen.

Read more about Melissa

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