Skip the packets of Lipton dry onion soup mix and make this homemade version instead. You need just 4 simple ingredients and you probably already have them in your pantry!
Growing up, my mom would almost always have a box of Lipton dry onion soup mix in the pantry.
I remember pretty clearly her using it for roasts and dips. Honestly, there’s a good chance that anything that tasted good likely had a packet of dry onion soup mix in it.
You could call it a childhood classic, or a home-style favorite. A lot like stove-top mac and cheese.
You can also call it unhealthy.
Sure, there are a lot of other unhealthy things we could be eating, but transitioning to a real food diet has to start somewhere. For me, it started with boxes of cake mix and saltine crackers.
(Here’s my recipe for homemade cake mix and homemade crackers, if you wanted to start there too.)
Or maybe it’s just looking at the tiny bag of store-bought dry onion soup mix and saying no more. No more fake stuff, no more packages, no more ingredients you can’t pronounce.
Is dry onion soup mix healthy?
Let’s take a look at the typical packet of Lipton onion soup mix:
Onions, salt, corn starch, onion powder, sugar, soy sauce (fermented soybeans, wheat, salt), caramel color, maltodextrin, corn syrup, yeast extract, high oleic sunflower oil, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate.
I’m going to be honest and admit that before writing this post, I had no idea what disodium guanylate or disodium inosinate were. So let’s set those aside for a moment and talk about what we can recognize right off the bat.
First, maltodextrin and yeast extract are fancy names for MSG (monosodium glutamate, a.k.a. glutamic acid).
You can find a full list of other fancy names for MSG here.
MSG is also number 5 on my list of top ingredients to avoid because it’s an excitotoxin, meaning it ramps up your nervous system.
It also causes a whole range of side effects, including headaches, nausea, drowsiness, and fatigue. For some people, MSG has the same side effects on the digestive system as someone who is gluten-free would have when they eat gluten!
Second, corn syrup.
Anytime I see “corn syrup” I automatically think “sugar.” People argue whether corn syrup is as bad as high fructose corn syrup, whether it’s really sugar, or whether it’s harmful at all.
But here’s my stance. Corn syrup is made in a factory, by man and NOT found in nature. To me, that means it’s not real food (and is ultimately processed sugar.)
Third and finally, disodium guanylate and disodium inosinate.
According to Wikipedia, both are food additives that always appear with MSG. The former is not safe for babies under 12 weeks and should be avoided by asthmatics and people with gout.
Let’s ditch the package and make this from scratch, okay?
We can have classic, home-style cooking that IS healthy! Plus when you make food from scratch, you almost always save money.
One of the core principles of my course Grocery Budget Bootcamp is making food from scratch when it makes sense. Homemade soup mix fits the criteria!
Dry Onion Soup Mix Ingredients
The main players in dry onion soup mix are all easy to find pantry ingredients:
- Onion Flakes. Also known as dehydrated onion and come in various sizes, depending on the store you’re shopping at.
- Onion Powder. Also known as granulated onion. This is a super fine powder that looks like garlic powder if you don’t read the label properly. (Ask me how I know!)
- Ground Celery Seed. Not SUPER common, but necessary if you want that classic flavor that only packaged dry onion soup mix can give. If you have whole celery seed, you’ll want to grind them up with a mortar and pestle before making this recipe. (You can use celery seed in homemade chicken stock and in homemade breakfast sausage too.)
- Beef Bullion. Be sure to check the ingredient list on your bullion for chemical ingredients. Even some organic brands I’ve seen have MSG in them. You can also use a homemade beef bouillon cube recipe.
You may notice that I only listed 4 main ingredients so far. That’s because that’s all you REALLY need to make dry onion soup mix. All the other ingredients are optional.
I do, however, recommend adding the other ingredients listed because it really is good!
The only item I’d still consider “optional” would be the salt. Whether or not you add it depends on the type of bullion you’re using, and what you’re making. Remember that you can always add more salt, but once it’s in, you can’t take it out!
Additional Homemade Onion Soup Mix Tips
- If you use this recipe for instant soup, use homemade stock or beef broth instead of beef bouillon and avoid the too-much-salt situation entirely.
- To make this dry mix vegetarian or vegan, substitute vegetable bouillon instead of beef.
- One ¼ cup serving is the equivalent to one envelope of dry onion soup mix.
- This recipe is a bigger batch. Not massive, but you’ll get at least 3 servings out of it.
- I like to make a big batch and store it in the spice cabinet in a re-purposed jar. Then I scoop out 4 Tablespoons (equivalent to ¼ cup) for whatever recipe I’m making (here’s how to remove the labels off your old jars).
How to Use Homemade Dry Onion Soup Mix
Use this healthy substitute for dry onion soup mix in any of these recipes:
- Classic Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- The Best Burgers Ever
- Basic Roasted Potatoes
- Mix with sour cream or plain greek yogurt to make a french onion dip!
- ¾ cup onion flakes
- ⅓ cup powdered beef bullion
- 4 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp ground celery seed
- 1 tsp granulated garlic (opt)
- 1 tsp salt (opt)
- ½ tsp pepper (opt)
- ¼ tsp sugar (opt)
- ¼ tsp paprika (opt)
- Combine all ingredients in a glass jar.
- Use ¼ cup (4 Tbsp) in lieu of one packet of dry onion soup mix.
- Store in a cool pantry.
I use Better Than Bouillion beef and chicken concentrate as emergency subs for homemade broth, but never knew they had it in powdered form. Will have to look for this!
My mother used it for everything….her famous steak wrapped in tinfoil and slow cooked in the oven, every meatloaf and meatball had it in. Wasn’t until I was in my mid 20’s that I stopped using it. Always made me feel ill..you know lower end symtoms of the flu. In my mid 30’s I found out it was the MSG that was making me sick. Now I’m in my late 50’s and I’m happy to have found this. Thanks Tiffany.
Going to try Mum’s meatloaf this week….yummmmm
Mmmm – sounds good Kate! Enjoy that meatloaf!!
What type of beef bouillon are you using there? Better than bouillon is a thick paste so that wouldn’t work for this recipe. I’ve been looking for a good copycat recipe for lipton onion soup mix but can’t find bouillon without MSG. And the copycat recipes are definitely not the same without the bouillon.
I agree! You can use better than bullion, but it highly depends on what you’re using the dry onion soup mix for. If you’re making a roast or something else cooked, it’ll mix right in. If it’s a dip, not so much.
I used typical store-bought. NOT the best option, but it’s what I had locally. Going forward though, these brands seem to be a bit better: Orrington Farms Broth Base, Rapunzel, and Organic Better than Bullion.
I’ve checked 4 local stores, Amazon, Vitacost, and a Thrive and NONE of them have powdered bouillion. Do they call it something else?
Paige, it could be called beef bullion or bullion cubes. You just want the powder for this recipe (if you’re storing long-term or for dips), not the paste.
I use Knorr , I get the beef and the chicken. I’ve gotten mine at w
Wal-Mart. I think they have been in the Mexican food section. You may be able to get them from Wildtree, you’ll would have to go on their website. I have their vegetable bouillon.
Knorr is a German food and beverage brand. It has been owned by the British- Dutch company … Products previously sold under the Lipton brand are now being absorbed into the Knorr product line.
So, essentially you are buying the former Lipton Brand.
Wal Mart has it also Dollar Tree some of your local health food stores have it in the bins
Hello. I will definitely try this as the packaged stuff has msg.
Here’s a side note for you. McCormack’s Bullion cubes are without MSG. They are available in Canada not sure about the USA they hate vegetable, chicken and beef bullion cubes. They come in a box of 10.
Thanks for the tip Wendy!
Reading the ingredients of the store bought stuff gives —
Onions, salt, corn starch, onion powder, sugar, soy sauce (fermented soy beans, wheat, salt) , caramel color, maltodextrin, corn syrup, yeast extract, high oleic sunflower oil, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate.
How do you get beef boullion, celery seed, garlic powder, and pepper out of that?
Honestly, after reading the ingredients myself last month, I started using just onion flakes, onion powder, a little salt depending on the brand of chips I”m using, and a splash of soy sauce. In sour cream dip (the only place I use it), it tastes identical.
I did a lot of research Marjorie, and lots of taste testing! The celery seed really does add a depth of flavor that I think is key to the mix. The pepper, and all the other spices, are optional (and yet really make it taste good!!).
I think it’s pretty telling that the original has almost no recognizable ingredients (as food anyway) and Tiffany’s replacement does! I am so excited about this, as I love the onion dip and knew the mix was loaded with nonfood.
I don’t want any MSG though. I think I might experiment with reducing down my good beef broth and adding that the the dry only when I make up a bowl of dip. I can keep the spices ready to go but add the liquid bits at point of use. You are certainly right, it’s the celery seed powder that is the missing key!
Love your website. Just recently found it.
I think that’s a great plan to avoid MSG! Glad you found Crumbs – welcome!!
My mom always had Lipton Onion Soup on hand. I did too until I had children. I was introduced to natural birth and that research led to all sorts of information about toxins including what’s in our food. That was 11 years ago before all the information we have now. Somedays, it can be overwhelming but we just gotta make little tweaks where we can.
I’m reading “Salt, Sugar, Fat” by Micheal Moss. It’s about the food industry and it’s eye opening.
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I usually just shake a little of this and little of that into my homemade soups or get organic Simply Organic packets however, your recipe looks great and I will be sharing it with my readers. Plus, trying it myself.
Checked out the list of MSG “also known as” names. Aware of some but never would believe there are so many ways to not actually say MSG. I’m a little late (all our children are grown with children of their own) but I am determined to clean up my kitchen and feed hubby a truly healthy diet. Thank you for all the research, your blog is on the top of my list for learning to eat clean.
Aw, thanks Kathlene! It’s kinda scary how unhealthy ingredients can go by so many different names. 🙁
Would Celery Salt work in place of the ground celery seed?
If you do Bambi, take away some salt from the recipe. For every 1 tsp of celery salt, assume it’s 1/2 tsp celery and 1/2 salt. Adjust the recipe as needed!
after being here with don’t waste the crumbs for soo long , i have made my own beef, chicken, and pork powder bouillon. also i make my own potato flakes(aka ) instant potatoes, and instant rice, it takes time, but we are eating much healthier.
We have actually cleared up a lot of digestive problems eating clean!! Thank You so much for helping us on our new path to better living.
You’re so welcome Aonya! I’m honored to have played a role in your clean eating efforts!! ♥
What taste does the paprika offer in this recipe? Or is it just for color?
Honestly Joni Marie? Lipton includes it in their recipe, so I included it in mine. It is a “copycat” recipe after all. 😉
I can my beef roast meat and use it like I would a slow cooked roast. Would the soup mix recipe be ok to add to the meat when canning it? About how much would you recommend putting in a quart jar (about 2# of meat)?
I’m really not sure Becky as to whether it would be okay or not. For two pounds of meat, I’d use what the recipe calls for.
Thanks for the quick response! Maybe I’ll just try it in one jar and see what happens. Might use a little less, though, because some spices are enhanced a little in the canning process (or so I’m told). Enjoy your site!
Very interesting read.
I have the cubed bouillon. Can I use this to get rid of. Would I use 1 cube or crush it up and use ⅓ cup.
Crush it up to make 1/3 cup Jan.
I just made this up minus the salt for a casserole that I make that calls for Lipton onion soup mix and it’s Great! Thanks for a great sodium free substitute!
You’re very welcome!!
I never realized that my Knorr chicken bullion had MSG. I use it for everything! I remember when my family kept a container of Accent in the cupboard to ‘accent’ meats, not knowing the effects of MSG way back when. I just now found your blog. I would like to make this mix and I was wondering if I could substitute dried minced onions, which is what I have, for the onion flakes. Would it change the texture of the mix too much or should I buy the flakes? Thanks.
Hey Loli! You can definitely substitute – it’s a very forgiving and flexible recipe. 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!!
Made this today to use in your pot roast recipe. Super easy, love that there are no “fake” ingredients. Looking forward to to using in other recipes.
So glad you like it Sandy!!
I have two questions, both about substituting store-bought ingredients for your homemade ingredients. I want to make your Classic Slow Cooker Pot Roast (2017/05/classic-slow-cooker-pot-roast). 1) I don’t have a problem with buying ready-made dry onion soup mix. though. So, my question is about substituting ready-made mix for your homemade mix. Is there a one-to-one relationship? Do I substitute 4 Tbsp of store-bought dry onion soup mix for your homemade recipe (2017/03/dry-onion-soup-mix-recipe)? Or how many envelopes of store-bought mix would I need to use? 2)Also, how much does your homemade cream of mushroom soup make (2017/03/homemade-cream-mushroom-soup)? Do I substitute a whole 10.75 oz can of condensed cream of mushroom soup for your homemade batch? Thanks very much for your help!!! I’m looking forward to trying this!!!
Great questions! One envelope of store-bought mix is roughly 4 Tbsp, or 1/4 cup. So for the pot roast, one packet will be sufficient. My cream of mushroom soup makes the equivalent of one condensed can of soup. So you’ll substitute one store-bought can for the homemade. You’re very welcome! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!!
I substituted Nutritional Yeast for the beef bullion and added some dried kale and cabbage powder with tasty results
Interesting!! Thanks for sharing that Frederick!
Does it have to be a glass jar, won’t a plastic one be OK
A plastic jar is fine Sue!
Onion soup mix is coming that always went in my mums roast.
I’ve been re-doing my pantry and trying to bring it back to basics and limit my families consume chemicals and preservatives.
I could definatly make this up and store it in the pantry and feel good about using it. Thank you
You’re welcome!
Love your site! I came across this recipe for the Homemade Onion Soup Mix and jumped on it! As with your other commenters I grew up with my mother using Lipton’s mix and well remember when she started using it – her roast, while good, became scrumptious!! Anyway, I have a question that I fear may be a “duh” but its about storage. I live alone and don’t often cook a large amount (except of course for company) and I was wondering how long you recommend storing this mix? I’m feeling like I should store it in the fridge just to be sure and wonder if a 3-6 month time period would be okay? I was wondering if there is a storage issue since this recipe makes just 3 servings (1/4 c each)?
Hi Cynthia! There’s no issue with long term storage in the pantry or spice cabinet because that’s where all of your spices came from anyway! I’ve kept mine in the cabinet easily for 6 months!
ThAnk you was out of the Lipton mix and searched till I found your info. Was very interesting. Looking forward to sharing.
I know this recipe has been up for a while but I thought I’d add a comment that I loved this. Worked so well.
For the bouliion, I’m in the UK and there a brand of stock cubes (what bouillon is often called in UK) called kallo (www.kallo.com) which are superb. No artificial colours or preservatives. No added msg, very low salt, gluten and lactose free and coeliac friendly. If you can get hold of them they’re incredibly tasty
Thanks for the brand recommendation Jakob!
Two comments. Knorr ingredient include MSG. Also Penney’s has toasted onion flakes. Money saving tip: get on mailing list so you get their printed catalog. Has loads of good recipes but best of all they occasionally have free shipping with a minimum order. Their shipping is usually horribly high.