Making My Own! - Lipton Onion Packets and Cream of _____ Soup! | Occasionally Crafty: Making My Own! - Lipton Onion Packets and Cream of _____ Soup!

Monday, October 22

Making My Own! - Lipton Onion Packets and Cream of _____ Soup!

For the next installment of 'Making My Own', I wanted to share a few simple recipes for something we use all the time. Both of these will help stretch your budget and may even be a bit healthier!

First are those Lipton Onion Soup mixes. A box of 2 packets probably costs around $1.25, and you always seem to need one when you don't have one. I bet you didn't realize that you have most of the ingredients already!

I found my recipe off of food.com and it works and tastes great!

3/4 cup instant minced onion
1/3 cup beef bouillon powder (I used granules)
4 teaspoons onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed celery seed
1/4 teaspoon sugar


5 TBSP of this mix = one packet, so this recipe makes about 4 packets!!


Next is the famous Cream of _____________ Soup. It really bugs me how much these cans of soup cost, even the generic brand, and of course I always think I have one when I don't! So what do you do if you're in a pinch or just want to start making your own?  There are two routes- the dry route or the wet route.
The dry route is what I am currently employing so I can make a lot and always have it on hand. I found my recipe off of a forum page where the commenter suggested the following:
2 c. non-fat dried milk (two cups)
3/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 c. chicken or beef bouillon particles
2 tbsp. dried minced onion
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. pepper
(or you can replace the last 3 ingredients with about 2 tsp of poultry seasoning)

This makes about 10 cans worth of soup! Flavor the way you like, beef or chicken. Suprisingly cream of chicken soup works very well in most all recipes calling for a can of creamy anything. 

When you're ready to make a recipe calling for a can of creamy soup, take 1/3 c. of the mix, 1 1/4 c. cold water and 1 TBSP butter, mix, and bring to a boil so it will thicken. This will NOT be as thick as you're used to, but hasn't been an issue for me. If you want it thicker than add more cornstarch that has been already mixed with cold water.


The other route is the wet route. If you don't have the dry mix on hand, don't have the time to make the dry mix AND the soup, and still need a can of creamy stuff, try this version (which is apparently called a thick roux).

2 TBSP flour
2 TBSP butter
1 C Milk
1/4 tsp salt (optional)

Mix and bring to a boil, and if you want a particular flavor just add some chicken stock or vegetable stock along with the milk to equal 1 cup of liquid. This works just as well and still saves you money!

Lastly, seal your mixes into airtight containers and label the baking instructions so you don't forget!

Another favorite thing for me about making these is that a lot of time I don't need a whole packet or a whole can and too often things go to waste. This allows you to make exactly how much you need.

Now here's a great recipe for using your two new mixes!

5-6 lb pot roast
1 'packet' lipton onion soup mix
2 'cans' cream of mushroom soup
1 cup of water

Place any potatoes or veggies you want on the bottom of your crockpot. Put roast on top of veggies with fat on the top. I like to mix my lipton onion soup with my creamy soups and water and pour it all together onto the roast. Cook on low for 6-8 hours and enjoy a roast that is creamy and falls apart in your mouth!

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3 comments:

  1. I have seriously been wanting to figure out the onion soup mixes and ranch dressing! Even way more costly at regular grocery stores!

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  2. OK, seriously, this is awesome. So tired of having to use cream of 'whatever' in my recipes. And I hate running out of the onion soup mix! Plus it feels more homemade this way :) Just pinned this to my food board!

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  3. Laura, you are my new best friend! Guess what . . . if I choose the right brands of spices, your mixes are totally gluten free! (Wylers isn't gluten-free, but gluten-free brands are easy to find.) I just made the most awful homemade cream of mushroom soup for a recipe this week. It was totally tasteless. Maybe I should just make the chicken flavor and then add mushrooms.

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