Onion soup mix is a pantry essential. From baked potatoes to meatloaf and corn on the cob, it can be used to add a punch of flavor to all kinds of dishes.
Packaged onion soup mix is an excellent quick fix for bland dishes; even a small amount can be the difference between a good and a great dish.
But what do you do when you run out of onion soup mix?
Well, you can make your own substitute for onion soup mix – from scratch!
It’s extremely simple to make, and you probably already have all the ingredients you need right in your pantry.
So, no need to run down to the market – it’ll only take you a few minutes to make onion soup mix at home!
Scroll down to take a look at what onion soup mix is and how you can prepare a substitute for onion soup mix in just a few minutes.
What is Onion Soup Mix?
Think of onion soup mix as dry onion soup. It’s prepared by blending seasonings that are generally used to add flavors to dishes like soups, meatloaf, onion dips, etc.
The packaged onion soup mix that we get from the store generally combines all of these ingredients with dehydrated onions and cornstarch to make a flavorful onion soup mix.
It also includes a bunch of other ingredients like sugar, corn syrup, artificial coloring, wheat, and so on.
Scroll down to take a look at how you can make it at home.
A Substitute for Onion Soup Mix
While there’s nothing wrong with it, why spend money on pre-made, packaged onion soup mix when you can prepare an amazing substitute for onion soup mix – right in your kitchen?
Here is how you can go about it:
Substitute for Dry Onion Soup Mix
While there are multiple ingredients in this recipe, there are only four that you really need:
- Onion Flakes: Onion flakes also go by the name dehydrated onions. They come in many sizes. If you think your onion flakes are too big, simply pulse them in the blender a few times to reduce the size.
- Onion Powder: Also known as granulated onion, onion powder is generally used as a seasoning. It’s a fine powder that’s made from dehydrated ground onions. You can identify it by its potent, distinctive smell.
- Ground Celery Seeds: Ground celery seeds are a must-have for making a substitute for dry onion mix. If you don’t have ground celery seeds, you can always grind whole celery with mortar and pestle.
- Beef Bouillon Granules: Beef bouillon will add flavor to the recipe to make sure it tastes exactly like the classic, store-bought dry onion mix.
All the other ingredients are optional. However, it’s best to add them in if you want to prepare a flavorful substitute for dry onion soup mix.
Ingredient:
- 3/4 cup of onion flakes
- 1/3 cup of powdered beef bouillon
- 4 t of onion powder
- 1 t of ground celery seed
- 1 t of granulated garlic
- 1 t of salt
- 1/2 t of pepper
- 1/4 t of sugar
- 1/4 t of paprika
Instructions:
- Combine all the ingredients in a glass jar. Put the lid on, shake well to mix all ingredients, and VOILA… a great substitute for dry onion soup mix is ready!
- A one cup serving of this recipe is equal to one store-bought envelope. This recipe will make three servings. You can use it in the same amount as store-bought dry onion soup mix.
- You can also try vegan or vegetarian variants of this recipe. All you need to do is replace beef bouillon with vegetable bouillon.
- If you use this substitute for dry onion soup mix to prepare instant soup, it’s best to avoid beef bouillon. Use stock or beef broth instead. Doing so will ensure the soup doesn’t turn out too salty.
- If you don’t want to use all of it at once, store it in an airtight glass jar in your kitchen cabinet.
Now that you know what to use instead of onion soup mix, you can try all your favorite recipes even when you are out of store-bought onion soup mix.
It will add the classic flavors of the store-bought onion soup mix!

Homemade onion soup mix recipe
A homemade onion soup mix recipe. This recipe is for making dry onion soup. It’s seasonings that are used to add flavors to dishes like soups, onion dips, etc.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup of onion flakes
- 1/3 cup of powdered beef bouillon
- 4t of onion powder
- 1t of ground celery seed
- 1t of granulated garlic
- 1t of salt
- 1/2t of pepper
- 1/4t of sugar
- 1/4t of paprika
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a glass jar. Put the lid on, shake well to mix all ingredients, and VOILA… a great substitute for dry onion soup mix is ready!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 201Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 8836mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 5gSugar: 15gProtein: 9g