# Lipton onion soup mix **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 2, 2011, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838 "2011-02-02T00:08:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/1 "2011-02-02T00:08:02Z")
So, there I was, getting ready for a party by stirring an envelope into a pint of sour cream when a thought struck me . . . I’ve never used this stuff to make into, ya know, _soup_. Lipton seems to have caught on because the box the envelope came in was labeled “Recipe Secrets.” So I ask my fellow dopers: Have you actually made soup from a packet of onion soup mix? If so, how was it? Is there anything else that has been so completely suborned by its secondary purpose? It’s kind of like when the B-side of a record takes off while the A-side languishes at the bottom of the charts. ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/2 "2011-02-02T00:30:26Z")
I’ve used it to give a french onion soup recipe some additional zip once which turned out pretty good. But mostly I’ve used it with roast beef in the crock pot or part of my au jus recipe for beef dip. But never used it alone, I’m assuming it would be a little bland. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/3 "2011-02-02T01:30:00Z")
It’s not bad to sip in a mug like a hotdrink. Not very substantial… a little like french onion soup, but entirely unlike good french onion soup. ---
**Author:** ![Kilmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@Kilmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilmore)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/4 "2011-02-02T01:53:50Z")
Proper french onion soup is one of the great pleasures in life. However the package stuff is good for flavoring, like in tonight’s roast beef. Yummers. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/5 "2011-02-02T02:05:56Z")
**supervenusfreak** puts it in meatloaf for flavor. When I was doing Atkins (all wrong) I used to make carb-free dip for my carb-free pork rinds with it…well, not the regular stuff. The carb-free stuff that was still around back then. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/6 "2011-02-02T02:18:21Z")
It’s my secret goetta ingredient, but don’t tell anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/7 "2011-02-02T03:15:55Z")
I’ve never used the onion soup mix for soup, by itself. I have put it in beef soup that needed some extra OOMPH. The Lipton Noodle soup mix, though, I HAVE used as soup. It’s great by itself, especially if you really can’t handle more than liquids. It is miles above canned soup. I’ve also diced up some cooked chicken and added it to the reconstituted soup, and it makes a very nice chicken noodle soup. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/8 "2011-02-02T03:24:42Z")
I never have, but I’d rather have real French onion soup, frankly. For stirring into a dip or something, though, the mix isn’t too bad. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/9 "2011-02-02T03:42:58Z")
I did it once. It was horrible. Super, massively salty and terrible. Never do this. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/10 "2011-02-02T05:17:25Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I did it once. > > It was horrible. Super, massively salty and terrible. Never do this. Ditto ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/11 "2011-02-02T05:19:02Z")
Man, It’s salty… but horrible? I think not. You could probably make it decent with a half bag of slow caramelized onions and butter,add the onion soup packet to the deeply sweet and caramelized onions on med-low heat with a tablespoon of flour five to ten minutes before deglazing - deglaze with a quarter to half cup of vermouth and a large box of beef broth (plus, maybe another half box). ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/12 "2011-02-02T06:01:33Z")
I noticed the last time I bought some (for a cranberry sauce/French onion pot roast) that it’s now called “Onion Recipe Soup and Dip Mix”. Nobody that I am personally acquainted with has, to the best of my knowledge, ever used this product to make soup. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/13 "2011-02-02T07:09:20Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > Man, It’s salty… but horrible? I think not. You could probably make it decent with a half bag of slow caramelized onions and butter,add the onion soup packet to the deeply sweet and caramelized onions on med-low heat with a tablespoon of flour five to ten minutes before deglazing - deglaze with a quarter to half cup of vermouth and a large box of beef broth (plus, maybe another half box). You’re getting perilously close to making onion soup from scratch at that point… ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/14 "2011-02-02T07:24:17Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > You’re getting perilously close to making onion soup from scratch at that point… You crack me up **Puly** , thanks for your tolerence and odd friendship. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/15 "2011-02-02T10:22:34Z")
I have eaten the stuff as a soup of last resort when there’s nothing else in the cupboard. Yes, salty and uninteresting pretty much sums it up. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/16 "2011-02-02T16:46:05Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > You crack me up **Puly** , thanks for your tolerence and odd friendship. You’re welcome. I just found it a bit amusing. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/17 "2011-02-03T13:13:38Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Is there anything else that has been so completely suborned by its secondary purpose? I don’t know anyone who’s eaten Campbell’s Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup by itself; it seems destined to be an ingredient. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/18 "2011-02-03T13:34:35Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > Man, It’s salty… but horrible? I think not. You could probably make it decent with a half bag of slow caramelized onions and butter,add the onion soup packet to the deeply sweet and caramelized onions on med-low heat with a tablespoon of flour five to ten minutes before deglazing - deglaze with a quarter to half cup of vermouth and a large box of beef broth (plus, maybe another half box). You can make this even better with the dry martini method. Instead of dumping the packet into the onions, just wave it over the top of the pan. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/19 "2011-02-03T13:39:39Z")
I bought a package of the onion soup mix yesterday. There are four recipes in full color on the back, another full-color recipe on the side of the package and then the soup recipe in small letters on the side below the fifth recipe. I wonder if there are any other products that are only rarely used for their nominal purpose but are widely used for something else. How about Chex cereal? ---
**Author:** ![williamweigand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b3f665/32.png) [@williamweigand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williamweigand)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/20 "2011-02-03T13:56:19Z")
I have no cite, but I imagine more people use baking soda to clean drains or deodorize their fridge than in baking. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838.md?page=2)