# 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:** 2
**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 3, 2011, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/21 "2011-02-03T14:15:45Z")
> [@Student\_Driver](#): > > I don’t know anyone who’s eaten Campbell’s Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup by itself; it seems destined to be an ingredient. Or for that matter, Cream of Mushroom. Does anyone actually eat Cream of Mushroom soup as a soup instead of as a substance to sit between the green beans and the french fried onions? ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/22 "2011-02-03T14:22:04Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > You’re getting perilously close to making onion soup from scratch at that point… That’s exactly what I was thinking. It reminded me of an old friend, who once told me how he doctored up jarred marinara sauce. “First I saute some onions, garlic, and a bell pepper. Then I add some oregano and basil, and the jar of sauce. Then I add some red wine, and I let it simmer for an hour or so. It’s delicious!” ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/23 "2011-02-03T16:59:24Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Or for that matter, Cream of Mushroom. Does anyone actually eat Cream of Mushroom soup as a soup instead of as a substance to sit between the green beans and the french fried onions? Me, sometimes. And my mom. And a friend of mine who used to add milk and sliced fresh mushrooms and grated cheddar cheese, which is getting into the “perilously close to making actual soup” category. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten canned CofM soup **except** as a soup. I know it’s a canonical ingredient in certain traditional casseroles that I’ve heard of like the abovementioned green beans and french fried onions. But I always thought of those as “Midwestern-style” dishes that we never actually encountered in our particular northeastern blend of Jewish and British food traditions. Ah, culinary tribalism. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/24 "2011-02-03T17:30:14Z")
> [@williamweigand](#): > > I have no cite, but I imagine more people use baking soda to clean drains or deodorize their fridge than in baking. Heh, we’ve never put it in our refrigerator. Then I wouldn’t be able to use it for baking! 😃 I also keep it on hand when I’m cooking something perilous on the stove. (I’ve never had to use it to put out a fire, yet.) ---
**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, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/25 "2011-02-03T17:52:13Z")
I’d say baking soda is an exception (to the idea of products rarely used for their nominal purpose), since it’s a basic chemical unlike the onion soup mix. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/26 "2011-02-03T19:30:46Z")
Tell me how to use it in a meatloaf. My recipe needs some punching up and I don’t quite know where the fault lies. ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/27 "2011-02-03T19:31:36Z")
never actually used it as a soup, now that i think about it. the only reason it’s even in my kitchen cabinet is because it’s been part of a recipe for spinach casserole that’s been in my family for possibly eons. ---
**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 3, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/28 "2011-02-03T19:44:03Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > Tell me how to use it in a meatloaf. My recipe needs some punching up and I don’t quite know where the fault lies. I’ll ask him tonight. I don’t remember if he pours it into the hamburger dry or if he dissolves it in water first to soften the dried onions in the mix. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/29 "2011-02-03T20:30:22Z")
I use it to soak up crackers 🙂 ---
**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 3, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/30 "2011-02-03T20:59:31Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > Tell me how to use it in a meatloaf. My recipe needs some punching up and I don’t quite know where the fault lies. Get a large bowl for mixing. In this bowl, put some dried bread crumbs (or crushed crackers), some dry mustard, poultry seasoning, seasoned salt, milk, an egg (or more, depending on how much meatloaf you’re making), Worcester and/or A1 sauce, and some milk. Stir a bit to let the bread or cracker crumbs soak up the egg and milk. Put about 1 packet of onion soup mix in for every 2 pounds of ground meat. Stir again. Note that this doesn’t have meat in it yet. Now, dice up onion, celery, and green bell pepper. Cook these veggies in a little vegetable oil or bacon grease. Frying them will bring out a lot of flavor, so don’t skip this step. When they’re cooked, put on a plate with a paper towel in it, so they’ll drain and cool. Add to the seasoned bread crumb mix. Add ground meat. Mix thoroughly. Put into a pan. Put more worcester and/or A1 sauce on top, if desired. I usually don’t use the onion soup mix for meatloaf because the mix is pretty salty, and my husband doesn’t like a lot of salt in most of his foods. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/31 "2011-02-05T12:37:59Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > 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. I’ve used Maggi Onion Soup Mix from New Zealand to make soup before, largely because I’d spent my entire life using it make tasty chip dip and one day thought “I wonder what this stuff tastes like as actual soup?” Answer: Disappointing. Fortunately, it does make [Clarkson]The Greatest Dip… In The World.[/Clarkson] 😃 The funny thing is that making _actual_ onion soup only requires a couple of onions, some butter, some sugar, and a few cups of liquid beef stock or consomme. And I can’t ever remember being in a situation where I needed to prepare soup for multiple people in which I didn’t have the time to make actual onion soup. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/32 "2011-02-05T12:57:40Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > Tell me how to use it in a meatloaf. My recipe needs some punching up and I don’t quite know where the fault lies. A very easy recipe is printed right on the box. My husband loves it. ---
**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 5, 2011, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/33 "2011-02-05T14:40:27Z")
So, out of 35 replies we got five (Including the Kiwi) that actually have tried the stuff as soup. That’s a higher percentage than I would have predicted. Oh, and Mom served up Cream of Mushroom soup as soup lotsa times when I was a kid. Doing it myself, not so much. ---
**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 5, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/34 "2011-02-05T15:50:15Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > Tell me how to use it in a meatloaf. My recipe needs some punching up and I don’t quite know where the fault lies. I just asked him, he said he dissolves it in 1/2 cup to 1 cup of hot water, lets the onions reconstitute, then he mixes the meat with the dry ingredients, then pours in the wet ingredients (the onion soup mix and whatever else you’re putting in) then mixes that up. Put it in the oven and cook. ETA: He actually skims the onion pieces off before he mixes it with the rest of the ingredients, but that’s just for me, because I don’t like the mouthfeel of cooked onions. It’s not a necessary step if you do. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/35 "2011-02-05T18:26:43Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > It’s my secret goetta ingredient, but don’t tell anyone. Who else besides me knows what Lisa is talking about here? 🙂 > [@jayjay](#): > > Or for that matter, Cream of Mushroom. Does anyone actually eat Cream of Mushroom soup as a soup instead of as a substance to sit between the green beans and the french fried onions? I have been making cream of- soups for my poor son all week. He had an orthodontic appliance put in last week and he’s been miserable. The menu’s been tomato soup as well as cream of potato, mushroom and cream of ONION. Yes, onion. :eek: I threw in some white beans, chicken broth and some leftover rice and whirred it all up in the blender. He claims it was good! But then, he’d been living on jello and smoothies for two days prior to that. ---
**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 5, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/36 "2011-02-05T19:05:55Z")
I’ve actually never knowingly eaten cream of mushroom soup in anything but soup form (or as a base for other soups.) As for the onion soup, I don’t know. I think my father used it for meatloaf; I’d eat it occasionally on its own when I was home from school sick and wanted something hot and not likely to disturb my stomach. We definitely didn’t use it for onion dip or anything like that. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/37 "2011-05-18T10:21:10Z")
I just now whipped up a bowl of this soup with a leftover packet in my cabinet, and couldn’t resist hucking some croutons and parmesean cheese into the bowl before digging in. Verdict; it tastes pretty much exactly the same as the french onion soup Panera Bread has been selling me for $5 a bowl. (seethes) ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/38 "2011-05-18T11:20:07Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > Who else besides me knows what Lisa is talking about here? 🙂 > > I have been making cream of- soups for my poor son all week. He had an orthodontic appliance put in last week and he’s been miserable. The menu’s been tomato soup as well as cream of potato, mushroom and cream of ONION. Yes, onion. :eek: I threw in some white beans, chicken broth and some leftover rice and whirred it all up in the blender. He claims it was good! But then, he’d been living on jello and smoothies for two days prior to that. Oh, the poor little dude. Have you tried cream of celery? It’s my very favorite creamy soup, and my go-to when I’m sick. It’s got a lot more flavor than the mushroom. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/39 "2011-05-18T11:53:28Z")
It was a big deal in the 70’s. People would mix it with sour cream to make an onion based chip dip. Wasn’t all that bad IIRC. [Her is the recipe](http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,181,149165-235193,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838/40 "2011-05-18T12:48:18Z")
> [@Student\_Driver](#): > > I don’t know anyone who’s eaten Campbell’s Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup by itself; it seems destined to be an ingredient. I’ve never had the nerve to buy this stuff, even if it was destined to be an ingredient (although I’d guess that it’s supposed to be an ingredient). > [@singular1](#): > > Oh, the poor little dude. Have you tried cream of celery? It’s my very favorite creamy soup, and my go-to when I’m sick. It’s got a lot more flavor than the mushroom. I never did try the celery and the poor little dude is doing pretty good now. Eats regular food and everything. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lipton-onion-soup-mix/569838.md?page=1)