Gluten Free Onion Soup Mix

This homemade gluten free onion soup mix is perfect for making onion dip, spinach dip, or marinades. Serve it with fresh vegetables or corn chips for a crowd favorite appetizer.

The best gluten free onion soup mix

Everyone should keep gluten free onion soup mix on hand — it's so versatile! You may be able to buy something similar at the store, but it's not always safely GF.

It's quick, easy, and super cheap to make your own, and of course you can customize it to your particular tastes. Plus, you don't have to worry about preservatives and other added ingredients you may not like.

Recipe Ingredients

• Onion powder – You can't have onion soup without the onions! Onion powder has the most concentrated onion flavor, so we begin with this.
• Minced dried onion – This makes up the most bulk in our homemade onion soup mix, much like it does in the packaged kind. It's an ideal way to add plenty of onion flavor and keep the mixture shelf stable.
• Garlic powder – The original mix doesn't actually have garlic, but a touch of this flavorful dried ingredient really adds so much, especially considering that you're used to tasting garlic when you taste onion.
• Beef bouillon – This provides a really delicious umami flavor that adds some complexity to the mix. HerbOx brand beef bouillon is gluten free. It comes in a box of little 4 gram packets, and is pretty readily available.
• Salt – Just a bit for that savory flavor. We don't want to add too much, though, to allow you to add more salt to taste for your spinach dip. Plus, the bouillon powder also has some salt.
• Cornstarch – This helps thicken up the mix whether you're making soup or using it as flavoring for a dip, and keeps the other ingredients from clumping together.
• Sugar – This might seem like an unexpected ingredient, but it brings out the flavor of onion and balances the flavors similarly to salt.

How to make gluten free onion soup mix

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it's so easy — just grab these few kitchen essentials, mix, and you're done!

• Place all of the recipe ingredients in a small bowl.
• Whisk to combine well, making sure the cornstarch is evenly distributed.
• Transfer the mixture to a small bowl by spooning it into a small funnel or placing it on a piece of parchment paper that you fold in half and tip into the bowl.
• Cover and store in a cool, dry location.

Expert tips

Use fresh ingredients

I know that's a funny thing to say considering that we're using powdered ingredients, but the point is that gluten free onion soup mix isn't really the best solution for using up that onion powder that's been stuck at the back of the cabinet for months.

As the flavor of onion powder diminishes the longer it sits, try to use a brand new, fresh container when making soup mix.

Store your soup mix in individual containers

My gluten free onion soup mix recipe produces roughly the same amount of soup mix that you'd find in one packet of the store-bought stuff, so consider storing your homemade version in small zip-top bags or storage containers so that you can grab-and-go without having to measure the next time you need it.

Be sure to sure an airtight container

To maintain the flavor of your dry soup mix, be sure to use an airtight container.

If you multiply the yield in the recipe but keep it stored in individual servings, try to keep each in a sealed glass container. Or consider storing each serving in a snack-sized ziptop bag and then storing all of these smaller bags inside a larger airtight container for extra protection.

Ingredient substitution suggestions

Onion powder

If you can't find onion powder, but you do have minced dried onion, just put some minced dried onion in a small blender and grind it into a powder. For each teaspoon of onion powder, you'll need about 1 tablespoon of minced dried onion.

Garlic powder

If you have minced dried garlic, you can also grind it into a powder to use in place of garlic powder. You can also replace the garlic powder with more onion powder if you'd prefer to make this recipe without any garlic flavor.

Beef bouillon

You can make onion soup mix without a flavor enhancer like beef bouillon granules, but it has much more robust flavor with the bouillon. HerbOx brand beef bouillon is gluten free. It comes in a box of little 4 gram packets, and is pretty readily available in grocery stores.

If you are having trouble finding gluten free beef bouillon, or just want an alternative that still provides a beefy-style umami flavor, try using about 2 tablespoons gluten free miso powder, 2 tablespoons gluten free mushroom umami powder, or even 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon gluten free monosodium glutimate (MSG) to enhance the flavor of your mix.

Cornstarch

In place of cornstarch, you can use arrowroot, potato starch, or even tapioca starch. Tapioca will create a thicker mixture when wet, so it's not my first choice, but it's a small enough amount that it will still work just fine.

Variations and uses

Gluten free onion dip

I love spinach dip, but my family also goes crazy for onion dip, which is even easier. Just combine mayonnaise, sour cream, and a batch of our gf onion soup mix. It's all described in the recipe card below.

Gluten free onion soup

In a rush? You can make a quick, simple gluten free onion soup using my mix.

Combine the powdered soup mix with 4 cups of cold water or broth in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Depending on your tastes, you might want to add other flavors, such as a teaspoon celery seed, a few shakes of parsley flakes, or some paprika.

Hamburgers

Add one serving of this mix in place of the seasonings in gluten free meatloaf. Or try using it in your favorite hamburger mixture. One packet is enough to add flavor to 2 pounds of ground beef made into burgers, with or without binders like gluten free bread crumbs and eggs. Either let the mixture sit until the minced dried onions soften, or hydrate the mix in 3 or 4 tablespoons of warm water before adding to the mixture.

FAQs

Storage instructions

Just like the dry soup mix you buy at the store, this gluten free onion soup mix is shelf stable for several months.

To keep is fresh, simply store it in an airtight container in a dry, cool place like your pantry for up to 3 months.