Onion Soup Base
A spice-jar mix that turns boiled water into broth, or a bag of noodles into something worth eating.
- calories
- 60
- weight
- 0.7 oz
- cal / oz
- 86
- protein
- 2 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 5 min
- total time
- 10 min
- water
- 350 ml boiled
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Drink
- Canister stove
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Liquid fuel
- Campfire coals
- Backpacking
- Thru-hike
- Car camping
- Bikepacking
- Basecamp
- Winter / snow
- Canoe / raft
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Dried onion flakes | 1/4 cup | minced or chopped, either works |
|---|---|---|
| Beef bouillon granules | 2 tbsp | check the label; plenty of brands hide MSG |
| Onion powder | 2 tsp | |
| Ground celery seed | 1/2 tsp | grind whole seed at home, not in camp |
| Granulated garlic | 1/2 tsp | |
| Sugar | 1/2 tsp | |
| Paprika | 1/4 tsp | |
| Black pepper | 1/4 tsp | |
| Salt | 1/2 tsp | taste the bouillon first; some brands need none |
Method
- At home, stir everything together in a bowl and break up any clumps of bouillon.
- Split into four bags, or carry the whole batch in one small screw-top jar.
- In camp, bring 350 ml of water to a boil and stir in one portion.
- Let it sit off the heat for four or five minutes. The onion flakes need that time to soften or you are chewing gravel.
- Drink it as broth, or use it as the liquid for noodles, couscous, or instant rice.
This is the Lipton packet rebuilt out of your own spice drawer, which matters on trail for two reasons: you control the salt, and one small jar replaces four separate seasonings. The celery seed is the part people skip and the part that makes it taste like the packet. Grind it before you leave.
The onion flakes are the reason this needs boiling water and a rest, not just a stir. Dropped into lukewarm water they stay hard and the broth tastes thin. Four minutes covered fixes both. Bouillon granules already carry salt, so measure the added salt against your brand rather than the recipe.
Packing
A 2 oz screw-top jar holds the full batch and weighs almost nothing. Single-serving bags are faster in the dark but leak powder into your food bag if they tear.
Variations
- Stir a portion into instant mashed potatoes with a spoon of oil for a full dinner.
- Swap in vegetable bouillon to make it vegan.
- Pour it over a foil packet of chicken and couscous, cover, and wait five minutes.
https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/dry-onion-soup-mix-recipe