This easy Cream of Onion Soup takes basic yellow onions and turns them into something rich and comforting in about an hour. The onions cook low and slow until they're sweet and lightly golden, then get blended smooth with fresh herbs and a splash of half 'n half for a soup that's creamy without being heavy. If you use a lot of onions like I do, Costco is the place to get them!
Easy Onion Soup Ingredients
- Yellow Onions - The long, slow cook brings out their natural sweetness, which is what gives this soup its depth. White onions work too, if that's what you have.
- Chicken Broth - Forms the savory base the sweet onions balance against.
- Rosemary, Thyme and Sage - Bundled and tied together so you can pull the whole bundle out before blending, no picking stems out of your soup.
- Half 'n Half - Stirred in at the end for the soup's signature creaminess.
- Chives - Fresh, chopped on top for a pop of color and a little sharpness against all that cream. Dried Chives or Green Onion are good substitutes.
How To Make Cream Of Onion Soup
- Chop the onions.
- Heat a large pan, or dutch oven, or medium heat.
- Add the olive oil and butter to the heated pan. Melt the butter.
- Add the chopped onions and stir. Cook the onions over medium to medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes. You want the onions soft but not real brown. Lightly brown is fine.
- Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes when the onions have softened. Stir well and cook for a minute or two.
- Add the chicken broth, along with the rosemary, thyme, and sage that have been bundled together and tied. Simmer and cook the soup for another 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the herbs and use an immersion blender to cream the onions. A few small pieces of onion left behind are okay.
- Add the half 'n half. Stir well and heat through. Sample the seasoning and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
- Serve the Cream of Onion Soup with chopped fresh or dried chives on top.
Cream of Onion Soup FAQs
Yes. Use ½ teaspoon each of dried thyme and rosemary and ¼ teaspoon dried sage. Add them with the onions and cook for a minute before pouring in the chicken broth. Keep in mind dried herbs won't give you quite the same fresh, earthy flavor as the fresh bundle, but they still work well in a pinch.
French onion soup uses a darker beef broth, and the onions are cooked until deeply browned. It's not a cream-based soup, and it's traditionally topped with a thick layer of melted cheese. Cream of Onion Soup uses chicken broth, and the onions are only lightly browned before cream or milk is stirred in for that smooth, creamy texture.
Yes, vegetable stock works well as a substitute if that's what you have on hand or need for dietary reasons. We personally prefer the flavor chicken broth gives this soup, but vegetable stock is a good swap.
For a richer soup, swap in heavy cream instead of half 'n half. For something lighter, whole milk works, just don't go below whole milk, since anything lower-fat can make the soup thin and watery instead of creamy. In a pinch, evaporated milk also works as a substitute for half 'n half (not sweetened condensed milk).
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Mom Tip
Want a heartier, thicker soup? Make a quick roux before adding the broth add in ¼ cup flour with the onions and cook for a minute, then add your chicken broth as usual.
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Complete Recipe
Easy Cream of Onion Soup
Equipment
- Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Butter
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- 2 pounds Yellow Onions chopped (2 very large or 3 regular)
- 1 sprig Rosemary
- 2 sprigs Thyme
- 1 sprig Sage
- 32 ounces Chicken Broth or 2 cans
- ⅓ cup Half n Half *
- ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Chives or dried
Instructions
- Chop the onions.
- Heat a large pan, or dutch oven, or medium heat.
- Add the olive oil and butter to the heated pan. Melt the butter.
- Add the chopped onions and stir. cook the onions over medium to medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes. You want the onions soft but not real brown. Lightly brown is fine.
- When the onions have softened, add the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir well and cook for a minute or two.
- Add the chicken broth, along with the rosemary, thyme, and sage that have been bundled together and tied. Simmer and cook the soup another 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the herbs and use an immersion blender to cream the onions. A few small pieces of onion left behind is okay.
- Add the half 'n half. Stir well and heat through. Sample the seasoning and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
- Serve the Cream of Onion Soup with chopped fresh or dried chives on top.
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