This cream of onion soup is smooth, savory, and full of mellow onion flavor, with yellow onions and celery simmered in stock, blended until silky, and finished with heavy cream. Unlike French onion soup, the onions are softened without browning, giving this quick stovetop soup a pale color and mellow, creamy flavor.
Diana’s Notes
This is one of those simple soups that feels much more special than the ingredient list suggests, and I especially love it with something crunchy on top.
For the best texture, slice the onions fairly thinly so they soften quickly and evenly, and cook them only until translucent. Don’t let them brown, since that will give the soup a deeper caramelized flavor and darker color. When you add the stock to the flour mixture, pour it in gradually while whisking so the soup base stays smooth.
An immersion blender is convenient, but if you want an extra silky texture, carefully blend the soup in batches in a countertop blender. Once the cream is added, warm the soup gently rather than bringing it to a hard boil. I like finishing each bowl with homemade Crispy Fried Onions for a crunchy contrast.
Scrumptious and easy to make.
Donna
Key Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Yellow onions and celery: These form the flavor base of the soup. Slice the onions thinly and chop the celery so they soften quickly and evenly.
- Flour: Thickens the stock slightly and helps give the blended soup its creamy consistency.
- Vegetable or chicken stock: Either works here. Use vegetable stock if you want to keep the soup vegetarian.
- Heavy whipping cream: Stirred in after blending to give the soup its rich, creamy finish.
- Italian seasoning: Adds a little extra savory flavor without overpowering the onions.
How to Make Cream of Onion Soup
- Soften the vegetables. Cook the onions and celery in butter until soft and translucent without letting the onions brown.
- Thicken and simmer. Stir in the flour and Italian seasoning, then gradually whisk in the stock and simmer.
- Blend and finish. Blend until smooth, then stir in the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper.
Recipe Tips
- Blending soups is easy with the help of a hand-held immersion blender! I love that I can blend the soup right in the pot. You can also transfer the soup to a high-powered blender. Be careful, and blend it in batches if needed.
- Don’t brown or burn the onions. You want to cook the onions until they are soft and translucent and avoid cooking them past that point. The flavor of onions when they are browned is great, but not what we want in this recipe.
- Store Cream of Onion Soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
Tip!
Make this recipe gluten-free by using all-purpose gluten-free flour to thicken the soup.
What to Serve with Cream of Onion Soup
Serve cream of onion soup with crusty bread, Olive Garden Breadsticks, or Texas Roadhouse Rolls for dipping. For a light meal, pair it with a simple salad or a sandwich such as Ham and Cheese Sliders. Crispy bacon, shredded cheddar, homemade croutons (try them in the air fryer!), or fried onions also work well as toppings.
More Easy Soup Recipes
If you like smooth, creamy soups, try my Creamy Sweet Potato Soup, Broccoli Cheddar Soup, or Cream of Broccoli Soup. For something a little lighter, try Chicken and Rice Soup or Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Cream of Onion Soup
Equipment
- cutting board
- 6 quart Dutch oven or large heavy bottomed pot, for stovetop cooking
- wooden spoon
- immersion blender
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter
- 2 ribs (g) celery chopped
- 1 pound (450 g) yellow onions peeled and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon italian seasoning
- 2 cups (480 ml) vegetable stock or chicken stock
- ⅔ cup (160 ml) heavy whipping cream double cream in the UK
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place a Dutch oven or large pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat and melt the butter.
- Add the celery and onions. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are completely soft and translucent but not browned.
- Add the flour and Italian seasoning. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until no dry flour remains.
- Gradually pour in the stock while whisking continuously. Whisk until the mixture is smooth with no visible flour lumps.
- Bring the soup to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it lightly coats the back of a spoon and no longer tastes floury.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Blend with an immersion blender for 1 to 2 minutes, until completely smooth with no visible pieces of onion or celery.
- Stir in the heavy whipping cream, salt, and ground black pepper. Return the soup to low heat for 2 minutes, until steaming throughout without boiling.
- Taste and add more salt or ground black pepper only if needed. Divide among four bowls and serve.
Notes:
- Avoid browning the onions: Keep the heat at medium while cooking the onions. The onions should soften and turn translucent without developing golden or brown edges.
- An immersion blender makes this easy, but the final texture depends on the blender. If you want the soup completely silky and your immersion blender leaves small pieces, carefully blend it in batches in a countertop blender.
- Using a countertop blender: Let the soup cool slightly, then blend it in small batches. Remove the center cap from the lid and cover the opening loosely with a folded kitchen towel so steam can escape.
- Adjusting the consistency: The soup thickens as it cools. Stir in a little extra stock while reheating if it is thicker than you prefer.
- Storage: Refrigerate the cooled soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until steaming throughout.
- Making it gluten-free: Replace the all-purpose flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend. Check that the stock and Italian seasoning are certified gluten-free.
- Optional garnish: Top each serving with crispy onions and chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Garnishes are not included in the nutrition information.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Patrick says
Can I use my regular oven, the one which works with electricity?
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Hi Patrick. You’ll want to use a stovetop burner to make this recipe, or a stand alone electric burner. Putting this inside of an oven won’t cook it properly. I hope that clears things up for you!
Donna says
scrumptious and easy to make 😋
Amellia Toelkes says
I’m going make this as I a zillion onions!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Perfect! Enjoy the soup.
Kim says
It’s tastes good, however why do you think mine may not be so creamy? I see very tiny bits still in it. Could it be my immerse blender isn’t very powerful? Perhaps I could blend in blender. Thank you for all your recipes.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
That’s possible. Try it in your regular blender next time and let me know!
Regina says
I made this soup and put more onions in it. I also left out all the dairy and flour. I then added in some tiny chunks of mushroom and dill for color after blending. It was delicious. It has become a keeper kind of recipe for me now.