A particularly insidious source of hidden carbs are items we use as flavorings or condiments. I would never have thought I needed to look for low carb onion soup mix. Somehow, if it’s not a major ingredient, I’m not always thinking about it being a significant player in the nutritional profile. I started thinking about it, though, as I happened to be working on a recipe for low carb meatloaf and wanted to include onion soup mix. To a basic cook like me, meatloaf and onion soup go together like low carb and bacon, man!
Well, have you actually stopped to look at the carbs in onion soup mix? Because some of them have upwards of 20 grams of carbs per packet! Some manufacturers also count packets as multiple servings. Not really what I’m going for. An onion soup mix is going to have some carbs, sure, because hey–onions! But why have so many more than necessary?
So I reviewed a whole bunch of different recipes for homemade onion soup mix to come up with my own. I mixed up a big batch and put in a small mason jar to keep with my spices so I’ll have it on hand for flavoring hamburger and Crock Pot meals. You could easily make less, though. I just like having plenty on hand when I need some. That kind of preparation makes it a lot easier for me to stay low carb.
Ingredients
- 8 packets Herb Ox Sodium-Free Beef Bouillon
- 2 tablespoons Swerve (or sweetener of choice)
- 1/2 cup onion flakes
- 4 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon celery flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients.
- Dump measured ingredients into a bowl.
- Mix it up!
Recipe Notes
Do you use onion soup mix in your cooking? Is it store-bought or homemade?
My bouillon doesn’t come in packets … How much is the eight packets by weight or cup measure?
I’m not sure as I don’t have any packets to review on hand right now and it might not translate the same. I choose that brand because it was the only one I could find without sodium. I’m afraid you’ll probably need to experiment a little with the kind you have. To me, each packet would be the equivalent of a couple of cubes if that helps…
The first ingredient in Herb Ox Sodium-Free Beef Bouillon is SUGAR, so it’s not a low carb/sugar free option.
It’s been a few years since I wrote this up, so it may not be the same at this point. Obviously something with sugar would defeat the purpose of making sugar-free so that’s a great reminder why you have to do your own checking! Thanks for your comment.
How much water for single serving?
That is a great question. I’ve never used my soup mix for soup! I use it for cooking. I’d start with about a cup and see how it tastes, though…let me know how it works out if you make actual soup!
Thanks for informing on the carbs in onion soup mix. I had no idea. My only issue is that I have IBS so when I use natural low- cal sweeteners like stevia I have tummy issues. I have never heard of swerve. Can Equal, Sweet n Low, or Splenda, be used. I have no issues with these.
Almost any time you see sweeteners in a low carb recipe, you can sub your own. Occasionally, a recipe author will pick a particular sweetener because of it’s behavior (i.e. one that will caramelize or whatever), but that is the exception rather than the rule and usually if that’s the case, the recipe will explain why to use a particular kind. Swerve is mostly erythritol. If you can use other sweeteners, that should be fine. Be aware with bulk granular Splenda, there are 24 carbs per cup. It’s not shown on the packaging because of how the serving size is presented, so many people don’t know. Good luck!