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–+ servings
Top-down view of a bowl of rich cream of onion soup.

Cream Of Onion Soup

easyhealthyrecipes.com/cream-of-onion-soup/
Creamy and smooth, this blended cream of onion soup is made with sliced onions, celery, fresh thyme and heavy cream.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Recipe makes approximately 4 servings

Equipment Needed

  • large, heavy-bottomed pot
  • large wooden spoon
  • immersion blender (or traditional blender, see Notes)

Ingredients Needed

For the Cream of Onion Soup

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 medium yellow onions (peeled, sliced; approximately 1 ½ pounds total)
  • 3 stalks celery (chopped, approximately 1 cup)
  • ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (approximately 3 sprigs, stems removed)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • salt (to taste)
  • freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ cup heavy cream (at room temperature)

Serving Suggestions (All Optional)

  • croutons
  • warm baguettes (torn into small pieces if used as topping)
  • fried onions
  • cheddar cheese
  • finely chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Add oil and butter to large pot over medium-high heat. Allow butter to melt completely, stirring occasionally to blend butter with oil. Distribute mixture across entire bottom of pot.
  • Once butter is melted and oil is hot and shimmery, add chopped celery and sliced onions, then immediately reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, approximately 10 minutes or until vegetables have softened.
    Sliced onions and chopped celery in a large pot on a wooden tabletop.
  • When vegetables have softened, add minced garlic and thyme. Stir to incorporate. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until garlic has softened.
    Onions and celery in a large pot with minced garlic and thyme.
  • Sprinkle all-purpose flour into pot and stir well to coat vegetables completely.
  • Once vegetables are coated with flour, add chicken broth, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir to incorporate ingredients, scraping up any vegetables that may have stuck to bottom of pot, then allow mixture to come to gentle boil.
    Chicken broth and remaining ingredients added to large pot for cream of onion soup.
  • When liquid begins to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer mixture, uncovered, 12 to 13 minutes. Stir mixture occasionally, making sure to scrape bottom of pot each time.
  • After 12 to 13 minutes, liquid should be reduced and thickened. Remove pot from heat and let liquid cool slightly.
  • Remove bay leaf from soup and discard. Insert immersion blender into pot and blend soup until completely smooth. See Notes below if using traditional blender.
    Immersion blender in large pot with smooth cream of onion soup.
  • After soup is completely blended, add room-temperature heavy cream and stir until fully incorporated. Return pot to medium-low heat and simmer soup 5 minutes.
  • After 5 minutes, taste soup and add more salt or pepper if needed. When satisfied with flavor of soup, portion soup into serving bowls, garnish with toppings of choice if desired, and serve warm.

Recipe Notes

  • Make it Vegetarian: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
  • Make it Gluten Free: Use gluten-free all-purpose flour, and make sure your chicken broth is 100% gluten free.
 

Tips for Blending Hot Mixtures in a Traditional Blender

  • Fill blender no more than halfway. Work in batches as needed to avoid overfilling blender.
  • Let mixture sit in blender to cool slightly before blending.
  • Always blend hot liquids with center cap of blender lid removed. Hold dish towel over center cap hole to keep lid on blender and to keep mixture from splashing out.

Nutrition Info (Approximate)

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 324kcal | Protein: 7g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Total Carbs: 23g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Net Carbs: 19g | Vitamin C: 15mg | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 156mg | Potassium: 512mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 1mg