There are almost always substitutes for canned food — it’s called home-made. And it’s always better. The following recipe produces quite a rich soup, but you can moderate it substantially with a couple changes.

Cream of Onion Soup

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp butter 1-1/2 cups thinly sliced onions 1 Tbsp flour 1/2 tsp salt 4 cups milk, cream, or chicken stock, or some combination of them 4 beaten egg yolks Paprika, grated nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Instructions:

Sauté the onions in the butter over medium-low heat until golden brown. Stir in the flour and salt, then add the liquid of your choice. Simmer the mixture, covered, until the onions are very tender. Pour a small amount of the soup into the egg yolks and mix, then pour that mixture into the soup and stir well. Heat a bit more, but do not allow it to come to a boil. Season with the paprika, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce, if desired.

You can omit the egg yolks, which are added for flavor and thickening, by increasing the amount of flour to 3 tablespoons. This will produce the right consistency.

If your recipe calls for condensed cream of onion soup, decrease the total amount of liquid in the soup by about half.