The $1 Aldi Grocery I’ll Never Buy at Another Store (It’s So Much Cheaper!)

It’s hard to say what brings new shoppers into Aldi. The store’s beloved “Aisle of Shame”  is a major draw with limited-edition household goods that often go viral. Perhaps it’s curiosity about the no-frills stores that keep popping up on quiet corners across the country. For many, Aldi’s reputation for selling high-quality groceries at unbelievably low prices gets them in the door. 

Once you’re in, it can take time to get used to the quirks of shopping at Aldi, between the quarter-controlled shopping cart, plethora of private-label (or store-brand) products, and rapid-fire checkout process. It’s worth it when you see the total at the bottom of your receipt. The things that make Aldi so unique are major contributors to keeping costs low for us shoppers.

Case in point is this grocery that I always have in my pantry. Onion soup mix is a seasoning staple that I use often, especially in the fall. I didn’t realize until recently that I was paying twice as much for the name brand at other grocery stores. Saving every little bit counts, so I’m only buying it at Aldi from now on, and I think you should too.

Aldi’s Chef’s Cupboard Onion Soup Mix costs just 98 cents for a 2-ounce box. Each box contains 2 (1-ounce) envelopes. The same size package of the name brand soup mix costs more than twice as much at the nearest grocery store in the Tampa, Florida area. That kind of savings adds up and is one of the main reasons why I shop at Aldi every week.

It doesn’t take a trained chef to recognize the versatility of Chef’s Cupboard Onion Soup Mix — the options are listed right on the package. This savory mixture of seasonings and dried onion is the base for many recipes, soups, and dips. 

One onion soup mix envelope almost always gets combined with sour cream as an easy 2-ingredient dip to serve with the best potato chips. If dips aren’t enough of a game day appetizer on fall football afternoons, I always make sure to have a batch of French onion dip chicken wings ready to go.

The soup mix is a simple jumpstart to flavor-packed weeknight meals like these French onion chicken thighs, which I like to serve with an equally easy side salad. If you need to get dinner on the table in a hurry, try serving these French onion chicken bites; the chicken is off the bone and cut into bite-sized pieces, so it cooks quickly and stays juicy.

Unsurprisingly, onion-y flavor and potatoes are also a perfect side combo. Use the mix to add savory flavor to French onion dip mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes (swapping the ranch seasoning for onion soup mix).

Find it in stores: Chef’s Cupboard Onion Soup Mix, $0.98 for 2 ounces 

What Aldi groceries are you stocking in your pantry this fall? Tell us about it in the comments below.