If you have never tried the Outback Steakhouse Walkabout Soup, you are missing a creamy bowl of soup. This is a creamy onion soup that is hearty and filling. This is a perfect soup for a cold winter day when you want something a little hearty.
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Making the Famous Outback Steakhouse Walkabout Soup
Unfortunately, the Outback Steakhouse Walkabout Soup has gone on a walkabout from Outback Steakhouse. If you’ve been disappointed when they removed it from their menu, you can recreate this soup while staying at home.
About the Walkabout
The walkabout belongs to the Australian Aborigines. It was a cultural rite of passage in which young Aborigines between the ages of ten and sixteen undertook a journey to help transform them into adults.
This journey could last for up to six months, and the participant had to live and survive all alone in the Australian wilderness.
Only those youngsters who had proven themselves mentally and physically ready were allowed to proceed with the walkabout, and the tribal elders decided who should go.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need for this creamy onion soup:
- Sweet Yellow Onions
- Butter
- Chicken Broth
- Salt and Pepper
- Chicken Bouillion Cubes
- All-purpose Flour
- Milk
- Velveeta Cheese
I like to use Walla onions, but if you can’t find them you could use 1015 onions or any other kind of sweet onion. I find that white onions also work well for this recipe.
How to Make Outback Walkabout Soup
- In a medium-sized saucepan, place butter and sliced onions. Cook at low to medium heat, stirring frequently until onions are soft and clear but not brown.
- Add chicken broth, chicken bouillon cubes, salt, and pepper. Stir until completely heated through.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter and add flour. Cook on medium heat until the flour turns thick and comes away from the side of the saucepan.
- Pour milk into the flour mixture a little at a time and stir constantly. Add salt.
- Continue to stir constantly until the mixture thickens and becomes like thick pudding.
- Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use for the soup.
- Add thickened flour mixture (white sauce) and Velveeta cheese to the onion-broth mixture.
- Simmer on medium-low heat until the cheese is melted and all ingredients are blended, stirring constantly.
- Turn temperature to warm and let cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes.
How to Cut the Salt
You may want to use low sodium products when making this recipe, as between the chicken bouillon and the Velveeta cheese this soup may become too salty for some.
You can also use unsalted butter and low-sodium chicken broth. I always like to undersalt slightly when cooking because I can always adjust the seasoning after the fact.
Recipe Tip
You want to make sure your sauce gets hot enough while you are in the roux stage. It needs the heat to get going. Sometimes if you are too timid on the heat, it won’t get thick enough.
Anytime when making a roux and your ratio is right, but it isn’t coming together, just kick up the heat a bit. It will do the trick.
No Longer on the Menu – But this Soup Remains Tasty
This was one of my favorite soups from Outback Steakhouse. The Walkabout Soup is not only easy to make but has just a few simple ingredients. So, you won’t be running out to the store to make this soup.
This recipe makes four small portions which are the perfect starters to a meal. It may become your “go-to” soup, and every last drop will get enjoyed.
More Comforting Soup Recipes
- Chili’s Enchilada Soup
- Cream of Celery Soup
- Old Fashinoned Potato Soup
- Sausage Lentil Soup Recipe
- Clam Chowder
- Pappadeaux Crawfish Bisque
- Easy Tomato Soup
- Cheeseburger Soup
- Acorn Squash Soup
- Cream of Leek Soup
Popular Outback Copycat Recipes
- Homemade Blooming Onion
- Outback’s Alice Springs Chicken Recipe
- Outback Steakhouse Salad Dressing Recipes – Caesar
Be sure to check out more of my copycat restaurant soup recipes and famous restaurant copycat recipes.
Outback Steakhouse Walkabout Soup
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoon butter divided use
- 2 cups thinly sliced sweet yellow onions
- 14.5 ounces chicken broth
- 2 cubes chicken bouillon
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt divided use
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup Velveeta cheese
- Shredded cheddar cheese to garnish
- Dark Russian bread to serve
Instructions
- Place 3 tablespoons of butter and the onions in a 2-quart saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and translucent but have not browned. Add the chicken broth, bouillon cubes, pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and stir until heated through.
- Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook until it thickens and comes away from the sides of the saucepan. Add the milk a little at a time, stirring constantly. Then add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Keep stirring to prevent any lumps from forming as the mixture thickens to the consistency of thick pudding. Remove from the heat and set aside until ready to use.
- Transfer the contents of the smaller saucepan to the larger saucepan along with the Velveeta cheese. Simmer on medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts and all the ingredients are blended. Turn the temperature to warm and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes.
- Serve with a garnish of shredded cheddar cheese and a few slices of warm, dark Russian bread.
Audrey
I’ve now made this multiple times. Great recipe and every last drop gets enjoyed. I can double it – and folks just eat more! Thank you! This recipe is definitely now a family favorite – and is made repeatedly each fall/winter.
Don Dowling
Great recipe! If you are interested in cutting salt, replace the bullion with a pinch of curry, garlic powder, paprika, and chipotle powder. You will not miss the bullion.
Debora
At the point where you have stirred in the cheese, and as soon as it’s melted, dump in either a bag of frozen (thawed) broccoli or fresh broccoli and let it simmer for the final 40 minutes or so…. until it’s tender…. YUMMO!!!!! You could even add it in with the broth….. depending on how al dente` you want it to be.
Janice Mohs
Stephanie at finally made this soup. It was well worth the wait. It was delicious.
Janice Mohs
Stephanie, I finally made this soup. OMG it is delicious just like I remember. Thank you so much for this.
Scott
I made this and practically burnt my hand off. How come stoves and pots get so hot? How do they work? Did you know that pots spelled backwards is STOP!! Why is there so much noise screaming and banging in my parents room after I go to sleep when out neighbor comes over!?
Sandy
Shhhhhh
Frida
This is exactly how I remembered it! Thanks for sharing.
Ashlyn
My dad has been wanting this soup for a long time. He was upset that Outback chose to discontinue the soup. I came across this recipe and the comments won me over. I told myself, “I have to make this for him”. That’s what I did! He was so happy about the soup when I told him about it. The best part was when he took his first bite he said, “just like I remember”, and that was all I needed to hear! Thank you so much for the recipe!!!
Janet
This was excellent! I used unsalted butter, low sodium chicken broth, and did not add any salt at all. This was sooo good! Thanks for the recipe!
Stephanie
I am glad you liked the recipe.
Anonymous
One thing is missing from this recipe – when you add the bouillon, throw in a bay leaf – I don’t know how many times I got bowls with it in there, and no body adds it to their copycat recipes.
Kim M
Just made this..Yummy…Outback at least out our way has stopped making this they now offer a cream of potato soup, bummer. We have missed it so much. I found your recipe and made it today for lunch. We loved it!!! Thanks so much. I printed a copy as I’ll be making this again!,
Stephanie
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe. I love this soup as well.
Steve
Every time I make this it comes out too thin. I was thinking of using half and half instead of whole milk. I talked to a guy that works at Outback and he said they use something like half and half only thicker for the white sauce. It’s some special mixture that you can’t buy.
Stephanie Manley
Just a tip. I think you may want to make sure your sauce get’s hot while you are in the roux stage. It needs the heat to get going. Sometimes if you are too timid on the heat it won’t get as thick. Just a suggestion.
Steve
Ok I’ll remember that the next time I make it thanks.
Stephanie Manley
Anytime when making a roux, and your ratio is right, and it isn’t coming together, just kick up the heat a bit, it will do the trick.
Denise
In reading the recipe and knowing a bit about cooking, I think you can shorten your prep time by making the white sauce in the same pan/pot with the onions (after you cook them) before you add the chicken broth. Also eliminating another pan.
ItsJoelen
This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try this!
Kirsten/ComfortablyDomestic
Looks like you’ve pretty much nailed the recipe that I remember from my serving days in college!
stephaniemanley
Thank you!
greg
This was very good, it made 4 servings, will definitely make this again
stephaniemanley
Greg, I am glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe.
Juliana
This soup came out fantastic except for two things, one, DEFINITELY skip the salt! Even if you use low sodium chicken broth it would come out on this side of salty. And that is when doubling the recipe AND keeping the salt to the original measurements. So I would recommend you skip the salt all together and taste your soup before it’s done and THEN decide if you want to add more.
Two, this recipe says it serves 8 people, NOT TRUE!!! I doubled the recipe and even then it only served 5 people. So if you are serving a big crowd you might have to even triple the recipe. Of course that also depends on how big your bowls are 😉
stephaniemanley
Thanks for letting me know. I have adjusted the serving sizes.
Guest
Tastes just like Outback’s Walkabout Soup. Next time, I’ll double the recipe. This recipe makes 4 soup bowl servings.
stephaniemanley
Thank you for letting me know. I was thinking small cup portions, not large soup bowls.
Friendlygurl80
I’m so excited to make this recipe!! This is my aall time favorite soup EVER and Outbacks in NJ and PA stopped making it. Thank you CopyKat!!!
Sandy
So did Missouri.
maxine
I made this a few years back and it was soo good. to save a few calories I thought I would use fat free cheese the next time. everything was lovely until about halfway thru the melting process when suddenly I had a giant cheese onion lollipop on my spoon no broth or soup just this huge cheese onion thing!!! REALLY FUNNY
Sharon
I just made this soup for my family tonight. It was a big hit. It has huge flavor, but next time I make it I won’t add any salt, you get enough salt from the velveeta. Also, I do wish it made more, next time I’ll double the recipe. I’m not sure how close it is to Outback’s soup because I’ve never had it, but this is a very good soup.
Virginia
I made this earlier. Now it is my “go to” soup. Thanks a bunch.