Description
This Vegan French Onion Soup recipe is inspired by the original French classic. Complete with a rich, umami-packed broth topped with crusty bread and hot gooey “cheese”. It’s the perfect cozy comfort food made completely vegan!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) vegan butter
- 3 lbs yellow onions (about 5–6 onions), sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 8 cups vegan beef broth (or vegetable broth)
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon dry sherry (optional)
- 1 French baguette, sliced
- Vegan mozzarella shreds
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or pot of choice
- Spatula
- Sheet pan
- Ladle
- Oven-safe soup bowls (optional)
Instructions
- Caramelize the onions. Add the vegan butter to a large Dutch oven or pot of choice and melt over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the sliced onions, salt, and sugar. Cook until the onions are deeply caramelized, occasionally stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape the fond at the bottom of the pan. This should take 30-45 minutes. In the beginning, you’ll only need to stir the onions occasionally, but once they begin to brown, you’ll need to stir more frequently to prevent burning. If the onions begin to burn or stick to the pan, deglaze with water.
- Add wine. Once the onions are a deep golden brown and jammy, add the wine to deglaze the pan and raise the heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly, until the wine is cooked off, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the flour. Sprinkle the flour over the caramelized onions and stir to coat. Cook for an additional minute to allow the flour to hydrate.
- Add the broth ingredients. Add in the broth, sprigs of fresh thyme, and bay leaves. Stir together and bring the soup broth to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Prepare the crouton. While the soup simmers, preheat the oven to 400F. Place the baguette slices on a sheet pan with a drizzle of olive oil and bake for 5-8 minutes or until lightly crispy. Remove from the oven and set aside. If using regular bowls, top the crispy baguette slices with vegan mozzarella cheese and return to the oven for another 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Finish the soup. After the soup broth has simmered for 30 minutes, remove the soup from the heat. Add the dry sherry, if using, and black pepper to taste. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
- Ladle into oven-safe bowls. Ladle the savory broth into oven-safe bowls and top with 1-2 slices of the crispy bread. Pile vegan mozzarella shreds on the bread, about 1/4 cup per bowl.
- Bake until cheesy. Place in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. If using regular bowls, serve the soup and top with the prepared cheesy baguette slices.
- Enjoy. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Storage: Leftover soup will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For best results, store the soup broth and bread separately.
- Reheating: Heat the soup until warm on the stovetop or in the microwave, then transfer to an oven-safe serving bowl, top with leftover bread and cheese, and bake at 400F for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is gooey.
- Serving Suggestion: This soup is hearty enough to be enjoyed as a main dish, but if you’re looking for a few vegan side dishes to pair alongside it, you can’t go wrong with a simple Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad or Pan-Fried Asparagus. French onion soup pairs beautifully with a glass of red or white wine.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 100 minutes
- Category: Soup, Entree
- Method: Stovetop and Oven