Homemade French Onion Soup is rich and flavorful and I could eat it every day. It’s amazing how little time is required for this delicious soup.
I was a picky eater as a child. Just the looks of a recipe made me say ‘No, thanks’.
I didn’t even have pizza until I was 15 and was shocked after my first bite. How could I have been passing up pizza all those years! Ah, the mind of a child.
The same went with onion soup. I mean, who would like that? Onion soup?!?
I was older than 15 but something made me order it one day. My guess is I liked a guy and he was ordering it. Enough about me 🙂 It was fantastic.
So a little less of this, a little more of that, a tweak here and there and Voila!
One of the best and simplest homemade onion soups you can make. That is – Homemade French Onion Soup!
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The caramelized onion’s flavor mellows out just right to make a lovely soup. Just imagine cutting your spoon into a crusty chunk of bread that has soaked up a deep rich flavor of comfort food.
Save yourself at least an hour by making this recipe. Of course, rumor is that King Louis XV added champagne to his but I don’t have any champagne and the restaurants figured out that it was an extravagant whim anyway.
I guarantee you that if you try this recipe you will never go back. It’s plant-based too!
Homemade French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 3 pounds onion - large yellow onions
- 3 tablespoons dairy free butter
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 bay leaf
- French bread, for garnish
- dairy-free mozzarella cheese, sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Thinly slice the onions; you will have 5 to 6 cups.
- In a large soup pot, over medium-low heat, melt the butter.
- Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until limp and soft, about 20 minutes.
- This makes the onions nice and sweet.
- Turn up the heat to medium-high and cook the onions until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Do not burn.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the vegetable stock, water, salt, wine, mustard, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
- Adjust the heat to a high simmer and cook (with the lid off) for 30 more minutes.
- Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed.
- At this point you may refrigerate or freeze the soup; otherwise, ladle the soup into individual broiler-proof bowls.
- Bean bowls with handles are great.
- Lightly lay a slice of French bread on the top of the soup. Do not push the bread down into the soup.
- (Alternatively, you can cut up more than one slice of bread and fit it into the bowl to cover the soup.)
- Lay the sliced non dairy mozzarella cheese over the bread completely, to keep the bread from burning.
- Put the bowl or bowls on a cookie sheet (two at a time for safety).
- Turn on the broiler and slide your cookie sheet under the oven broiler, on the top shelf.
- Watch carefully— do not walk away.
- Take out the pan when the cheese has lightly turned to a dark golden shade here and there.
Nutrition
Can You Freeze Homemade French Onion Soup?
Yes you Can! Not with the topping but the soup – yes!
Storing in the refrigerator:
Will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing:
Let cool to room temperature. Freeze without the bread and cheese on top—just the basic soup.
Freeze in hard-sided freezer containers for up to 3 months.
To prepare after freezing, defrost in the refrigerator overnight because it is a pretty solid mass and will take longer to thaw.
Reheating:
Follow the directions above for heating through and adding the non dairy cheese.
Besides this Homemade French Onion Soup Spectacular, there is another recipe I would love for you to try. Below – just for you!
I made this recipe last week, and let me tell you — excellent! And that’s even when omitting the “cheese”. I’ll definitely be making it again!
Not really LaDonna. They add to the perfect flavor in the end.
Can u live dijon out & the white whine?
Oh, that is wonderful Jennifer. I’m so glad you found this recipe. French Onion Soup is also something I missed. Not anymore! 😀
I loved this SO much! I used the Better than Bouillon no beef broth instead of regular veg broth. It took me back to my Applebee’s days (I loved their French onion soup). It was probably one of the few things I miss going vegetarian.
I just love that! More wine? oh, yes! So glad you enjoyed it so much. P.S. I do too 🙂
Just made this for dinner, so easy to make and delicious! I followed the recipe exactly, well maybe I put a little more wine in there. Definitely saving this and making again.
Thanks so much Deb. Yes, those would work for the stock also.
There is also a beefless beef stock that is really awesome in this too. It should be by the boulion cubes. Theres these better then bouillon too that is great too. Great recipe.
Haha Carine! What a great tradition and I want to make it mine now. 🙂
I love onion soup. It is a popular recipe in France and it is tradition to eat this at midnight on New Year’s eve to give a health kick for the upcoming new year. Well, french people add cheese on top not so healthy 🙂
Fantastic Carolyn! I am so glad you all enjoyed it and thanks for letting me know 🙂
I made this soup on the weekend. It was indeed spectacular! We all enjoyed it.
You are so welcome! Glad you found this recipe:)
Looks yummy, it’s one of those recipes that is intimidating but broken down now can concur before dinner time. Thanks
Yes, you can Lisa. It will change the flavor factor but very minimally. Thanks for your interest 🙂
Could I skip the wine?
Thanks! I would love for you to bookmark me!
Your style is unique compared to other folks I’ve read stuff from.
Thanks for posting when you have the opportunity,
Guess I will just bookmark this blog.
Hi Ginger, Yes, There are non-GMO corn starches. Rapunzel is probably to easiest to find and it is also on Amazon if you want to order it or see what the box looks like. If you are okay with gluten free bread then I would try it on top. Maybe just skip the bread. The soup is delicious on it’s own.
This looks so yummy! I’m trying to stay away from gluten, and would probably use corn starch, but not sure if you can get non-GMO corn starch. I’d use a gluten free bread, not sure it would taste the same, but worth a try. What do you think?
I was just wondering how to vegan-ize onion soup, you have the answer for me!
I did miss when to add the water – with the broth and you would simmer it with the lid off. Thanks for the interest and I have added these directions above. Hope you get to try it!
Thanks so much. Have fun and enjoy!
I’d like to try this recipe, but I’m confused when the water gets added in. I might have missed that in the directions. Also, do you simmer with lid on or off? Thanks!
I am so excited to make this soup with my aunt. I love the story, the ease of the recipe and can’t wait to try it!