Vegan French Onion Soup Recipe

My vegan French onion soup is an updated classic, full of candy sweet caramelized onions, rich and savory vegetable based broth, and of course, plenty of gooey melted vegan cheese! Red wine adds a unique depth of flavor while garlic and herbs round things out.  

Aside from the curtain of melted cheese floating on top, French onion soup always struck me as a fairly veggie-centric option–until I learned that it is traditionally made from a base of beef broth! Gray days and winter weather always leave me craving French onion soup though, so I wanted a plant based version that would still hit the spot.

With so many wonderful vegan cheeses out there these days, I knew that replicating the topping would be easy enough but how to create a rich, savory broth without the beef? I found the answer in the form of red wine, garlic, and vegetable stock. The red wine adds complexity and rich color while slices of fresh garlic perfume the veggie broth with savory flavor. Together, they produce a nice balance to all of the caramelized onion sweetness!

This soup is as much my go-to on quiet chilly days as it is for entertaining a crowd. Much of the cooking time is hands-off and I love that I can make the soup in advance, then simply top and broil each individual ramekin when it’s time to eat! 

Ingredients

• Vegan butter – I like the rich flavor that vegan butter adds to the base of the soup here, but you could also use coconut oil or olive oil if you prefer. 
• Onions – Sweet onions like Vidalia are best to use for French onion soup, but yellow onions would work well too. 
• Organic cane sugar – A touch of sugar helps the onions to become caramelized and delicious! Be sure to use organic or raw cane sugar, as refined white sugar is not always vegan. 
• Dried thyme – The combination of woodsy thyme + sweet onions just works! Dried thyme has amazing flavor and is the most convenient, but if you have fresh thyme, go right ahead and use it here if you like. You may need to use a greater quantity of fresh thyme though as its flavor is not quite as strong as the dried stuff. 
• Garlic – To give a complementary punch of allium flavor. 
• Vegan red wine – You can use any red wine you like, but not all wines are vegan so be sure to check the label on yours. If you prefer not to cook with alcohol, you can omit this ingredient, the flavor of the soup will be less rich though. 
• All-purpose flour – Not all French onion soups use this technique, but personally I like to work just a bit of flour into the base of the soup as it results in a slightly thickened, extra velvety onion soup.
• Vegetable stock – Use store bought veggie stock or broth, or, make your own! If possible choose a darkly colored, richly flavored vegetable broth or stock as this will make the soup’s appearance and flavor closer to that of classic French onion soup.
• Bay leaves – Fresh or dried, both are great. 
• French baguette – French onion soup wouldn’t be complete without a slice of delicious bread floating on top! French baguette is the perfect choice as the small diameter makes each slice a perfect fit. 
• Vegan mozzarella cheese – Use your favorite vegan mozz here, the key characteristic to look for is that it melts very well. I like the options from Miyoko’s Creamery or Field Roast Chao. 
• Chives – For garnish, if you like! 

How To Make Vegan French Onion Soup

1. Caramelize the onions. Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and sugar and stir well. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and caramel-colored. The amount of time this takes will depend on many factors including what type of onions you use and how thick they are, but it will most likely be somewhere around 30-45 minutes. 
2. Add the aromatics. Add the thyme and garlic to the caramelized onions, stir and then cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 
3. Deglaze. Pour in the red wine and using a spoon or spatula, scrape the bottom of the pot to bring up any browned bits. Add the flour, stirring until evenly distributed throughout the onion mixture, and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add stock and simmer. Add the vegetable stock and bay leaves, stir well, and let the soup simmer until the flavors meld, about 15 minutes. 
5. Broil the cheese. Preheat the broiler. Ladle your soup into oven-proof ramekins or bowls, filling each only halfway. Add 1 slice of baguette bread to each dish and ladle the remaining onion soup over top of the slice in each bowl. Top each bowl with a layer of vegan cheese and place under the broiler until melted. 
6. Garnish and serve! Serve your soup piping hot with minced fresh chives for garnish if desired.

Watch Us Make Vegan French Onion Soup

Chefs Tips

Caramelizing onions is best done slowly, giving those natural sugars plenty of time to come out! You’ll need to monitor the heat as they cook, checking to make sure your pot is hot enough to brown the onions without being so hot it burns them.

If you notice a fond–brown sticky coating–developing on the bottom of your pot, add a splash of water and scrape with a wooden or rubber spatula to get all of that flavor back up into the onions.

How to Store Vegan French Onion Soup

Refrigerating. Place any leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For the best texture, I recommend leaving the baguette slices and vegan cheese on the side until you’re ready to heat it up again. 

Freezing. This French onion soup is a great freezer item! Place your cooled soup in a freezer-proof airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to three months. Again, leave the baguette and cheese out of the mix here. Either store them separately or plan to buy more when the time comes. 

Reheating. If frozen, thaw your soup in the fridge overnight or run hot water along the outside of the container to loosen it from the sides, then plunk it into a pot over medium heat. Heat until warm and steamy, then ladle it into bowls, top with sliced baguette and vegan cheese, and broil as directed in the recipe above.