Vegan French Onion Soup

5 from 3 votes

Easy vegan French onion soup combines caramelized onions with garlic & thyme in a rich veg broth topped with ‘cheesy’ baguette for a tasty, sophisticated starter/side!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time55 mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: French

Servings:

Calories: 433kcal

Author: Toni

Equipment

Ingredients

4 large yellow onions
½ cup unsalted plant-based butter
5 cups water
3 vegetable bouillon cubes
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon of vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 baguette or one loaf of French bread, sliced
6 slices vegan provolone cheese
6 tablespoons of grated vegan parmesan cheese

Instructions

Using a mandoline, slice the onions very thinly. Set them aside on a cutting board. You could also use a knife to slice the onions as thinly as possible.
In a large pot with a lid over medium heat, melt the vegan butter and wait 1 minute for it to get hot.
Add the onions, stir, cover, reduce the heat to a medium-low, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir regularly to prevent burning. The onions will release some water. If they don't and they’re beginning to brown, add a splash of water. This process will soften and slightly caramelize the onions. Once the 10 minutes have passed, add the water, bouillon cubes, sherry vinegar, vegan Worchester sauce, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix well, cover with the lid, turn up the heat to a medium-high, and bring to a boil. Once it begins to boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
Once the 30 minutes have passed, remove the lid, stir, and set aside in the pot.
Set your oven to broil and preheat it for 5 minutes.
Carefully ladle the soup into individual oven-safe bowls, add a slice of bread, top it with a slice of vegan provolone, and one tablespoon of vegan parmesan. To make it easier, place the bowl on a cooking sheet and place it on the top rack of the oven. Broil for 1 minute and check how fast the vegan cheese is melting. Broil for 2 minutes or until the vegan provolone has melted.
Carefully remove the baking sheet with the bowls and set them on a cooling rack.
Garnish with some black pepper and serve immediately.

Notes

Quick prep: Use a mandoline to slice the onion in no time at all.
For the deepest, richest flavor: 10 minutes is the minimum for a flavorful homemade onion soup. If you have the time, I highly recommend caramelizing the onions for 45-60 minutes until soft, sweet, and richly golden-brown.
For thicker soup: Either add 2-3 tablespoon flour to the onions before step 3 and cook for 2 mins before continuing, OR add cornstarch (in a slurry) towards the end, increasing the heat and stirring until thickened.
To avoid soggy bread: Lightly toast it before adding it to the soup.
Vegan products I use: 365 Worcestershire sauce, Earth Balance buttery spread, no-chicken Better Than Bouillon, and Violife provolone.

Nutrition