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Home // Courses // Soup // Vegetarian French Onion Soup

Vegetarian French Onion Soup

Sweet caramelized onion soup with toasty bread and broiled, melty cheese overtop, this Vegetarian French Onion Soup is both cozy and delicious!
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes
Jump to RecipePrint Recipe

A sweet caramelized onion soup with toasty bread and broiled, melty cheese overtop, this Vegetarian French Onion Soup is both cozy and delicious!

I don’t know about you but as the seasons change I begin craving alllll the warming soups and cozy evenings which is the perfect excuse to make this french onion soup recipe. And even if it’s not cooling down yet where you live, just turn up the A/C a bit and settle in on the couch with this soup. What more could you ask for?!

Not to mention, there’s so many ways to adapt this recipe *and* you could technically make it any time of the year! If you’re looking for more cozy meal inspiration though, check out this 6 Ingredient Vegan Alfredo Sauce or this equally delicious and easy Shakshuka Recipe.

Top down photo of Vegetarian French Onion Soup in a white mini soup crock. Toasted cheesy bread is on top with a fresh sprig of rosemary. A spoon sits partially inside the soup. There are two additional crocks of soup, one in the upper left corner and one in the lower right corner.

Ingredients in this French Onion Soup Recipe

Yellow Onions – I recommend using yellow onions because when you caramelize them, they become super soft and sweet, which is perfect for French Onion Soup!

Olive Oil (or Butter) – I used olive oil but regular butter or a vegan variety will work as well. Whatever you use is needed to caramelize the onions and enhance the flavor of this soup.

White Wine – Is used to deglaze the pot (after carmelizing the onions) and adds flavor!

Baguette – If you don’t have a mini baguette, feel free to use whatever bread you have available and simply cut it into small squares. And for a gluten free French Onion Soup be sure to use gluten-free bread.

Swiss/Aged Cheddar Cheese – While gruyere cheese is more traditional, I used aged cheddar and loved it! But once again, just use whatever you have in your fridge. And to make this dairy-free French Onion Soup, use a vegan cheese.

A top down photograph of three mini white soup crocks of Vegetarian French Onion Soup sitting in a black baking pan. There is toasted cheese bread on top of the soups as well as fresh sprigs of rosemary on each. The white lids to each crock sit beside them in the pan. Beside the middle crock of soup there are three antique style spoons. There is also a bowl of fresh grated aged cheddar cheese in the upper right corner of the pan.

Best Onions for French Onion Soup

Oftentimes when it comes to onions, recipes fail to specify what variety to use. For this Vegetarian French Onion Soup, however, I’m being *real* specific and urging you to use yellow onions.

When raw, yellow onions are crisp and have a spicy flavor, but when you caramelize them (such as in is this recipe), they become soft and perfectly sweet. That sweet onion flavor pairs with the white wine and the bread/cheese combination on top to make this French Onion Soup recipe so delicious!

Top down photo of Vegetarian French Onion Soup in a white mini soup crock. Toasted cheesy bread is on top with a fresh sprig of rosemary. There are two additional crocks of soup, one in the upper left corner and one in the lower left corner.

How to Make French Onion Soup

1. In a large pot on medium high, add olive oil, onions, pepper and salt. Brown onions until dark brown, scraping brown bits from bottom and sides of pot as you go (~45 – 60 minutes)

2. Patience! The browner, the better. The sides of the pot will get very dark and your spoon will accumulate a brown paste. All this brown stuff will add depth of flavor to your soup.

3. When browning is complete, add white wine. Deglaze pot, “cleaning” browning off sides with wine/onion mixture. Make sure you get all brown paste off the spoon too!

4. Add water and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered on medium low for 20 minutes.

5. Topping: Slice baguette into ¼” slices. Brush both sides of each slice with olive oil. Place slices on a baking pan in a single layer, and sprinkle tops with grated cheese (sub dairy free cheese to keep vegan!)

6. Broil for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese starts to brown. Top bowl of onion soup with cheese bread slices. Enjoy!

Top down photo of Vegetarian French Onion Soup in a white mini soup crock. Toasted cheesy bread is on top with a fresh sprig of rosemary. A spoon sits partially inside the soup. There are three toasty baguette slices in the upper right corner as well as a fresh sprig of rosemary. In the lower left corner there are more sprigs of rosemary plus a bowl of grated aged cheddar cheese.

What Cheese Should I Use?

Traditionally, French Onion Soup is made with gruyere cheese, a hard yellow Swiss cheese that is slightly sweet yet salty too. For this recipe though, I used aged sharp cheddar cheese and loved it! The bold and sharp bite of cheddar pairs well with this soup in my opinion.

That being said, you can truly use any cheese that you have in the fridge. And if you need this French Onion Soup to be dairy-free or vegan, use vegan cheese!

How to Serve French Onion Soup

While the presentation of French Onion Soup can look fancy and intimidating at times, the soup itself is easy to serve! Once the soup has finished cooking, simply leave a lid on to keep it warm and set aside.

Meanwhile, slice your bread into  ¼” slices and brush both sides with olive oil. Place the bread slices on a baking pan in a single layer and sprinkle grated cheese over top of them. Broil the cheese bread for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown. Then top your bowl of onion soup with the cheese bread slices and enjoy!

A top down photograph of Vegetarian French Onion Soup in a mini white soup crock sitting in a black baking pan. There is toasted cheese bread on top of the soup as well as fresh springs of rosemary. Beside the crock of soup there are two spoons sitting on a pile of rosemary sprigs. There is also a bowl of fresh grated aged cheddar cheese beside the bowl.

Can you make this soup Vegan?

This soup can easily be made vegan with one simple substitute. For the cheese on top simply swap in a vegan cheese of your choice and tada, Vegan French Onion Soup! That being said, make sure to use olive oil or vegan butter when caramelizing the onions and toasting the bread as well.

Top down photo of three mini white crocks of Vegetarian French Onion Soup. Toasted cheesy bread is on top of the soups with a fresh sprig of rosemary for each. There is a mini white bowl filled with fresh grated aged cheddar cheese beside the top crock of soup.

If you’re looking for more tasty, vegetarian meal inspiration, check out this recipe for Spicy Tahini Rice Noodles that’s both easy and cozy! This Vegetarian Spaghetti Sauce Recipe is also a classic that tastes oh so delicious for a cozy night in.

And if you try this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment and rating in the boxes below! I always love to hear from you and it helps other people find this recipe when they search online for the BEST Vegetarian French Onion Soup 🙂

Vegetarian French Onion Soup

Prep: 15 minutes minutes
Cook: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
Total: 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes
Servings: 7 sides
Print Leave a Review
Sweet caramelized onion soup with toasty bread and broiled, melty cheese overtop, this Vegetarian French Onion Soup is both cozy and delicious!

Ingredients

Vegetarian French Onion Soup

  • 4 lbs yellow onions cut into 1/8” half-rounds (~10-12 cups)
  • ½ cup olive oil or butter
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 ½ cup white wine
  • 6 cups water

Topping

  • 1 ea mini baguette or use whatever bread you have!
  • olive oil or butter
  • swiss or aged cheddar cheese grated (or use whatever you have!)

Instructions

Vegetarian French Onion Soup

  • In a large pot on medium high, add olive oil, onions, pepper and salt. Brown onions until dark brown, scraping brown bits from bottom and sides of pot as you go (~45 - 60 minutes)
  • Patience! The browner, the better. The sides of the pot will get very dark and your spoon will accumulate a brown paste. All this brown stuff will add depth of flavor to your soup.
  • When browning is complete, add white wine. Deglaze pot, “cleaning” browning off sides with wine/onion mixture. Make sure you get all brown paste off the spoon too!
  • Add water and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered on medium low for 20 minutes.

Topping

  • Slice baguette into ¼” slices. Brush both sides of each slice with olive oil. Place slices on a baking pan in a single layer, and sprinkle tops with grated cheese (sub dairy free cheese to keep vegan!)
  • Broil for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese starts to brown. Top bowl of onion soup with cheese bread slices. Enjoy!

Notes

  • To keep vegan/dairy-free, use a vegan cheese 
  • To keep gluten-free, use a gluten free bread. And it doesn’t have to be a mini baguette, can use whatever bread you have on hand, cut into small squares.
  • While gruyere cheese is more traditional, I used aged cheddar and loved it. 

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Reader Interactions

4 comments

  1. Mary says

    March 1, 2021 at 8:02 am

    Hi. What size (oz) Staub bowls did you use? Just curious how many servings this makes as a meal not a side.
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Casey Colodny says

      March 1, 2021 at 6:26 pm

      Hi Mary! The Staub bowls in the photo are pretty small. I would say this recipe would serve ~4 people as a main meal!
      – Casey

      Reply
  2. Leslie says

    January 31, 2021 at 8:18 am

    5 stars
    French onion soup is one of my favorites. Growing up in Michigan, we use to always go to Peabody’s in Birmingham and have their famous soup. This was the first time I made it and it came out great. Love the caramelized onions.

    Reply
    • Casey Colodny says

      January 31, 2021 at 12:05 pm

      Taking the time to actually caramelize the onions make such a difference in the flavor. So so happy this french onion soup recipe got your seal of approval!!

      Reply

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⅔ cup mirin
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2 tsp fresh garlic, minced
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4 tbsp olive oil, divided
⅓ cup red onion, finely diced 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
16oz Beyond Beef 
1 tsp salt
6 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced into thin strips
1 small red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
2 cups broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
1 cup bean sprouts
10 oz ramen noodles, cooked al dente (1 minute less than package instructions)
⅓ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced
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Green Goddess Dressing:
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2 tbsp water
2 cloves garlic
½ tsp kosher salt + move to taste

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½ red bell pepper, seeded & cut into 1” pieces
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5 cups butter lettuce (1, 4.5oz container)
2 cups baby arugula
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