Vegan Onion Soup

Looking down on a bowl of onion soup with a sprig of fresh thyme on the top and melted cheese.

This vegan onion soup is full of all the caramelized onion flavors. It's made with vegetable broth (instead of beef broth) and topped with vegan mozzarella. It's a classic soup recipe veganized to be your next favorite comfort food.

Course Soup

Cuisine French

Diet Vegan

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Resting time 10

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 365kcal

Author Marly McMillen

Equipment

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
5 large onions , peeled and sliced thin (see notes)
2 teaspoons brown sugar
4 medium garlic cloves , peeled and minced
3 tablespoons flour (all-purpose or gluten-free)
½ cup white wine
2 bay leaves
6 cups vegetable broth (see note)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
6 slices baguette (one-inch slices)
¾ cup vegan mozzarella shreds

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Caramelize the onions. Pour the olive oil into a pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Stir in the sugar and cook until the onions are caramelized, stirring regularly.
Make a Roux. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the flour—cook and stir for about 1 minute. Add the wine. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to get the brown bits in the pan.
Simmer. Stir in the vegetable broth, Worcestershire, thyme. Add the bay leaf and cook until the soup begins to simmer (low boil). Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Use tongs to remove the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Toast the bread. While the soup is cooking, preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for approximately 7 minutes, until the bread is toasted and golden around the edges. Remove the pan.
Broil. Turn the oven to the broiler setting and use oven mitts to place an oven rack on the top tier. Place soup crocks (oven-safe) on a baking sheet. Ladle some soup into the bowls, and top each with a toasted baguette slice. Add about 2 tablespoons of cheese over the top of the bread slices. Place the pan on the top rack and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden brown in spots. (Pay close attention, so they don't burn.) Use oven mitts to remove the pan from the oven.
Serve. Allow the soup to cool for a few minutes, then serve warm.

Notes

How to cut onions in thin slices:

Take a whole, unpeeled onion and lay it on its side. Cut off the top and the root end.
Stand the onion on one of the flat ends. Cut down the onion, cutting it in half, and peel off the outer onion skin.
Lay one of the halves, cut side down. Slice the onion, beginning on the uncut, rounded edge. Once you reach the middle, tip it over and continue making thin slices. Be careful to keep your fingers out of the way as you reach the end of the onion.
Repeat with the other half of the onion.

Nutrition