Vegan French Onion Soup
Ah comfort food. What we all need right now. I could truly eat French Onion soup anytime of year. As a vegetarian, I have a hard time doing so (albeit it probably for the best), because of the beef broth. Traditional French Onion Soup commonly uses beef broth, a whole lot of butter, and sugar. Nothing wrong with a decadent soup every now and then, but on standard day, this recipe’s a bit more fitting.
I was inspired by my gal Jeanine from Love and Lemons blog for this recipe. Made some modifications to her version and it is rich, savory, and just like the soup you’re used to (but healthier)!
To create the sweet richness that the beef broth and sugar would provide, I added in some red wine and balsamic vinegar. To make this completely vegan, omit the cheesy crouton. Or use vegan cheese!
The key to a good French Onion soup is letting the onions fully caramelize. While this might seem intimidating, it just takes time and the patience to stand over your stove for about an hour stirring onions, so grab a glass of wine and put on some music and relax!
This soup stores REALLY well. You can keep it in the fridge for 3-5 days, or freeze it for several months! Leave out the cheese/croutons until you are ready to eat, and just store the soup itself.
{Vegan French Onion Soup}
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 yellow onions
3 garlic cloves
1 tbs salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbs thyme
1/3 cup red wine
5 tbs olive oil
3 tbs all purpose flour
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
5 cups vegetable broth
Baguette of choice (I used French)
Gruyere or parmesan cheese (skip if vegan or sub for vegan cheese)
Directions:
Thinly slice onions, and mince garlic and thyme. Set aside. Add olive oil to a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to low and cook for about 40 min. Stirring frequently (about every few minutes). The onions should be very soft and translucent toward the end of cooking time.
Increase heat to medium and cook for another 10 minutes to caramelize. Stirring every minute or so to brown, but not burn the onions.
Add minced garlic, thyme, and balsamic and stir together until fragrant (about 1 minute).
Add flour and stir to coat, cooking for another minute.
Add red wine and cook until evaporated.
Add broth, and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Stirring every few minutes.
While your soup is simmering, preheat oven to 425. Slice baguette and top each slice with cheese. Bake for 8 min. Remove cheesy croutons and set aside. Turn broiler on high.
Ladle soup into bowls and top with melted cheese crouton. Stick the bowls (make sure they are oven safe) into the oven and broil for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly golden brown.
