French onion soup is hearty and elegant, and surprisingly easy to make. This is my vegan twist on the dish, the main difference being that I use vegetable stock instead of beef stock. Give it a try, you’ll be surprised at how much it tastes like the original. You can use any combo of onions you have on hand, they all become sweet when cooked down and caramelized.
The hands-on time for this recipe is really limited; most of the time it takes is spent on the stove without your help. It’s the prefect thing to make on a weekend afternoon while you’re doing other chores around the house.
Aside from being delicious, this vegan french onion soup recipe actually has healing and medicinal properties.
Onions, along with garlic, shallots, scallions and leeks, come from the Allium family and are loaded with antioxidant power. They’re particularly high in flavonoids that simulate the production of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant for your liver that helps eliminate toxins. Onions also contain high levels of sulfur and quercetin, which help neutralize free radicals in the body and protect cell membranes.
Our other star ingredient, thyme, has been used for its medicinal purposes for centuries to treat things like gastrointestinal issues, laryngitis, and lack of appetite. It can also help relieve respiratory ailments related to the common cold and flu. Thymol, favonoids, B vitamins, vitamin C and others give thyme its healing properties.
Easy and so good for you – eat up!
Easy Vegan French Onion Soup Recipe
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 2 hours
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 large white or yellow onions, sliced into thin half-moons
- 3 large fresh thyme sprigs (about 1 tbsp), leaves stripped (or ½ tsp dried)
- 2 tbsp good quality aged balsamic vinegar
- 4 cups (1qt) vegetable stock (no salt added)
- 2 cups purified water
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tsp sea salt, divided
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Optional (non-vegan version):
- Sprouted whole grain bread
- Grated Gruyere cheese (not healthy but a little is ok for an indulgence)
Recipe:
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, thyme, 1 tsp salt and drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over the onions; lower the heat to medium low. The onions may be filling the pot completely but will cook down to about ⅓ of their mass. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the onions caramelize and turn light golden brown, about 50-60 minutes. Add the balsamic and cook until it’s absorbed and the onions are a deeper brown, about 15 more minutes. Add the stock, water, bay leaf, remaining salt and pepper, then bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer at least 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
I usually eat it just like this, but you can also serve it with toasted sprouted grain bread and melted gruyere cheese for a more classic presentation. Instead of baking the cheese onto the soup, put slices of sprouted grain bread on a baking sheet, rub the tops with a fresh garlic clove, drizzle with a little olive oil and top with the gruyere cheese. Bake for 10 minutes at 350º until the cheese is melted. Top each cup of soup with a slice of the cheesy bread and serve.
This soup (minus the cheese and bread) freezes extremely well in an airtight glass container.
Tip: You can also substitute 1/4 cup of a good quality, bold red wine for the balsamic vinegar. I suggest a burgundy or cabernet sauvignon.
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 large white or yellow onions, sliced into thin half-moons
- 3 large fresh thyme sprigs (about 1 tbsp), leaves stripped (or ½ tsp dried)
- 2 tbsp good quality aged balsamic vinegar
- 4 cups (1qt) vegetable stock (no salt added)
- 2 cups purified water
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tsp sea salt, divided
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Optional (non-vegan version): - Sprouted whole grain bread
- Grated Gruyere cheese (not healthy but a little is ok for an indulgence)
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot or Dutch oven.
- Add the onions, thyme, 1 tsp salt and drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over the onions; lower the heat to medium low. The onions may be filling the pot completely but will cook down to about ⅓ of their mass.
- Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the onions caramelize and turn light golden brown, about 50-60 minutes.
- Add the balsamic and cook until it’s absorbed and the onions are a deeper brown, about 15 more minutes.
- Add the stock, water, bay leaf, remaining salt and pepper, then bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat to low and simmer at least 30 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf before serving.
- I usually eat it just like this, but you can also serve it with toasted sprouted grain bread and melted gruyere cheese for a more classic presentation. Instead of baking the cheese onto the soup, put slices of sprouted grain bread on a baking sheet, rub the tops with a fresh garlic clove, drizzle with a little olive oil and top with the gruyere cheese. Bake for 10 minutes at 350º until the cheese is melted. Top each cup of soup with a slice of the cheesy bread and serve.
- This soup (minus the cheese and bread) freezes extremely well in an airtight glass container.
- Tip: You can also substitute ¼ cup of a good quality, bold red wine for the balsamic vinegar. I suggest a burgundy or cabernet sauvignon.
Enjoy!
