Easy Vegan French Onion Soup

If you’re craving a classic French onion soup with all the deep, savoury flavours but want a fully plant-based version, you’ve found the right recipe! This Vegan French Onion Soup delivers the rich, caramelised onions, hearty broth, and crusty bread topped with a golden, melty vegan cheese, all without a drop of dairy.

Perfect for cosy evenings, this recipe is both wholesome and indulgent, appealing to vegans and non-vegans alike.

In this post, I’ll guide you through how to make the best vegan French onion soup step-by-step, including tips for getting that perfect onion caramelisation and options for gluten-free.

This soup is ideal for a warming lunch, or a starter to a cosy dinner. So, let’s dive into the magic of vegan French onion soup that’s just as satisfying as the traditional version, but kinder to animals and the planet.

What you need

• onions
• olive oil
• garlic
• sugar
• white wine
• plain flour
• stock
• vegan Worcestershire sauce
• baguette (or gluten free for gf alternative)
• vegan cheese
• oregano, for sprinkling

How to make vegan French onion soup

To make our vegan French onion soup, we start by chopping all of our onions. You’ll need quite a few, so get peeling and chopping, so they can be added to the pan to caramelise.

Add the onions into a heated pan with a healthy glug of olive oil, and cook on a medium heat for around 10 minutes, until softened.

Once they’re soft, add the sugar. Stir through and allow the onions and sugar to caramelise until sticky and soft for 40-45 minutes, stirring regularly.  Now the onions are beautifully caramelised and flavoured, pour in a splash of the white wine to deglaze the pan.

Take care to scrape up all the delicious gooey bits at the base of the pan, as these are the best bit! Cook for a few more minutes, and then add the flour, stir, and cook for a further few minutes.

Finally, add the remaining white wine to the pan along with the stock, along with a splash of Worcestershire sauce, and bring to the boil.

Then partially cover the pan with a lid, return to a simmer, and cook for for 20-30 minutes to build that depth of flavour to the soup.While the soup is simmering away and nearly ready, slice the baguette up, brush each piece with a little olive oil, and grill on each side until golden brown. Set these aside ready to assemble on the individual soups.

 
To serve, prepare a large baking tray with 6-8 bowls or small dishes. Then ladle the soup into each bowls or dish, top with the toasted baguette slices, a generous handful of grated vegan cheese, and toast under the grill until the cheese is golden brown and melted.

This will take approximately 3-5 minutes, so just keep an eye on them!

Serve with a sprinkling of oregano and crack of black pepper and enjoy!

Craving more cosy soups?

• Spiced Butternut Squash Soup
• Mushroom “Chicken” Noodle Soup
• Roasted Tomato Soup
• Roasted Broccoli and Mushroom Soup

Did you make this vegan French onion soup recipe? Take a photo, tag me @MadeleineOlivia and hashtag it #MadeleineOlivia. I love seeing your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok.

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Vegan French Onion Soup

If you're craving a classic French onion soup with all the deep, savoury flavours but want a fully plant-based version, you've found the right recipe! This Vegan French Onion Soup delivers the rich, caramelised onions, hearty broth, and crusty bread topped with a golden, melty vegan cheese, all without a drop of dairy. Perfect for cosy evenings, this recipe is both wholesome and indulgent, appealing to vegans and non-vegans alike.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Servings 6

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

MetricUS Customary

Ingredients

• 6 large onions (peeled, halved and sliced no thinner than 1cm )
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves (grated)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 200 ml white wine
• 1 tbsp plain flour (use gf for gluten free option)
• 1200 ml stock (I used meat free oxo beef stock cubes)
• vegan Worcestershire sauce (optional (can be substituted for soy sauce))
• Sea salt and black pepper
• baguette (sliced (use gluten free for gf option))
• 150 g vegan cheese (grated )
• Oregano (for sprinkling)

Instructions 

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan or cast iron pot (with a cover), and add the sliced onions and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes until softened.
• Next add the sugar and keep stirring regularly. Cook the onions and sugar on a low heat for 40-45 minutes, until sticky and very soft.
• Once the onions have caramelised, add the garlic and cook for another minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Now add just a splash of the white wine and turn the heat up a little to deglaze the frying pan, taking care to scrape up the gooey bits on the bottom of the pan.
• Then stir through the flour and cook for a couple more minutes. Finally pour in the remaining wine and stock, along with the Worcestershire sauce, bring to a boil and then partially cover the pan with the lid, and simmer for about 20-30 minutes.
• Whilst the soup is simmering and nearly ready, slice the baguette, brush with a little olive oil and toast on both sides.
• Prepare a large baking tray with bowls, or small dishes. Ladle the soup into each bowl or dish, top each with a slice or two of toasted baguette and cover in grated vegan cheese. Carefully place the baking tray of soups under the grill until the cheese is melted and golden. Serve topped with a sprinkling of oregano, and cracked black pepper

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 220kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 2gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 1.571mgPotassium: 28mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 635IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 1mg

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