What kind of bread is best for French onion soup?

Baguette is our first choice, since it's already naturally hard and crunchy, which means it holds up well in the soup. Sourdough, French bread or even croutons are also good choices.

Why does my French onion soup taste bitter?

If your finished soup tastes bitter, you may have overcooked the onions. Caramelized onions develop their sweet, rich flavor over gentle heat. It takes time, but it's well worth the effort. If you try to rush the caramelization, they may burn and darken too much, which will affect the final flavor of your soup.

Vegan French Onion Soup - Crowded Kitchen

Name: Vegan French Onion Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h 35 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons vegan butter; 4 large sweet or yellow onions, thinly sliced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped; 1 teaspoon sugar; 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 2/3 cup dry white wine (like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio); 3 tablespoons dry sherry; 2 tablespoons all purpose flour; 6 cups vegetable broth; 10-12 baguette slices (½” thick); 1 1/4 cup shredded vegan mozzarella or parmesan cheese

Description

This Vegan French Onion Soup is pure deliciousness! It has the caramelized onions, cheesy bread topping, and the deep, rich flavor that everyone loves, except our version is totally dairy free. The perfect recipe for a cozy winter night.

Ingredients

Units Scale

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons vegan butter
4 large sweet or yellow onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2/3 cup dry white wine (like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio)
3 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
6 cups vegetable broth
10-12 baguette slices (1/2” thick)
1 1/4 cup shredded vegan mozzarella or parmesan cheese

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 375˚F / 190˚C.
Add olive oil to a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onions, sugar, soy sauce, and a pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onions soften and start to turn translucent.
Reduce heat to medium low and continue cooking the onions, stirring every few minutes for 30-35 minutes.
While the onions are cooking, brush both sides of baguette slices with olive oil. Transfer to baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and crispy, turning over halfway through. Set aside until ready to use.
Once the onions have been cooking for 35 minutes, add in butter, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme and cook for 10 additional minutes, until the onions are golden brown and caramelized.
Stir in the flour until it coats the onions and increase heat to medium high. Add white wine and sherry and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Once soup is boiling, reduce heat to medium low and simmer covered for 20-25 minutes.
Ladle soup into mini cocottes arranged on a rimmed baking sheet. Top each cocotte with a slice or two of toasted baguette and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Notes

Staub Cast Iron Mini Cocottes are the best choice for serving this vegan French onion soup. With an enameled cast iron interior, they retain and distribute heat evenly. And, of course, they're oven safe, which is essential to this recipe! Bonus: the enameled interior is also super easy to clean.

Vegan cheese doesn't always melt fully: Unfortunately, it can be hard to predict whether or not your vegan cheese will get nice and melty. Even if it doesn't look fully melted, we still suggest removing from oven after 10 minutes, otherwise it will start to harden up and burn after a certain point.

Bake the cocottes on a baking sheet: It's total pain to transfer each mini cocotte to and from the oven, and it's very easy to spill. Place the cocottes on a baking sheet before filling with soup for easy transport.

Storage: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days (without the bread and cheese, of course). Top with bread and cheese and bake for 10 minutes to reheat before serving.

Freezer storage: Let the soup cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. (Any longer and the flavor will diminish.) Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Category: Soups
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: French

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bowl
Calories: 302
Sugar: 7.1 g
Sodium: 1054.5 mg
Fat: 11.9 g
Carbohydrates: 39.5 g
Fiber: 3.1 g
Protein: 6.7 g