French Onion Soup (Vegan Style)
- Vegan Dad Cooks
- Jan 22, 2018
- 3 min read
French Onion Soup is, to me, the quintessential hunker down in front of the hearth while the snow falls outside meal. We eat it in our family almost exclusively in winter (onions are a great winter vegetable) and our favorite is to take it in thermoses while we ski so we can have it for lunch! Traditional French Onion Soup is also made with beef broth, butter and gruyere. While my kids still love the gruyere cheese, I don't go for that so much. So...necessity is the mother of invention.
I have found that if you aren't using beef broth but still want that deep and complex favorite, the best substitutes are red wine and bourbon. If you have those on hand, it doesn't matter what you use for your veggie stock...you can make a delicious, heady and "meaty" broth by adding the wine in early and letting the onions caramelize in the bourbon. For what it is worth, I have found that the best start for a quick French Onion Soup veggie broth is the Organic Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetarian Base. The non-organic vegetarian base is also good, as is the No Beef Base, but the Organic wins for my favorite.
The other key here is onions. Most recipes call for about 4 onions -- I use at least 8. If you have a lot of onions, you get a heartier soup and more complex flavor.
This recipe takes a couple of hours, so plan ahead!
Vegan French Onion Soup Recipe:
Ingredients:
FOR THE LIQUID BASE, USE EITHER:
-2.5 quarts (10 cups) water
- 3.5 tbsp. Better Than Bouillon Organic Seasoned Vegetarian Base (or any vegetable bouillon cubes, powders or paste)
OR
- 2.5 quarts veggie stock (another day I'll put up a recipe for my homemade veggie stock...the only way I will make matzoh ball soup!)
Also for the soup base:
- 1 cup Red Wine (I use leftover wine that I wouldn't drink anymore but that isn't "bad") or Red Cooking Wine (if you're under 21 or out of red wine)
- 1/2 cup white wine (if you want -- same theory on the white wine as the red. You can also use white cooking wine, but I prefer the drinking variety)
For the onion part:
- at least 8-10 yellow (or white) onions thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 ounces Bourbon (any kind you'd like -- if you have rye or any other whiskey variety, you can use that as well)
To serve:
- 1 crusty bread loaf (roughly chopped)
- If you're doing this non-vegan, some gruyere cheese (grated)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a stock pot (large pot) bring the water to a boil and then add in the veggie bouillon. Bring to a hard simmer (medium heat) and add in the white wine and half the red wine. Let simmer for about 30 minutes. While it simmers, go to step 2.
2. Slice the onions and place them in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with 2 tbsp. olive oil and 2 ounces (4 tbsp.) of the Bourbon. Mix well.
3. Warm a large sautee pan on medium heat and then add in two tablespoons of the oil. Once warm, add in the onions. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
4. After 10 minutes, uncover the onions and stir thoroughly. Cover again and cook. Keep repeating this in 10 minute intervals until the onions are soft and the bottom ones start to brown. Once they start to brown, mix well so that all of the onions get the caramel tinge. This may take up to an hour (or as little as 30 minutes depending on what "medium" means on your stove). Try NOT to burn the onions if possible. If you do it's not the end of the world (it happens to me sometimes).
5. Add in the other half of the red wine to the onions and then immediately pour the onions and wine mixture into the soup. Bring to a boil and then simmer on medium-low for an hour. At the 30 minute point, add in the remaining olive oil.
To serve:
VEGAN STYLE
- In individual bowls, put in bread chunks to cover the bottom of the bowl.
- Ladle soup (make sure you get plenty of onions, but also plenty of broth!)
- Enjoy!
WITH CHEESE
- In individual bowls, fill halfway with soup. Then put in a layer of bread, then fill rest of way with soup.
- Cover top completely with shredded gruyere.
- Place under broiler until cheese is melted and starts to brown. Or, if you're like my kids, microwave until the cheese is melted and eat right away!
- Enjoy!
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