This French Onion Soup Without Wine packs SO much flavor that you won't know it's made without alcohol! It combines sweet caramelized onions with a rich, savory broth, and a touch of fresh thyme. Topped off with a cheesy baguette, this soup is irresistible!
Even though nowadays French onion soup is considered fancy "restaurant food", it originated as a peasant dish made from water, stale bread, and onions.
And would you believe me if I told you it's one of the easiest recipes to make?
The trick to making the BEST French onion soup is patience. You need to cook the onions low and slow until they start to release their natural sugars and turn golden brown.
My version of this famous dish is alcohol-free and includes red wine vinegar as a substitute. This way, you get all of the flavor and acidity, without adding any white wine or sherry.
If you're a fan of this soup, check out my French onion pasta which was inspired by this recipe.
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Can You Make French Onion Soup Without Wine?
Yes, you can absolutely make this soup with no alcohol. It turns just as delicious, if not more, than the traditional version made with wine.
Simply substitute the alcohol with a combination of vegetable broth and a splash of red wine vinegar for depth of flavor. I also like to use soy sauce to add umami and richness to the broth.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Onions: If you can find them, Vidalia onions work best here (also known as sweet onions). However, regular yellow onions are also fine to use.
- Butter and olive oil: You'll need to use both to make this recipe. Butter provides flavor, and olive oil prevents the onions from burning too fast since it has a high smoke point.
- Soy sauce: It adds umami and savory notes, replacing the traditional Worcestershire sauce.. I opt for soy sauce as it has similar qualities while remaining vegetarian-friendly.
- Broth: Using a high-quality broth or stock is KEY here. Traditionally, this soup is made with beef broth. However, I like to use my homemade vegetable broth and it turns out just as good. Store-bought broth can also work, just make sure it good-quality.
- Flour: For thickening the soup and making a roux. I'm using all-purpose flour, but white rice flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour can also work.
- Red wine vinegar: This is what will give us the acidity and flavor of the wine without using any alcohol. You can use apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar as a substitute.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic adds depth of flavor, so don't skip it or substitute it with dried.
- Fresh thyme: While fresh thyme is best, dried thyme can be a good alternative in a pinch. When opting for dried thyme, use half the amount specified, as it tends to be more potent.
- Salt and black pepper: For seasoning the soup to taste.
- Gruyere cheese and bread: If you can't find Gruyere cheese, use any gooey cheese that melts well such as mozzarella, swiss, or provolone. For bread, I like to use a French baguette but feel free to use any crusty bread.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and exact measurements.
How to Make French Onion Soup Without Wine
Step 1: Heat a large pot like a Dutch oven over medium heat. Melt butter and add the olive oil. Add the sliced onions and season with salt. Cook, stirring often, for 45-50 minutes, or until the onions start to caramelize and have a deep golden brown color.
TIP! If they start to burn at any point, add a splash of water to bring the temperature down.
Step 2: In the last 5 minutes, add the minced garlic and thyme, and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant, stirring constantly. Add the flour and cook for 1 more minute, stirring vigorously.
Step 3: Pour 1 cup vegetable broth and stir with a wooden spoon to get any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the rest of the broth, alongside soy sauce, bay leaves, and black pepper. Cover with a lid and simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
Step 4: In the meantime, slice the bread and shred the cheese if you haven't already. Heat the broiler and place the bread slices on a baking sheet.
Toast under the broiler for 1-2 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
When the soup is ready, discard the bay leaves. Stir the red wine vinegar, and add adjust the seasoning if needed, adding more salt and black pepper to taste.
Step 5: Divide the soup between oven-safe bowls and top with 1-2 bread slices and shredded cheese.
Step 6: Broil for 1 minute, or until the cheese is golden brown. Enjoy!
👩🏼🍳Petra's Tips
- Take your time when caramelizing the onions. This will take around 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of your pot. You can't rush this process, it may feel like a long time, but I promise it's so worth it!
- If the onions start to brown too quickly, add a splash of water. You want to prevent the onions from burning at all costs, otherwise, the soup will taste bitter. Adding a splash of water will bring the temperature down.
- Use high-quality broth or stock. The type of broth you use is essential for the soup's flavor. It's best to use homemade vegetable broth, but if you don't have the time, use a high-quality store-bought broth. You can also use a bullion cube or bullion paste and dilute them with hot water. If you're not vegetarian, you can use beef stock.
- Toast your bread before topping the soup. You want to toast the bread either under the broiler or in a toaster. This will prevent it from getting soggy once you add to the soup to broil.
- If you don't have oven-safe bowls, add sliced bread on a baking sheet and top with cheese. Broil for 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown. Then, top the soup with it.
- Make it ahead of time. This French onion soup without wine is perfect for meal prep. It can be stored for 4-5 days in the fridge (and sometimes longer). When you're ready to serve, reheat it on the stovetop and microwave, then pour into the individual ramekins. Top with bread and cheese and broil until golden brown and bubbly.
Recipe FAQs
For a non-alcoholic substitute consider using a combination of vinegar and vegetable broth. This provides acidity and depth of flavor without the use of white wine.
Any vinegar can work such as apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and white vinegar.
However, my personal favorite is red wine vinegar, since it provides more depth of flavor and compliments the flavors of the soup well.
Traditionally this soup features Gruyère as the preferred cheese, known for its rich, nutty flavor. However, any melty cheese can work here as Swiss cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, and provolone.
Certainly! Allow the remaining soup to cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container and freezing for a maximum of 3 months.
The ideal bread for this soup is typically a crusty baguette or a hearty, rustic bread such as sourdough. However, any crusty bread can work here, so use whatever you have on hand.
Yes, shallots and red onions can work, however, they will change the flavor of the soup slightly. Shallots may make your soup a bit more bitter, and red onions provide a stronger onion flavor and are sweeter than yellow onions.
Serving Suggestions
To make this soup heartier, serve it with garlic ciabatta bread, or provolone grilled cheese with honey.
It's also delicious with a side salad like my arugula spinach salad or Mediterranean risoni feta salad, and roasted frozen Brussels sprouts on the side.
If you're looking for French-inspired side dishes, check out our French onion pasta, and vegan cordon bleu with seitan.
Storage, Freezing & Reheating
Let leftovers cool to room temperature, then store the soup without the cheesy bread in an airtight container for 4-5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat, add soup to a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring often, until warmed through. Add a splash of water or both if you need to thin it out.
More Soup Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Flavorful French Onion Soup Without Wine
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon butter (use vegan butter if needed)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 pounds yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
- 6 cups vegetable broth (or more if needed)
- 2 teaspoon soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free)
- 2 bay leaves
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 2-3 teaspoon red wine vinegar (depending on your taste)
Optional toppings
- 1 French baguette, sliced
- cheese of choice, shredded (I used ½ up per serving, not packed) vegan if needed
Instructions
- Heat a large pot like a Dutch oven over medium heat. Melt butter and add the olive oil. Add the sliced onions and season with ½ teaspoon salt.3 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 3 pounds yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced, ½ teaspoon salt
- Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 45-50 minutes, or until the onions start to caramelize and have a deep golden brown color. If they start to burn at any point, add a splash of water to bring the temperature down. Towards the end of cooking, increase the heat to medium-high, and start stirring contantly to prevent burning.
- When the onions are nearly done, add the garlic and fresh thyme. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant, stirring often.4 cloves of garlic, minced, 2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- Add the flour and cook for 1 more minute, stirring vigorously.2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Gradually pour 1 cup of vegetable broth while stirring constantly. Don't forget to stir the bottom of the pot to get any browned bit off. Add the soy sauce.2 teaspoon soy sauce
- Pour the rest of the vegetable broth (5 cups) and add the bay leaves and black pepper.6 cups vegetable broth, 2 bay leaves, Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Cover with a lid and simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes. At the end, stir 2 teaspoon red wine vinegar. Taste and adjust the flavor if needed, adding more salt or black pepper to taste. You can also add more vinegar if you want more acidity.2-3 teaspoon red wine vinegar
For the cheesy toast
- In the meantime, turn the broiler in the oven on. Place bread slices on a baking sheet and place the sheet in the second to top rack in the oven. Broil for 1-2 minutes per side, flipping once golden brown. When ready, take the bread out of the oven.
- Divide the soup between oven-safe bowls and top with 1-2 bread slices and shredded cheese (I usually add ½ cup of shredded cheese, but feel free to add less if desired). Broil for 1 minute, or until the cheese is golden brown. Take it out of the oven and serve the soup right away!1 French baguette, sliced, cheese of choice, shredded
Notes
- Fridge: Let leftovers cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Let leftovers cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Stovetop: add soup to a saucepan and heat over medium heat, until warmed through. Add a splash of vegetable broth if you need to thin it out.
- Microwave: add soup to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on heat, until warmed through. Add a splash of vegetable broth if you need to thin it out.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.
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