Flavorful French Onion Soup Without Wine

A spoon dipped into a bowl filled with French onion soup.

5 from 2 votes

Flavorful French Onion Soup Without Wine

This French Onion Soup Without Wine packs SO much flavor that you won't taste the difference! 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!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 40

Total Time1 50

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: French-Inspired

Servings:

Calories: 300kcal

Author: Petra

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

Storage

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.

Reheating

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