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    Home » Soups and Salads

    Vegan French Onion Soup

    December 7, 2015 By Melissa Huggins / 133 Comments

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    This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

    Jump to Recipe
    Get ready to cry some happy tears, because you have found a Vegan French Onion Soup. This bistro-style classic is rich, savory & downright scrumptious. It's calls for very simple ingredients & just a little love.

    This Vegan French Onion Soup will make you cry happy tears! It's loaded with savory flavors from caramelized onions, broth-infused bread, and bubbly gooey 'cheese'.

    Overhead photo of vegan french onion soup in a white crock. Topped with vegan cheese and fresh rosemary.

    French Onion Soup was a childhood favorite of mine and I was kinda bummed after going vegan that I couldn't have it anymore. However, I quickly learned how easy it was to veganize. I really enjoy turning my past food memories into reality today. This Vegan French Onion Soup lets me reminisce about the past while nourishing my body, mind & soul.

    Wow, that's deep! (who needs chicken soup!)

    I love making soup, especially during the cooler months. They are easy to make, inexpensive, comforting, and great for make-ahead meals. They freeze really well and make great leftovers, too.

    This Creamy Potato Leek Soup is another family favorite, along with my Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup. They are both hearty, savory & satisfying!

    Alright, back to the soup - the onions are the star of this show!

    They will create a deep, rich & flavorful soup. So, give them thyme and let them do their thing. Just relax and have a glass of that red wine and watch the magic happen.

    They will reach a deep golden brown color as they caramelize and they will give off a heavenly, sweet aroma in your kitchen.

    They will shine!


    Side view of vegan french onion soup in a white crock on top of a striped napkin. Rosemary sticking out.

    Vegan French Onion Soup - No dairy needed

    Check out that soft, gooey & stretchy cheese! Doesn't it look mouth-watering? You can have all that deliciousness without a drop of dairy.

    Can you believe it?

    INGREDIENTS FOR THE VEGAN MOZZARELLA CHEESE:

    • Raw cashews
    • Tapioca starch
    • Nutritional yeast
    • Non-dairy milk
    • Lemon Juice
    • Garlic powder
    • Salt

    These healthy ingredients will make the most delicious mozzarella-like cheese ever! Just whirl it all up in a high-powered blender and heat it up on the stove for a couple of minutes.

    It will start to thicken and stretch just like dairy cheese.

    It's a vegan miracle!

    This fabulous stretchy vegan cheese adds the perfect creamy texture to your savory soup. Just toast a baguette slice, drop it into the soup and cover with this gooey goodness.

    You won't be missing the "real" cheese, I promise.

    So, are you ready to try this homemade batch of loveliness? You will be happy that you did!

    Two white crocks of vegan french onion soup. Topped with bread and vegan cheese.

    HOW TO MAKE VEGAN FRENCH ONION SOUP

    STEP 1: In a large pot, heat the butter or oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and sugar. Sauté until the onions are very tender & caramelized, about 40-50 minutes. Stir often to avoid sticking or burning.

    STEP 2: Now add the garlic and thyme. Sauté 30-60 seconds.

    STEP 3: Add the red wine and turn heat up to bring to a simmer. Now reduce heat and gently simmer on medium-low for about 10-15 minutes, or until the wine has evaporated.

    STEP 4: Stir the flour into the onions. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 1 minute. Stir constantly so the flour doesn't burn.

    STEP 5: Add the vegetable broth, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Turn heat up to to get things moving and turn right down to gently simmer for 10-15 minutes. When the soup is done, remove bay leaves and taste for seasoning. Add more if needed.

    STEP 6: Heat the broiler to high and carefully ladle the soup into oven-safe crocks or bowls. Fill halfway and place 1-2 slices of toasted baguette into each bowl. Now add more soup, pouring directly over bread. Top each baguette slice with a big scoop of cheese and place the bowls in the oven. Broil for 2-3 minutes to slightly brown and melt the cheese. Watch carefully to avoid burning.

    Vegan French Onion Soup

    Looking for more soup recipes? Here are my faves:

    • Vegan Baked Potato Soup
    • Red Lentil Soup
    • Yellow Split Pea Soup
    • Vegan Clam Chowder
    • Chickpea Curry Soup

    I’d love to hear from you

    If you make this Vegan French Onion Soup, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.

    Recipe

    Two white crocks filled with vegan french onion soup. Striped napkin and bread on the side.
    Print Recipe Rate this Recipe
    4.97 from 92 votes

    Vegan French Onion Soup

    This Vegan French Onion Soup will make you cry happy tears! It's loaded with savory flavors from caramelized onions, broth infused bread and bubbly gooey 'cheese'.
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time1 hour hr
    Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: French, Vegan
    Servings: 6 People
    Calories: 323kcal
    Author: Melissa Huggins

    Ingredients

    Soup

    • ¼ cup vegan butter or olive oil (or a blend of both)
    • 4 medium yellow onions , sliced
    • ¾ teaspoon granulated sugar
    • 4 cloves garlic , minced
    • 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
    • ¾ cup red wine (*see note)
    • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • 2 quarts vegetable broth , low sodium
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt , more to taste
    • Fresh ground pepper , to taste
    • 1 baguette , sliced and toasted

    Cashew "Mozzarella" Cheese

    • ¼ cup raw cashews , soaked in water for 2 hours (*see note for quick method)
    • 1 ¼ cup unsweetened plant-based milk , hot (be careful not to burn the milk)
    • 2 tablespoons tapioca flour/starch
    • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
    • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¾ teaspoon sea salt
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • In a large pot, heat the butter or oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and sugar. Sauté until the onions are very tender & caramelized, about 40-50 minutes. Stir often to avoid sticking or burning. 
    • Now add the garlic and thyme. Sauté 30-60 seconds.
    • Add the red wine and turn heat up to bring to a simmer. Now reduce heat and gently simmer on medium-low for about 10-15 minutes, or until the wine has evaporated.
    • Stir the flour into the onions. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 1 minute. Stir constantly so the flour doesn't burn.
    • Add the vegetable broth, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Turn heat up to to get things moving and turn right down to gently simmer for 10-15 minutes. 
    • Now's a good time to prepare the "mozzarella" cheese. Drain cashews and discard water. Place all ingredients into a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Now pour mixture into a small pot and place over medium heat. Stir often, so it doesn’t stick or burn. Scrape the sides and bottom as needed. The cheese will start to thicken up and get slightly stretchy. This whole process should take about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
    • When the soup is done, remove bay leaves and taste for seasoning. Add more if needed. 
    • Heat the broiler to high. Carefully ladle the soup into oven-safe crocks or bowls. Fill halfway, and place 1-2 slices of toasted baguette into each bowl. Now add more soup, pouring directly over bread. Make sure not to overfill the bowls. Now top each baguette slice with a big scoop of cheese and place the bowls in the oven. I placed a big piece of parchment paper under the bowls. Sometimes the cheese melts over, so it avoids mess in your oven.
    • Broil for 2-3 minutes to slightly brown and melt the cheese. Watch carefully to avoid burning. 

    Notes

    • To soften cashews faster, boil water in a small pot and remove from heat. Add cashews and cover for 15-20 minutes.
    • Not all wine is vegan and may contain egg whites. However, there are many that are vegan. Here is a vegan wine directory.
    • Leftover cheese can be stored in the fridge for 3-5 days. Just reheat to make it soft and stretchy again. You can add a splash of 'milk' if it's too thick. If you'd like to skip the cheese step, you can use stretchy store-bought vegan cheese. Daiya, Chao and Follow Your Heart make delicious vegan cheese. Just slice and place on top of the soup. Broil for 2-3 minutes to melt.
    *Cheese adapted from Vedged Out. You can find more delicious recipes on their page.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Bowl | Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 577mg | Potassium: 397mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 2.8mg
    Tried this recipe?Follow me @veganhuggs and mention #veganhuggs!



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    About Melissa

    I’m Melissa Huggins – the creator of Vegan Huggs. I started this blog to share delicious vegan recipes that everyone will love. Yep, that includes carnivores, too! Read more...

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    Comments

      4.97 from 92 votes (49 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Arturo

      March 11, 2021 at 10:53 pm

      I found that the recipe was great, but I am a big salt / umami fan. Adding a little liquid amino and / or miso paste made this PERFECT for my taste buds. Thanks for the recipe, I will definitely be making it again!

      Reply
      • Support @ Vegan Huggs

        March 12, 2021 at 7:50 am

        Hi Arturo! We're so glad to hear that you liked the recipe. Thanks for stopping by 🙂

        Reply
    2. Alex

      March 02, 2021 at 6:45 pm

      5 stars
      I made it tonight and you’re right it was delicious! I can’t wait to make it again when I have some oven safe bowls

      Reply
      • Support @ Vegan Huggs

        March 12, 2021 at 7:54 am

        Hi Alex! We're so happy that you liked the recipe! Thanks so much for trying it out, and yes the oven safe bowls are so handy! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Alex

      March 01, 2021 at 3:53 pm

      Do you think this would still be good if you are unable to broil it at the end?

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        March 01, 2021 at 4:41 pm

        Hi Alex, Yes, it'll still be delicious! It's mostly to melt the cheese and broil the top of it. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Phil

      February 15, 2021 at 8:50 am

      When do you add garlic?

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        February 15, 2021 at 10:27 am

        Hi Phil, the garlic is added in Step 2 after the onions have cooked for 40-50 minutes. Hope this helps. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Sarah

      January 28, 2021 at 4:24 pm

      Hello,

      Im thinking of making this soup as a meal prep, if that makes sense? Can I reheat the soup with the homemade cheese on top in the microwave? Please note I will not be adding the baguette.

      Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        February 04, 2021 at 11:58 am

        Hi Sarah, I'm sorry for the late reply. I haven't tried reheating it with the cheese in the microwave. I think it would work, but I'm not sure if the cheese will dry out or melt into the soup. I wish I could be more helpful. I'll have to experiment the next time I make it. Thank you for stopping by. 🙂

        Reply
    6. Christine

      December 15, 2020 at 5:03 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you - This soup is amazing! My 5 year daughter loved it. I paired it with onion and sage Sourdough.

      Reply
    7. Alex

      December 14, 2020 at 10:54 am

      5 stars
      Soooo delicious! Used Miyoko's fresh mozz bc I already had some 😋 this will definitely become a go-to for me

      Reply
      • Support @ Vegan Huggs

        December 18, 2020 at 11:57 am

        Hi Alex! We are so happy to hear that you loved the recipe and will be making it again! Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂

        Reply
    8. Just Sierra’s Mom Loralei

      November 29, 2020 at 8:51 pm

      5 stars
      Vegan French Onion Soup (and vegan cheese:)

      My 16 yr old daughter and I made this tonight and it is amazing. Incredible how much it tastes better than non-vegan version. No guilt eating real food here.
      Recipe was well written, easy to follow and wouldn’t change a single thing.

      Reply
      • Support @ Vegan Huggs

        November 30, 2020 at 11:03 am

        Hi! Thank you for trying it out! So fun that you and your daughter cook together 🙂 We are so happy to hear that you loved the soup!

        Reply
    9. Sara-Ann Cook

      November 20, 2020 at 6:40 pm

      ok, wow! this was one of the best dishes i think i’ve ever made. I have never had french onion soup before, vegan or not. the soup has amazing depth, a beautiful combo of sweet and savory. my only sub was that i used herbs de provence in place of just thyme (didn’t have any.) It took me about 1 hour and 15 min just to cook the onions down, and to be honest i could’ve still let them go longer, but i tried to be as patient as possible. in the cheese, i had to sub some cornstarch in place of tapioca, it didn’t get stringy but did get thicker. the combination of the soup and cheesy flavor is INCREDIBLE. This is the first recipe i’ve made of yours and can’t wait to come back for more. Gonna go eat another bowl of this now....thanks for the amazing recipe.

      Reply
      • Support @ Vegan Huggs

        November 27, 2020 at 8:08 am

        Hi Sara-Ann! This is such an amazing compliment! Thank you so much for trying out the recipe, and we are so happy to hear that you loved it 🙂

        Reply
    10. Jenn

      September 09, 2020 at 4:29 pm

      This was the best French soup I’ve ever made! Thank you!!!

      Reply
      • Support @ Vegan Huggs

        October 05, 2020 at 9:56 am

        Hi Jenn! What an awesome compliment, we're so glad you loved the recipe! Thank you for sharing 🙂

        Reply
    11. Andy K

      August 16, 2020 at 4:59 pm

      5 stars
      Wow, this recipe is fabulous! Vegans and non-vegans in our household loved it. I used Ripple brand non dairy milk for the cashew cheese and it turned out great, Thank you for posting.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        August 18, 2020 at 5:07 pm

        Yay!I'm so happy it was a hit. I LOVE Ripple milk, but I haven't tried it for the cheese yet. It's on my list now! Thank you for giving it a try. 🙂

        Reply
    12. Lisa

      July 27, 2020 at 6:08 am

      5 stars
      Made the soup only and it was delicious and easy!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        August 10, 2020 at 4:21 pm

        Hi Lisa, I'm so glad it worked out for you. Thank you for giving it a try! 🙂

        Reply
    13. Anna

      July 03, 2020 at 12:35 am

      5 stars
      Love love love this soup! We used a port wine, Edward & Sons “Not Beef” bouillon cubes and Miyokos Creamery vegan fresh Mozzarella. I definitely over ate until I was uncomfortable but it was worth it😅 The soup was so rich and savory, absolutely delicious. Cannot wait to have this again and again. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        August 10, 2020 at 3:32 pm

        Hi Anna, I'm so glad you liked the soup. It sounds incredible with the port wine, no-beef bouillon, and Miyoko's cheese. Thank you for making it and sharing your modifications. 🙂

        Reply
    14. Sonia Stoltz

      June 13, 2020 at 2:48 pm

      5 stars
      This soup is amazing! Even the non vegans on my family were impressed!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        June 23, 2020 at 11:01 am

        Hi Sonia, thank you for giving it a try. I'm so happy it was a hit with your family! 🙂

        Reply
    15. Kathy

      June 06, 2020 at 10:07 am

      5 stars
      Love the french onion oup recipe....very tasty and the red wine gave a nice rich flavour! I also made the vegan mozzarella as well. I used soy milk, but wasn’t a huge fan of the taste with the cashews and nutritional yeast combination. The texture is great, and it thickened nicely, but next time I will use water rather than non dairy milk in the cheese mixture. Will def make the soup again!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        June 23, 2020 at 10:58 am

        Hi Kathy, thank you for giving it a try and sharing your feedback. So glad you liked it! 🙂

        Reply
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