Onions, garlic, oil, wine, and salt are all it takes to make a rich vegan broth that still evokes the classic version. And we just couldn’t resist toasting some sharp cheese on bread to drop into the bowls.
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
2
3
6
½
4
2
Preparation
Step 1
Toss onion and 3 Tbsp. oil in a large heavy pot to coat; season with salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring and scraping bottom of pot frequently, until onion softens, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add garlic. Cook, stirring and scraping pot’s surface occasionally, until onions are the color of browned butter (don’t worry if they stick in places; a few drops of water and a wooden spoon will release any sticky bits), 20–30 minutes longer. Add wine and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until wine is evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 6 cups water and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and continue to simmer until flavors meld and soup tastes rich, 10–15 minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450°. Place bread on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Toast until lightly charred around the edges, about 10 minutes. Top with cheese and continue to toast until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
Step 3
Divide soup among bowls. Place cheesy toast on top. Sprinkle with chives and season with pepper.
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Reviews (57)
Back to TopI let the finished broth on really low for hours. The onions practically disappeared and it was fantastic. EASY too.
Richard Heidelberg
Toledo, OH
2/20/2024
My wife unexpectedly brought home about 5 kilos of fresh spring onions the other night, so I made this for dinner. Other than cutting down on the amount of water, I made this pretty much exactly as the recipe calls for. It is rare that I actually eat dinner, but I ended up having two servings of this. The sweetness of the onions combined with the cheddar cheese - perfection. I love french onion soup, and this really satisfied.
gene in japan
Kakegawa Japan via upstate NY
4/5/2023
I didn’t make this recipe but 6 cups of water appears to be way too much. To speed up the caramelizing you can add salt and cover for 5minutes on medium-low heat. The onions sweat —then remove the cover and continue to sauté till brown. Deglaze with the wine and then I would only add 3 cups of water first. To give the soup a little body you can remove some of the onions and water and purée them with a hand blender. Then add it back into the pot and adjust the seasoning and water as desired. When I make soup I use the hand blender method to purée some of the veggies to thicken the soup without having to add flour or other thickening ingredients. It works like a charm.
Soupergirl
San Jose CA
11/11/2021
Vegan Broth is such a bad idea for french onion soup.It is almost an insult to this creation. We have to admit that some plates are just not meant to go vegan.....
John
Hallandale, Fl.
5/27/2021
I think these reviews are unfairly negative. I will say that I chose to save my onion and garlic skins and make "broth" instead of plain water using my scraps, instead of throwing that flavor away. It adds a rich allium flavor and deep color to the water. I used more like 4-5 cups liquid, not 6. I agree that caramelizing the onions took way longer than the prescribed 20 minutes. It took me more like an hour and a half to get my onions a nice dark brown color, but I chatted away on the phone while doing it so I didn't mind. I was also probably on a lower heat than necessary because I was worried about getting crunchy onions which I didn't want in my soup. I added no extra ingredients and mine came out rich and delicious because time = flavor. Give this recipe a chance if you are just using what you have on hand to make a nice warming soup, instead of running to the store for special ingredients!
Anonymous
Colorado
4/17/2021
This is just awful, shame on bon appetit for wasting people’s time and money. Hot onion water is right...
Maddie
1/5/2021
First of all, why would you use water?? Most of us know there is little to no value in water when it comes to flavor. My first thought is to use (at the very least) chicken stock. Better yet. use your leftover beef scraps and bones to make your own beef stock. If that isn't feasible, PLEASE use a good bone broth or a decent beef stock. Doing that should at least remedy part of the commenters issues.
20Sailor
Oregon
1/4/2021