Vegan French Onion Soup

Comfort food for me will be and always be soup. Now when you combine soup, bread, and cheese it is nothing but a winning combination. This soup is perfect on a cold night when you want to have something DELISH and hearty, it makes enough for you to have again and again...its a gift that keeps on giving! Serves well with your favorite sandwich or a salad. You will definitely be making this over and over again. Enjoy!


French Onion Soup


Ingredients

-2 Tablespoons olive oil, and more for topping
-1 Tablespoon vegan butter/margarine
-4 large onions, thinly sliced
-6 sprigs of thyme leaves, removed and minced
-1 large bay leaf or 2 medium
-1 Tablespoon dried or fresh parsley, and more for topping (optional)
-4 cups of vegan chicken broth
-4 cups of vegan beef broth
-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
-1/2 cup red wine
-1/4 cup cola or 2 teaspoons sugar, (I perfer cola)
-1 teaspoons Salt, or to taste
-1/2 teaspoons Black Pepper

For Serving

-1/4 cup vegan cheese (I use Daiya: Havarti or Jack), grated, on each crock of soup
-1 small baguette or 1/2 large, cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions

The Soup
Heat a large dutch oven or stock pot on medium heat and Add vegan butter and oil. Once melted, Add onions, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper to the pot and cook down onions until translucent.

Sauteed Translucent Onions 

Add cola/sugar when the onions are translucent and continue cooking covered until onions are caramelized, around 20 to 30 minutes stirring occasionally.

Onions with Cola

Once the onions are done, Add garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add wine and cook for 5 minutes for wine to out.

Reduced Onions

Add your chicken, beef broth, and bay leaf to the pot and stir to combine. Cook on high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat once at a simmer to medium low heat, covered for 30 minutes.

Broth Added to Onions

Check for seasonings after cooked and adjust for you own tasting, more salt or pepper if needed and remove bay leaf.

Finished Soup

Baguette Croutons
While your soup is cooking, cut and arrange sliced baguette pieces (1/2 baguette) on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with 2 to 3 Tbsps Olive oil. Sprinkle the croutons with Dried Italian Seasoning & Parsley flakes (1 tsp each), garlic powder (1/4 to 1/2 tsp, to taste), Salt (3/4 to 1 tsp, to taste) & Freshly Ground Black Pepper (to taste). Toss to combine and bake.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until croutons are dry, crispy, and golden brown around the edges.

Finished Croutons

For Serving
Place oven safe crocks with 1 1/2 to 2 cups of onion soup (depending on size of your crocks) onto a cookie sheet and top with 1/2 cup croutons and then your 1/4 cup vegan cheese each. Drizzle each lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste & parley so cheese will melt and brown evenly, the salt brings out the flavor in the cheese.

Pre-Baked French Onion Soup 

Pre-Baked French Onion Soup

Place in oven on low broil until cheese is melted and bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes. Take out of the oven and let rest until serving, 5 to 8 minutes or for how ever long you can resist. Serve with your favorite sandwich, salad, or eat by itself. Enjoy!

Finished French Onion Soup

-Amy