Vegan French Onion Soup
Prep Time: 15m | Cook Time: 1h 15m | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 7 (1.5kg) onions, large (sliced into long pieces
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp dairy-free butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 litres vegetable stock
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
To Thicken
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
Melty Cheese Sauce Topping
- 1/2 cup cashews, soaked
- 5 silken tofu
- 1/2 cup greek dairy-free yogurt
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tsp miso paste
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp dijon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp tapioca starch
- 1 1/4 tsp agar powder
- 1/2 cup water
To Serve
- 10 slices baguette, crusty
Instructions
Melt vegan butter in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sliced onions and salt. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Remove lid and continue to caramelise onions for 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently until deeply golden brown.
Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add wine to deglaze, scraping the bottom of the pot. Stir in flour and cook briefly to thicken. Add stock, bay leaves and thyme. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
In a blender, combine all cheese sauce ingredients except water and agar. Blend until ultra smooth - about 1 minute.
In a saucepan, bring the water and agar to a simmer until fully dissolved. Whisk in the blended cheese mixture and cook until thickened into a smooth sauce. Set aside.
If desired, mix 1/4 cup water with 1/4 cup cornstarch. Add 1 tbsp of the slurry to the soup at a time, stirring and checking thickness after each addition until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Preheat broiler to 180-200ºC. Spread vegan cheese sauce on sliced baguette. (Any leftover cheese can be refrigerated and will firm up into a soft cheese.)
Fill ovenproof bowls 3/4 full with hot soup and top each with a cheese-coated baguette slice.
Broil for about 5 minutes, watching carefully so the cheese browns but doesn’t burn. Garnish with fresh thyme, black pepper, and serve immediately.
