French Onion Soup Recipe
Inspired by the ease of Trader Joe's French Onion Soup, here's a recipe for cozy, comforting Vegetarian French Onion Soup with more natural flavor and fewer un-pronounceable ingredients!
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American, French
Keyword: soup, trader joe's
Servings: 4 -6 servings
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 pounds onions, thinly sliced length-wise 3-4, depending on each onion's size
- 1 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste, probably up to a tablespoon
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 quarts mushroom or other rich vegetable stock
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 baguette, cut into ½-inch slices
- 1½ cups grated Gruyere or other Swiss cheese
- chopped fresh parsley and thyme for garnish
- black pepper
Make French Onion Soup
Heat 4 tablespoons avocado oil in a heavy Dutch oven or other large heavy-bottom pot over medium-low heat.
Add sliced onions and 1 teaspoon salt, stir and cover, letting onions soften for 15 minutes.
Remove lid, stir in garlic, and cook, stirring regularly, until onions are fully caramelized, about 45-60 minutes more.
Once onions are caramelized, add wine and balsamic vinegar. Increase the heat to medium and using a wooden spoon, scrape up the browned bits of onions that are stuck to the pot. Allow wine to boil almost until evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Add broth/stock and fresh herbs. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat to medium-low, and simmer soup uncovered to reduce liquid and concentrate flavor, about 15 minutes.
Broil French Onion Soup Bowls
Move an oven rack to the top. Turn on broiler to high. Place individual serving-size ovenproof bowls or ramekins on a baking sheet. Ladle soup into casseroles. Place 1-2 slices of baguette on top of soup in bowl. Sprinkle each casserole generously with ¼ cup each of shredded Gruyere cheese.
Broil French Onion Soups for 1 minute, or until cheese melts, and gets browned and bubbly. Garnish with additional chopped fresh thyme and parsley if using. Serve immediately.