VEGAN FRENCH ONION SOUP
This recipe makes a HUGE batch of soup! It barely all fit in our dutch oven. Next time, I would make a half batch camping if its just the two of us!
This recipe makes a HUGE batch of soup! It barely all fit in our dutch oven. Next time, I would make a half batch camping if its just the two of us!
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- bag of yellow onions (2 pounds) sliced thinly
- a couple cloves of garlic minced
- 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- wholegrain sourdough bread (or your favorite) cubed
- Carbohydrate 53.4045999993658 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 21.0266800200381 g
- Fiber 4.94239992129063 g
- Protein 5.61157999973304 g
- Saturated Fat 2.92561000277349 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (1941g)
- Sodium 4557.90299999783 mg
- Sugar 48.4622000780751 g
- Trans Fat 0.775800000518584 g
- Calories 410 calories
Step-by-step
- For the soup, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until softened.
- Add in the maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Stir well – being careful not to burn the onions- for 20 minutes, until golden.
- Add in the garlic, coriander, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for 30 minutes.
- During those last 10 minutes of waiting, heat the olive oil in a shallow pan on medium-low and wait for it to get hot, but not smoking.
- Add the flour to the 1/4 cup oil and stir continuously for 10 minutes, until flour is deep brown and smells nutty.
- Add roux to the soup and let cook for another 5 minutes.
- Serve with cubed bread and enjoy!
Can you rush the onions without sacrificing depth of flavor? Traditional French onion soup relies on dairy and beef stock, but a plant-based adaptation succeeds or fails entirely on how thoroughly the two pounds of yellow onions are handled during the initial thirty-minute stove phase. Slicing them uniformly ensures they break down at the same rate, releasing their natural sugars to brown evenly without scorching against the bottom of the stock pot. Incorporating one to two tablespoons of maple syrup midway through the cooking process accelerates this browning by introducing exogenous sugars that caramelize alongside the alliums, though vigilance is required to prevent bitter carbonization over medium heat. Ground coriander and minced garlic join the vegetable broth during the simmer, providing an aromatic backbone that mimics the savory punch of traditional broths.
Building body without animal fats or dairy requires a dedicated thickening agent, achieved here through a separate stovetop roux made from one-third cup of whole wheat flour cooked in one-fourth cup of olive oil. Whisking this mixture continuously over medium-low heat for ten minutes transforms the raw flour into a deep brown paste that smells distinctly nutty, a crucial chemical transformation that removes the pasty raw starch flavor before it ever touches the soup pot. When whisked into the simmering broth during the final five minutes of cooking, this roux thickens the liquid into a rich, cohesive base that clings properly to the spoon. Pairing the finished bowls with cubed wholegrain sourdough bread provides the necessary structural contrast, soaking up the flavorful broth without dissolving instantly into mush.
