Vegetarian French Onion Soup

A recipe for Vegetarian French Onion Soup! This comforting soup has a vegetable broth base with caramelized onions, toasted baguette slices, and melted cheese.

I originally posted this Vegetarian French Onion Soup recipe back in January 2014 after being inspired during our first family visit to Disney World. I am updating today (2026) with new photos and a few adjustments to the recipe.

The Be Our Guest restaurant in Magic Kingdom opened a few months before our visit and we stopped by for lunch (it was counter service at the time, but I believe the restaurant has now switched to a fully prix-fixe, 3 course menu).

Traditionally, French Onion Soup (Soupe à l’oignon gratinée) pairs a beef or veal stock with caramelized onions, croutons, and melted Gruyère cheese. At the restaurant, the beef was swapped for vegetable to make a vegetarian version.

This variation can easily be recreated at home for restaurant quality results with a bit of time. Start by caramelizing the onions over medium low heat until deeply golden. This is the longest part of the process and requires about 45 minutes to an hour.

Once caramelized, stir in the garlic and flour briefly, then pour in the wine to deglaze the pan before adding the vegetable broth and seasonings.

After simmering for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend, transfer the soup to serving bowls, top with toasted baguette slices and shredded cheese, and broil until melted and bubbly.

Serve the Vegetarian French Onion Soup while still warm. Take care! The bowls (make sure they are broiler-safe) will be very hot after being under the broiler.

A Few Vegetarian French Onion Soup Tips

To caramelize the onion slices, cook over low to medium low heat until a deep golden color and softened. Don’t rush the process by turning the heat up. It takes time for the color to develop, around 45 minutes. Having a wider pot will help to create more surface area.

I have made this recipe with both red and white wine. I personally feel the red wine works better to add a bit more of a bold flavor to the vegetable broth. If you are looking for a lighter soup, it can be swapped for an equal amount of a favorite dry white wine.

The vegetable broth is lighter than the traditional beef broth used in French Onion Soup, so make sure to use a good quality store-bought or homemade version to maximize the flavor.

The amount of salt needed will depend on personal taste and the salt content of your broth.

I cut the baguette into 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeter) thick slices, but you can also cut the bread into cubes, toast, and just cover the top of the soup in an even layer.

I used a vegetarian-safe, freshly shredded Alpine-style cheese in this recipe. Traditionally, Gruyère is made with animal rennet. Do not use pre-shredded cheese. It often includes starch to prevent sticking and the cheese won’t melt as smoothly.

Make sure the bread is covered by the cheese to keep it from burning under the broiler.

Looking for more recipes with caramelized onions?

Try my:

• Guinness Onion Soup
• Beer Bratwurst with Caramelized Onions
• Coca de Cebolla y Sobrasada (Onion and Sobrasada Flatbread)

This recipe was originally posted in January 2014 and updated in October 2026.

Vegetarian French Onion Soup Recipe

Adapted from Because I Like Chocolate

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Vegetarian French Onion Soup

A recipe for Vegetarian French Onion Soup! This comforting soup has a vegetable broth base with caramelized onions, toasted baguette slices, and melted cheese.

Course Soup

Cuisine French

Keyword cheese, France, French, French onion, gruyere, onion, soup, vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 -6 Servings

Ingredients

• 4 large yellow or brown onions
• 4 tablespoons (60 grams) unsalted butter
• salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons (16 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) red wine
• 4 cups (1 liter) vegetable broth
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) cognac
• 1/2 baguette
• 6 ounces (170 grams) vegetarian-safe Alpine-style cheese

Instructions

• Peel the onions, cut them in half, and thinly slice them.
• In a wide pot, place the butter over medium-low heat.
• Once the butter is melted, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and deeply golden, around 45 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed between medium low and low to keep the onions from burning before they get a chance to caramelize.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Stir in the flour until evenly coated.
• Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, 3-5 minutes.
• Once the liquid has reduced, pour in the vegetable broth and add the thyme, bay leaves, and cognac. Bring the mixture to a boil.
• Reduce to a simmer and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to blend. Adjust seasonings to taste.
• While the soup is simmering, cut the baguette into 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeter) thick slices.
• Arrange the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and place under a broiler set to low. Broil until golden, then remove from the oven and set aside.
• Discard the bay leaves and thyme stems from the soup and adjust seasonings to taste.
• Place broiler safe bowls on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the onion soup into the bowls, leaving room for bread and cheese.
• Top each bowl with two toasted baguette slices (or three if the slices are smaller and your bowls are wider).
• Cover the bread with a handful of the shredded cheese.
• Place under a broiler set to low until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
• Serve immediately. Be careful, the bowls will be hot!