Vegan French Onion Soup with Cashew Cheese for Under $1 a Serving

Enjoy a completely vegan French onion soup made in the comfort of your own home. Carmelized onions are covered in an umami-rich broth, then topped with baguette slices and melty dairy-free cheese.

The intoxicating aroma of onions and thyme makes the wait so worth it! You can serve this soup for lunch or dinner, but it also stores easily for leftovers. This recipe is inexpensive to make, good for you, and doesn’t contain any dairy that may weigh you down.
Switching from dairy cheese to nut-based cheese may even help lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation. All the more reason to serve up an extra bowl of this savory and hearty soup!

Want to make this recipe even more budget-friendly?

• Swap out the cashews for sunflower seeds.
• Replace the bouillon with water and a little soy sauce.
• Use more broth or water and soy sauce instead of the wine.
• Go cheese-free! This soup is equally delicious with just croutons and soup.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 75 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Cost: $4.97 recipe| $0.83 serving

Vegan French Onion Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the Soup

• 4 tablespoons olive oil ($0.44)
• 4 white or yellow onions, thinly sliced ($0.96)
• 4 cloves garlic ($0.16)
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme ($0.02)
• 2 bay leaves ($0.04)
• ½ cup red wine* ($1.12)
• 8 cups beefless bouillon* ($0.53)
• Salt & pepper to taste ($0.02)

For the Cashew Cheese

• ½ cup raw cashews, soaked ($0.86)
• 2 cups filtered water
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar ($0.05)
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast ($0.24)
• ½ teaspoon salt ($0.01)
• 2 tablespoons tapioca starch ($0.17)

Bread

• French baguette, sliced in ½-inch pieces ($0.35)

Instructions

For the Onions

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium. Add the onions in and give them a good stir. Cover and let soften for 5 minutes.
2. Uncover the pot and turn the heat down to just under medium. Continue cooking the onions, stirring occasionally, until dark golden brown, about 50-60 minutes.

For the Soup

1. Next, add minced garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. Cook 2-3 minutes more. Stir in the wine and bring to a boil. Let the liquid reduce by about half, then add broth, salt, and pepper.
2. Bring the soup to a boil again, then reduce the heat to simmer for 15 more minutes. In the meantime, turn your oven to broil.

For the Cashew cheese

1. While the soup is simmering, add all cashew cheese ingredients to a blender. Mix on high until smooth, then transfer to a saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened.

Assembly

1. Divide soup between oven-safe bowls, then top with slices of baguette and a dollop of cashew cheese. Broil until the tops are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes:
Check to make sure your wine is vegan on Barnivore. By reducing it, the alcohol burns off, but the wine can also be replaced with extra broth.
Try vegan beefless bouillon by Better Than Bouillon or Edward & Sons.

Nutrition: 1 of 6 servings
Calories 293 | Total Fat 14.8g | Saturated Fat 2.4g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 850mg | Total Carbohydrates 31.2g | Dietary Fiber 2.6g | Total Sugars 6.7g | Protein 7.3g | Calcium 58.8mg | Iron 2.8mg | Potassium 330.9mg |