• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Vegan Richa
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • (new) Recipe Filters
    • Popular Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch / Dinner
    • Dessert
    • Indian
    • Instant Pot
    • Burgers
    • Pizza
    • Recipe Index
  • Videos
    • Instant Pot
    • Dessert
    • Holidays
    • Easy Vegan Meals
    • All Recipe Videos
  • CookBooks
    • Vegan Richa’s Instant Pot Cookbook(PREORDER NOW)
    • Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen (Print & Digital)
    • Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen (Print & Digital)
  • Resources
    • How To Start A Food Blog
    • Resources for Food Bloggers
    • Vegan Subs & Resources
    • Our Vegan Journey and FAQs
    • Indian Pantry
    • Indian Dal / Lentil Names
  • Shop
  • About / Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • CookBooks
  • Shop
  • About
  • NEW! Instant Pot Cookbook
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » soup

    Vegan French Onion Soup

    Published: Nov 14, 2022 · Modified: Dec 15, 2022 by Richa 13 Comments

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe

    Learn how to make Vegan French Onion Soup in the Instant Pot. The easiest and most hands-off way of making this French Bistro Classic without compromising on the flavor! No standing around sautéing for hours!

    two small dishes with vegan French Onion Soup topped with vegan cheesy bread

    In the midst of soup season, I am coming at you with another vegan version of a comfort food classic.
    Vegan French onion soup – this popular French soup is usually made with beef stock and caramelized onions, then often served gratinéed with croutons or a larger piece of bread covered with lots and lots of cheese floating on top on cheese topped bread on the side.

    This vegan version is every bit as delicious but made with 100 % plant-based ingredients and made in the Instant Pot. Which means, no standing around sautéing for hours!

    close up overhead shot of a small orange soup bowl with vegan French Onion Soup

    Making French Onion soup at home the traditional way can be a bit labor intensive as onions need to be caramelized slowly in lots of butter. Cooking them too quickly over heat that’s too high, and you risk burning them and end up with a scorched, bitter taste.
    In this Instant Pot French Onion Soup recipe, the caramelization part is completely hands-off. The onions slowly caramelize in your Instant Pot while you can get on with your day and there’s zero risk of burnt onions in the end.
    The onions are pressure cooked pot in pot. If you put them directly in the inner pot, the high heat pressure cooking will make them into a mushy jam, delicious but broken down onions.  With pot in pot, the onions cook at lower heat but high pressure and caramelize and get delicious! You can use these over hummus/cream cheese toasts, add them to pasta, add them into dips and what not. In this recipe we use them to make a delicious French inion soup.

    two servings of vegan French Onion Soup topped with cheesy bread

    The cooking time for this soup is long but active time is just a few minutes!  Tag me and do rate the recipes when you try! If you love this recipe and finding new ways to use your instant pot, get my Instant pot cookbook! 150 recipes, 400 pages, lots of photos, took 2.5 years, it has many new ways to use your instant pot for making everyday cooking simpler, faster and fun!

    More soup recipes:

    • Hot and Sour Soup with Ramen
    • Vegan Potato Soup
    • Pumpkin Soup (Instant Pot)
    • Lentil Soup Instant Pot or Saucepan
    • Instant Pot Lasagna Soup

    Print Recipe
    5 from 5 votes

    Vegan French Onion Soup

    Learn how to make Vegan French Onion Soup in the Instant Pot. The easiest and most hands-off way of making this French Bistro Classic without compromising one the flavor! No standing around sautéing for hours! Stove top option in notes.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time1 hr 20 mins
    Total Time1 hr 40 mins
    Course: dinner
    Cuisine: european, French
    Keyword: vegan french onion soup
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 48kcal
    Author: Vegan Richa

    Ingredients

    • 1 (150 g) large yellow onion, thinly sliced
    • 2 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon melted vegan butter
    • 1.5 teaspoon balsamic vinegar or use 1 tablespoon wine

    To add later:

    • 3 cups (710 ml) broth
    • 2 teaspoons flour
    • 2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce or 2-3 tablespoons of red wine
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt if your broth isn’t salty enough

    Sides

    • Slices sourdough
    • vegan mozzarella as needed
    • herbs as needed

    Instructions

    • Make the caramelized onions in Instant pot- see recipe notes for stove top instructions. Add 3.5 cups(for 6 qt) to 4 cups(for 8 qt) of water to your inner pot. Add the yellow onion to a large flat inset pan (steel, see pictures). Use a size so that the onion isn’t more than 2-3 layers thick otherwise the onions won’t caramelize well.
    • Add the rest of the ingredients and toss to coat the onions really well. If some onions are still dry add a teaspoon more vegan melted butter or oil. Close the inner pan with either foil or the lid that comes with it.
    • Then use a long handle trivet and lower it into the inner pot. The water should touch the bottom of the pan. This will ensure better heat transfer.
      Close the instant pot lid and pressure cook on bean mode (preferred) or pressure cook mode for 1 hour.
    • Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes then quick release. Open the lid and check on the onions. They should be cooked and somewhat caramelized( for more caramelization, pressure cook another 10 mins or sauté for a few mins on a skillet). Remove the pan and the trivet and empty the instant pot.
    • Mix the flour into 1/2 cup of the broth and then add it to the instant pot. Add rest of the  broth and the rest of the ingredients as well as the caramelized onions.(you can also use saucepan for the soup at this point)
    • Start saute mode and bring to a good boil. Taste and adjust salt and flavor and continue to cook for at least 5-8 minutes to slightly thicken the sauce and for the flavors to meld. Switch off saute mode.
    • You can serve the soup with some garlic bread on the side or make some cheesy sourdough or baguette. Or make individual bowls with the slices if you are serving the soup immediately.
      For individual bowls:  add the soup to oven-proof soup bowls or dishes and then place the sourdough bread (toast it lightly if you like) on top of the soup, top the bread with some vegan mozzarella. Broil it for 3-5 minutes or until the mozzarella is melty and slightly browned. Serve immediately.
      Only do this if you are planning to serve the soup immediately because the bread will get soggy if it sits too long in the soups.
    • To serve with cheese topped sourdough on the side, Place the sliced sourdough or baguette in a baking dish, brush some oil or melted vegan butter on it, top it with some vegan mozzarella cheese and herbs such as thyme or oregano, and then broil it for 3-4 minutes or until the mozzarella is melty and slightly browned. Then serve them on the side with the French onion soup.
    • Store the soup without the bread refrigerated in a closed container for upto 3 days. Reheat in a saucepan and serve with sides of choice

    Notes

    • The calories do not include bread or cheese
    • Instang pot Insert pans here  
    • love this recipe? Find more new ways to use your instant pot in my Instant pot cookbook! 150 recipes, 400 pages, lots of photos
    • This recipe is gluten-free with gluten-free bread
    • Soyfree use wine instead of worchestershire sauce 
    • Nutfree : depending on the vegan cheese 
    • Stove top: Add onion, salt, sugar, vegan butter to a skillet and cook over medium heat for 14-16 mins. Stir occasionally and deglaze with splashes of broth if needed. Add the rest of the ingredients and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the onion are caramelized to preference. (10-25 mins). If they keep drying out quickly, partially cover the pan and continue. Stir well occasionally to avoid burning and even cooking. then proceed with the soup.
    • Doubling in the instant pot. Use a larger insert pan. Too much onion together will leak a ton of liquid and they won’t brown. 

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan French Onion Soup
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 48 Calories from Fat 27
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 3g5%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Sodium 456mg20%
    Potassium 57mg2%
    Carbohydrates 5g2%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 2g2%
    Protein 1g2%
    Vitamin A 134IU3%
    Vitamin C 3mg4%
    Calcium 19mg2%
    Iron 0.3mg2%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Ingredients:

    • onion – I have yellow onions for this recipe
    • the onions are caramelized with a mix of vegan butter, salt, sugar, and balsamic vinegar
    • bay and thyme are the traditional seasoning for French Onion Soup. You can use fresh or dried thyme for this recipe
    • I like to use low sodium vegetable broth here and add more salt to taste in the end if I feel it needs it – homemade broth is best but storebought obviously also does the trick
    • the broth is thickened with some flour – use more or less depending on how thick you want your soup to be
    • season the soup to taste with vegan Worcestershire sauce or 2-3 tablespoons of red wine as well as salt

    Tips:

    • You can serve the soup with some garlic bread on the side or make some cheesy sourdough or baguette.
    • To serve on the side, you can place the sliced sourdough or baguette in s baking dish, brush some oil or melted vegan butter on it, top it with some vegan mozzarella cheese and herbs such as thyme or oregano, and then broil it for 3-4 minutes or until the mozzarella is melty and slightly browned. Then serve them on the side with the French onion soup.
    • You can also make individual bowls with the slices if you are serving the soup immediately.
    • For individual bowls add the soup to oven-proof soup bowls or dishes and then place the sourdough bread on top of the soup, top the bread with some vegan mozzarella. Broil it for 3-5 minutes or until the mozzarella is melty and slightly browned. Serve immediately.
    • I use my cashew mozzarella recipe spread it over the bread and serve in the soup bowl.

    ingredients for making vegan French Onion Soup in the Instant Pot

    vegan French Onion soup ingredients assembled around an Instant Pot

    How to make Vegan French Onion Soup in the Instant Pot:

    sliced yellow onion in the inner pot of an Instant Pot

    Add 3.5 (for 6 qt) to 4 cups(for 8 qt) of water to your inner pot. Then use a large flat insert pan (steel, see pictures) and add your yellow onion. Use a size so that the onion isn’t more than 2-3 layers thick otherwise the onions won’t caramelize well.

    Add the rest of the ingredients and toss to coat the onions really well. If some onions are still dry add a teaspoon more melted Vegan butter or oil. Cover the inner pan with either foil or the lid that comes with it.

    sliced onion with Worcestersauce and seasoning in the Instant Pot

    Then use a long handle trivet and lower it into the inner pot. The water should touch the bottom of the pan. This will ensure better heat transfer. Close the instant pot lid and pressure cook on bean mode (preferred) or pressure cook mode for 1 hour.

    seasoned slices of onion in an Instant Pot

    Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes then quick release. Open the lid and check on the onions. They should be cooked and somewhat caramelized. Remove the pan and the trivet and empty the instant pot.

    ingredients for caramelized onions in the inner pot of an Instant Pot


    caramelized onions in an Instant Pot

    Mix the flour into 1/2 a cup of the broth and then add it to the instant pot. Add rest of the  broth and the rest of the ingredients as well as the onions. You can also do this step in a saucepan.

    broth and flour being added to an Instant Pot to make vegan French Onion Soup

    vegan French onion soup simmering in an Instant Pot

    Start saute mode and bring to a good boil. Taste and adjust salt and flavor and continue to cook for at least 5-8 minutes to slightly thicken the sauce and for the flavors to meld. Switch off saute mode.

    vegan French Onion soup being stirred in an Instant Pot with a wooden spoon

    vegan french onion soup being topped with a slice of sourdough bread

    a small serving of vegan French Onion Soup topped with a slice of sourdough topped with liquid mozzarella

    You can serve the soup with some garlic bread on the side or make some cheesy sourdough or baguette.

    To serve with cheesy bread on the side, place the sliced sourdough or baguette in a lined baking dish, brush some oil or melted vegan butter on it, top it with some vegan mozzarella cheese (shreds or homemade) and herbs such as thyme or oregano, and then broil it for 3-4 minutes or until the mozzarella is melty and slightly browned.

    Then serve them on the side with the French onion soup.

    a small white soup bowl with vegan French onion soup topped with a slice of cheese bread

    You can also make individual bowls with the slices if you are serving the soup immediately.
    For individual bowls:  add the soup to oven-proof soup bowls or dishes and then place the sourdough bread (toast it lightly if you like) on top of the soup, top the bread with some vegan mozzarella. Broil it for 3-5 minutes or until the mozzarella is melty and slightly browned. Serve immediately.

    Only do this if you are planning to serve the soup immediately because the bread will get soggy if it sits too long in the soups.
    For serving later, Heat up the soup in a saucepan and bake the cheesy bread or garlic bread right before you are ready to serve.

    two Individual pots with vegan French Onion Soup topped with cheesy bread

     

    Sharing is caring!

    Share on Pinterest Share on Facebook Share on WhatsApp Share on Twitter Share on Email
    « Baked Vegan Mushroom Rice
    Vegan Thanksgiving Menu Ideas »


    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Comment and Rating Cancel reply

      If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online and I love hearing from you all!

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Claudia

      February 17, 2023 at 6:09 am

      Richa,
      Can one make this recipe oil free? What would happen to the onions in the instapot without the butter?
      Btw, I looove all your cookbooks and I check every day if you posted something new here…

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        February 17, 2023 at 12:41 pm

        The onions do need some sort of oil/fat to properly caramelize. Otherwise if you try cooking them in the instant pot they will just become soft and mushy.

        Reply
    2. leslie stangler

      February 11, 2023 at 7:07 pm

      can it be made not using pressure cooker, ? Does it change the outcome ?

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        February 13, 2023 at 6:40 pm

        Yes, you can make this soup on the stovetop! Please refer to the recipe Notes for the complete steps.

        Reply
    3. Huong

      February 11, 2023 at 6:03 am

      5 stars
      Thank you Richa.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        February 13, 2023 at 6:36 pm

        Very glad you enjoy. 🙂

        Reply
    4. VN

      December 05, 2022 at 6:06 am

      5 stars
      This was an amazing and delicious hit! The onions were beautifully carmelized and it was yummy and a lovely treat on a cold rainy day!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        December 07, 2022 at 11:23 am

        Wonderful!

        Reply
    5. noelle

      November 25, 2022 at 8:39 am

      5 stars
      This is exactly what I’ve been looking for and it’s on my favourite site. Made it today as written, delicious! I don’t have quite the right pan to fit into the pot so used a flat-bottomed glass dish. It was a bit small for the onions but they still tasted great. Thanks so much will be making again.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        November 28, 2022 at 11:08 am

        Wonderful!

        Reply
    6. Cathrine De Danann

      November 14, 2022 at 11:49 am

      Looks very delicious, I will definitely give this a go. What sort of broth do you use Richa?

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        November 14, 2022 at 2:24 pm

        I prefer homemade broth or any store bought vegetable broth will do!

        Reply
      • Nonnie

        November 15, 2022 at 5:11 am

        I’ve also found mushroom broth to be a particularly good broth to use in vegan French Onion soups.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options.

    More about me →

    Amazon // Barnes & Noble // BAM! // Chapter Indigo // International
    vegan richa cookbook flavor companion
    My exclusive 16 Spice Set
    Vegan Richa's Everyday Kitchen Cookbook Now Available everywhere where Books are Sold | VeganRicha.com
    Amazon // Barnes & Noble // BAM! // Chapter Indigo // International

    FOLLOW US

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Vegan Richa 's Indian Kitchen Cookbook

    Amazon || Barnes & Noble || BAM! || IndieBound || Details & International

    Popular

    • 18 Best Vegan Recipes of 2022
    • Vegan Tofu Nuggets
    • Best Easy Vegan Recipes of 2021
    • Restaurant Style Aloo Gobi

    Amazon || Barnes & Noble || BAM! || Indigo || Book Depository

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms Of Use
    • Copyright and Disclaimers

    Resources

    • Indian dals/lentils names
    • Indian pantry
    • Our vegan journey
    • Vegan Substitutes

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Twitter

    Contact

    • Recipe Index
    • My Favorite Things
    • Advertise, Work With Me

    Cookbooks

    • Vegan Richa’s Indian kitchen cookbook
    • Vegan Richa’s Everyday kitchen cookbook 
    • Vegan Richa’s Instant Pot Book

    All content on this blog is owned by Vegan Richa LLC.  Links on some posts are affiliate links for e.g. we are participant in Amazon services LLC Associates program. Vegan Richa is monetized in part through the use of such affiliate links. More Details

    Copyright © 2021 Vegan Richa