I’ve been eating soup on the regular since it has gotten chilly here in Indiana. This is a delicious version of an onion soup minus the cheese and beef stock. Thankfully, I like simple cooking so you all can have this on your table with minimal ingredients. Let’s make some Caramelized Onion Soup!
Anyone who knows onion soup, knows the classic French Onion Soup. French Onion Soup has always been one of my favorite soups to get out at restaurants. It’s alway so comforting and delicious. Typically French Onion has a rich beef stock as the broth and cheese so thick it sticks to the sides of the bowl it’s being served in. Piping hot and bubbly, it’s honestly hard not to love it.
You better believe I was not going to be giving this delicious soup up when I changed my eating habits. I was on a quest to make a damn good Caramelized Onion Soup with just a handful of ingredients using a flavorful rich vegetable broth, thyme, and some marsala wine for a twist. Oh Lord is this divine. As opposed to adding a layer of cheese on top, I made a large crouton from a loaf of bread and made my own cashew cheese . Feel free to add any cheese you like to the bread, melt it, and dunk. I’m a sucker for a delightful dipper.
Like any good Caramelized Onion Soup, the caramelizing of the onions takes the most time. A solid 30-35 minutes depending on how many onions you use and how caramelized you prefer to take them. I like the light golden stage for me, but if you prefer to keep going, do your thing. Once that is complete, add the other ingredients and let it simmer until all the flavors come together.
When the soup is piping hot, ladle into bowls and prepare the crouton topper. Once the crouton is crispy and the cheese is golden, dip that baby in the sea of soup and devour it. Make sure to breath between bites. Yes, it’s that good.
I hope you all love this recipe. If you make it, please be sure to tag me on Instagram and Facebook @plantiful_grub and leave a comment and star rating below.
Enjoy!

Prep Time | 10 minutes |
Cook Time | 40 minutes |
Passive Time | 20 minutes |
Servings |
people
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- 1 teaspoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 3 medium sweet onions halved and sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup lentils cooked
- 32 ounces vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons better than bouillion vegetable based bouillion dissolved in 1 cup of warm water.
- 3/4 cup marsala wine
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 4 slices crusty bread topped with soy cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley garnish over top
Ingredients
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- Heat a dutch oven pot over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil.
- While the butter and olive oil are melting, slice the onions. I used vidalia onions in mine because they are sweeter by nature. Halve the onions and remove the skin. Slice these into half moons and add all the onions to the pot and top with 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir and let these cook down. Once the onions are translucent, turn the heat down to medium-low, and let these start to take on a nice golden color, about 25 minutes.
- Once the onions are golden, add the thyme to the pot, followed by the vegetable broth and lentils. Stir. In a bowl, combine the cup of hot water with the vegetable bouillon and stir. Add this to the pot once dissolved.
- Next, add the marsala wine and let all of that cook together until the lentils are soft. If you cooked your lentils before hand, it will not take long for everything to heat up. If not, you will add about 20 minutes onto the cooking time.
- To finish the dish, add the red wine vinegar and stir about 5 minutes before serving. This will bring brightness and round everything out. Ladle the soup into bowls.
- If you wish to serve with the traditional cheesy topping, turn you oven onto broil. Take a few slices of crusty bread and top with cheese of your choice. Since I stay away from dairy, I use soy cheese. Throw these slices under the broiler until melted and golden brown. Remove from the oven and lay on top of the soup. Sprinkle wth fresh parsley and serve.
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