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No Wine French Onion Soup with croutons on side view

Is there anything more comforting on a chilly day than a nice hot bowl of French onion soup, especially with thick slices of toasted baguettes topped with gooey cheese? I think not!

Now be prepared, this soup takes some time. It’s not a quick whip-together, but it’s worth the time, I promise. Also, my French Onion Soup recipe does forgo the traditional red wine. Not because I dislike wine, trust me if you know me, I LOVE wine. I created this recipe to offer a none alcoholic version for anyone who still wants that amazing French onion soup full of flavor (no compromising). I know what you’re thinking, “But Jenn, I’m cooking with the wine. So there is no alcohol in the soup”. Well, sorry, but there is always a small percentage of alcohol in your food when you cook with it period. Anyone who tells otherwise is lying to you! At the very least 25% of the alcohol will still be present, but it can be as high as 40%!

That being said if you’re in the group of no alcohol, this recipe is for you (whether you’re a non-drinker or you need a non-alcoholic option today)!

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What goes into this French Onion Soup

So you already know that wine is not in this recipe. So how am I making this amazing without wine? With amazing ingredients and slowly cooking down onions (a lot of onions). For the full recipe scroll down.

About the Ingredients

unsalted butter: adds fat which is needed in the dish.

yellow onions: Yellow onions are used because they a strong and can hold to the long cooking process of the soup. This is the star of the show, so the flavor needs to be there.

garlic cloves: add flavor, richness and a slight sweetness (due to the long cooking process) to the soup.

bay leaves: add a subtle flavor fragrant layer and a hint of bitterness that’s going to lend a little more depth to the soup.

fresh thyme sprigs: The thyme ads a fresh woodsy note perfect with the onion and beef flavor. You will remove the leaves from the stems and add to the pot.

all-purpose flour: this is used as the thickener.

beef bone broth: is a pivotal ingredient in french onion soup. This IS the base aside from the onions.

beef bouillon paste: brings out a depth of umami that would come from the long cooking process of the wine.

Worcestershire sauce: has a slightly sweet savory flavor with that slight tang that helps create some of the flavors traditionally received from the wine

Mozzarella Croutons: what would french soup be with out that crusty bread covered in cheese?

The Cooking Process

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large stock pot over medium heat.

Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme leaves to the melted butter. Add a good pinch of salt (about a teaspoon). Occasionally stir and cook until the onions are very soft and golden brown. This will take about 30-40 minutes.

Add 1 cup of broth, bouillon, and Worcestershire sauce, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the liquid has evaporated and the onions are “dry”, about 5-10 minutes.

Discard the bay leaves. Dust the onions with the all-purpose flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium-low to prevent burning, and cook for 10 minutes to remove the raw flour taste. Now add the rest of the beef bone broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season to taste, with salt and pepper.

a cast iron pot filled with boiling water and a wooden spoon

sliced onions in a cast iron pot on the stove

sliced onions, chopped garlic, and thyme, in a cast iron pot on the stove

cooked sliced onions, chopped garlic, and thyme, in a cast iron pot on the stove

cooked sliced onions, chopped garlic, and thyme, in a cast iron pot on the stove 2

cooked sliced onions, chopped garlic, and thyme, in a cast iron pot on the stove Cooking down

chopped garlic, and thyme, in a cast iron pot on the stove Cooking down and browning after 1 cup of broth

cooked sliced onions, chopped garlic, and thyme, in a cast iron pot on the stove ready for beef broth

Ladle the soup in bowls or large mugs and float a couple of the Mozzarella Croutons on top.

Completely Optional Step

My Kids are not huge fans of the onion slices throughout the soup., They LOVE the flavor, but the onions give my kids an odd texture. So I blend the soup to make it smooth (this will also lighten the color of the soup). Then I top them with the croutons.

Tips & Notes

There are two essential components of a good French onion soup.

The first is the stock. Your soup will only be as good as the stock you are using. I mean, no matter if you use wine or not, the vast majority of this soup is made with beef stock. If you can make it from scratch, it makes a huge difference. I do recommend finding a good boxed beef stock you can use as a go-to when you don’t have homemade or can’t make homemade.
The second is the onions. It’s important to caramelize the onions properly. Caramelizing the number of onions needed in this recipe will take at least 30 minutes. Caramelizing is a chemical process that occurs when the sugars in the onions reach a specific temperature. This only happens after a long cooking time (sometimes, you can “speed it up” with sugar). The more caramelized, the deeper the color of the onions and the more flavor you’ll get from them. Trust me, it’s worth the time.

Storage Details

Fridge: This Beef Meatballs in Mushroom Gravy recipe will last 3 – 4 days in the fridge if stored in an airtight container.

To freeze: This soup freezes well on its own. Freeze the cooled soup for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, defrost it in the refrigerator and reheat it by bringing the soup to a boil on the stovetop OR you can microwave the soup as well. Make the Mozzarella Croutons fresh.

Meal Planning option: Store in either food safe containters or 1-cup silicone bags enough for individual servings.

Food Storage Products

For large batch Storage

Ello DuraGlass 5 Cup Food Storage Glass

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Stasher 6-CUP BOWL

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Meal Planner Storage

Ello Duraglass 3.4 Cup Meal Prep Sets 10Pc

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Stasher 1-CUP BOWL

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Did you try it, have questions?

Your feedback is important to me! Please let me know what you think of this non-alcoholic french onion soup recipe in the comments and rate this recipe using the star icons. Your input helps me improve future posts and the blog overall, and in the end, it all helps me to help YOU. Thank you!

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It’s always wonderful to see loved ones coming together over delicious food.

No Wine French Onion Soup

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Author: Jenn Giam Smith
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 5 people 1x

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Description

Warm, cozy, and flavorful, this French onion soup is prepared with beef stock – no wine – and caramelized onions (don’t worry, I tell you when to use red wine if you really prefer the flavor of the wine instead). Top it with my cheesy, and crusty mozzarella croutons.

Instructions

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large stock pot over medium heat.
Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme leaves to the melted butter. Add a good pinch of salt (about a teaspoon). Occasionally stir and cook until the onions are very soft and golden brown. This will take about 30-40 minutes.
Add 1 cup of broth, bouillon, and Worcestershire sauce, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has evaporated and the onions are “dry”, about 5-10 minutes.
Discard the bay leaves. Dust the onions with the all-purpose flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium-low to prevent burning, and cook for 10 minutes to remove the raw flour taste. Now add the rest of the beef bone broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season to taste, with salt and pepper.
Optional step: Blend the soup to make it smooth *this will also lighten the color of the soup*
Ladle the soup in bowls or large mugs and float a couple of the Mozzarella Croutons on top.