May 2020 • A Sweet Pea Chef

Savory broth, sweet onion, and gooey cheese make this Healthy French Onion Soup a meal that never fails to please. Ready in less than an hour and full of nutritional ingredients, this soup is sure to satisfy! One of the things I have learned from starting this blog is that every recipe can be broken down to a simple, easy, and straight-forward approach. But, for some reason, sometimes, I forget this and, instead, think certain recipes would be hard to make. Recipes like roast beef and lobster bisque fell into that category. French onion soup was also one of those recipes. Little did I know just how easy this soup is to make. Oh my gosh - it's like so simple! Duh! In fact, it's so simple you could even make it for a weeknight dinner and have yourself a tasty, flavorful soup to warm yourself up on a cold night after work. I've always loved french onion soup for its depth of flavor and combination of textures. Plus, it's covered in crusty bread and bubbly cheese. So there's that. I hate when restaurants make this soup too sweet or too bland, however, so I tend to shy away from ordering it when we eat out. But now, I can make it just how I like it any night of the week. Woohoo! It takes less than an hour to make and comes out of the oven super impressive every time. This makes me happy. Go ahead. Make yourself a delicious hot bowl of this french onion soup. Conquer the cold. Savor the cheesy goodness. Enjoy. Oh - and let me know in the comments if there are any special comfort foods you've always been interested in learning how to make, but didn't know where to start. WHAT IS FRENCH ONION SOUP? French onion soup has ancient origins, but it a recipe that has been heartily enjoyed at meals and gatherings for years. It’s no wonder because the cheesy goodness of this flavorful soup is too good to resist! Some of the ingredients that make up are this yummy dish are: Beef and chicken broths Yellow onions French baguette (I like to use whole grain) Cheese, such as provolone, Gruyere, Swiss, and mozzarella HOW TO MAKE FRENCH ONION SOUP HEALTHY The cheese and bubbly goodness may lead you to think that French onion soup isn’t healthy. It can absolutely be good for you, and this is how to make sure: Use low sodium broth (you can even make your own to freeze and keep on hand) When buying your baguette, choose whole grain (or make your own) For a low carb recipe, steam large pieces of cauliflower to replace the bread Don’t overdo the cheese - enjoy it, but use just what you need to make it tasty Provolone has fewer calories than the Gruyere, but the quantities we are using are a reasonable amount HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT HEALTHY FRENCH ONION SOUP To store healthy French onion soup, place the soup (minus the bread and cheese) in an airtight container. Keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, warm up the broth, and add the baguette and cheese. Broil until the cheese looks deliciously browned. To freeze, store the soup in a container that is airtight for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Warm up the soup to prepare, add the cheese and bread, broil, and enjoy! THE BEST ONIONS FOR HEALTHY FRENCH ONION SOUP Personally, I like yellow onions for French onion soup. They get sweeter the longer they cook, so they are the perfect choice for this recipe. Vidalia and Walla Walla onions are sweet as well. Other alternatives are red or white onions. HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY FRENCH ONION SOUP VEGAN OR VEGETARIAN Healthy French onion soup can easily be made into a vegetarian-friendly recipe by substituting the chicken and beef broths with low sodium vegetable broth. To go a step further and make the recipe vegan, follow these substitutions: Replace the butter with vegan butter, which is made from ingredients like extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, or aquafaba (brine from canned chickpeas) Beef and chicken broth can be replaced with vegetable broth Cheese can be replaced with vegan cheese or nutritional yeast HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY FRENCH ONION SOUP GLUTEN-FREE To make this yummy soup gluten-free, replace the whole wheat baguette with gluten-free bread. You can also use cauliflower as a substitute for the bread. If you are buying the beef and chicken broth, make sure to purchase a gluten-free brand. WHAT TO SERVE WITH HEALTHY FRENCH ONION SOUP Healthy French onion soup is savory and scrumptious enough to be served as a meal. You can also use it as a starter for beef roast or roasted chicken. And, it’s super tasty alongside balsamic vinaigrette salad or spinach salad with warm bacon dressing. MORE HEALTHY SOUP RECIPES Soup is the best for lunch or dinner any day of the week! If you are a soup lover like me, you’ll enjoy these recipes: Healthy Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup Cream of Tomato Soup Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup Easy Cream of Broccoli Soup Slow Cooker Hot and Sour Soup Roasted Acorn Squash Soup Healthy French Onion Soup Savory broth, sweet onion, and gooey cheese make this Healthy French Onion Soup a meal that never fails to please. Ready in less than an hour and full of nutritional ingredients, this soup is sure to satisfy! 3 tbsp organic, grass-fed unsalted butter4 yellow onions (thinly sliced)3 cups low sodium beef broth1 tbsp balsamic vinegar1 tsp dried thyme1 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)1/2 tsp pepper to taste (plus more to taste)1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth1 tbsp chickpea flourFrench baguette (sliced into 1/2-inch slices (whole grain if possible))4 1-oz slices provolone cheese ((can also be shredded)) Melt butter in a deep stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned, about 15-20 minutes.While onions are cooking, heat the oven broiler.Add beef broth, balsamic vinegar, thyme, salt, and pepper and bring to a simmer.In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth with the flour and then add to the onion mixture. Cook for an additional 10 minutes.Line a baking sheet with tin foil and place the baguette slices down flat. Use 2-3 per person, depending on the size of your serving bowl. Place into oven and broil for 1-2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove from oven but leave broiler on.Ladle the onion soup evenly into 4 oven-safe serving bowls, starting with the onions and then with the liquid.Place 2-3 baguette slices atop each bowl, followed by a slice of provolone cheese.Place bowls on the baking sheet you used for the baguettes and broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden, about 5 minutes. This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.