Vegetarian Instant Pot French Onion Soup

Total time1 hr 25 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time55 min

Vegetarian Instant Pot French Onion Soup

Sweet, deeply caramelized onions are the heart of this one, slow-cooked in butter and olive oil until they turn golden and jammy, then deglazed with a splash of dry white wine to pull up every browned bit from the bottom of the pot. The Instant Pot does the heavy lifting here, pressure-cooking the onions in a rich, thyme-and-bay-scented broth until the flavors meld into something that tastes like it simmered for hours. Crisp baguette croutons float on top, piled high with coarsely grated Gruyère and broiled until it's bubbling, browned, and irresistibly gooey. It's a cozy, restaurant-style classic you can pull off on a weeknight, and it fits neatly into a vegetarian kitchen. Every spoonful gets that perfect combo of sweet onion, melted cheese, and crusty bread — comfort food at its best.

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Ingredients

4 servings

3 tbsp unsalted butter
Land O Lakes Whipped Butter Salted - 8 Oz Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter Sticks Kerrygold Butter Pure Irish Unsalted - 8 Oz Kerrygold Pure Irish Unsalted Butter Vital Farms Pasture Raised Sea Salted Alfresco Butter - 8 Oz
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1 tbsp olive oil
3 lb yellow onions (about 5 medium), halved and thinly sliced
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry white wine (such as sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio)
4 cups beef broth
Chef's tip
Use the same amount of low-sodium vegetable broth. The dish will taste lighter and less meaty; a mushroom-rich vegetable broth gives the closest beefy flavor.
1 cup chicken broth
Chef's tip
Use the same amount of low-sodium vegetable broth. The dish will be a little lighter in flavor than with chicken broth.
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dried thyme)
1 bay leaf
½ tsp black pepper, plus more to taste

For the topping

8 slices baguette, cut ½-inch thick
1 tbsp olive oil
6 oz gruyère cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 ½ cups)

Instructions

1
Set the Instant Pot to Sauté on High. Add the butter and 1 tbsp olive oil and heat until the butter is melted and foaming subsides, about 1 minute. Add the sliced onions, sugar, and 1 tsp kosher salt, stirring to coat. Cook, stirring every 3–4 minutes, until the onions have softened and reduced significantly and are beginning to turn golden at the edges, about 20–25 minutes. The onions will release a lot of liquid first — keep cooking until most of it evaporates and the onions start to stick lightly to the bottom.
2
Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, cooking until the wine is nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes.

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