Combining two classics that everyone loves to make one incredible dish! Caramelized onions, a creamy white vegan mac and cheese, and broth soaked croutons are combined to make all the flavors of the French onion soup and we know and love.
I love French onion soup. Who can complain about a soup that is filled with bread and cheese (vegan cheese in our case) coupled with the flavor of slow cooked onions it can’t be beat! I have a recipe on my website and it is in the cookbook for vegan French onion soup in case you are looking for one. I have seen a lot of people adding it to vegan macaroni and cheese and figured I have to give it a try, the result absolutely delicious.
Caramelizing Onions
The trick to good caramelized onions is patience. While this recipe is easy to make it does take a while since you will have to caramelize the onions. To get the onions to a good caramelized state it will take at least 45 minutes, if not longer. So, just prepare for that. You can also caramelize the onions ahead of time and keep them in the fridge then use it within 2 days. My preferred onions are definitely a Vidalia onion, they are sweeter and more delicious. If you can’t find them feel free to use a sweet onion.
Vegan Cheeses
Of course a crucial part of this recipe is the macaroni and cheese element. Vegan cheese tends to get a bad rap at times. However, I will say this the higher quality you buy of these ingredients the better off you will be. My preferred brand for vegan mozzarella are: Violife, So Delicious, Whole Foods 365, Follow Your Heart, and Daiya Cutting Board Shreds. My preferred vegan cream cheese is either Kite Hill or Tofutti. Finally, my favorite vegan parmesan is the Follow Your Heart. There are of course other choices out there but these are my go to and I know it will result in a great cheese sauce. Combining different vegan cheese is in my opinion what gives this vegan French onion soup macaroni & cheese it’s decadence.
Crouton Topping
I toyed around with two different topping ideas. At first, I was doing breadcrumbs. I though that would be a great fit but then I was like that is boring. Croutons are way more fun and are a bit more like the topping of a French onion soup with the bread. I soaked them in a little bit of Better Than Bouillon just to give them extra soup-y flavor and that was it! An easy and delicious topping that will make this more reminiscent of soup.
Vegan French Onion Macaroni & Cheese FAQ
- Can I make this gluten free? Yes, just use gluten free pasta and gluten free croutons!
- Can this be frozen? I wouldn’t suggest it this really is best when fresh.
- How long will this last in the fridge? I would suggest up to 3 days.
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Vegan French Onion Soup Macaroni & Cheese
Ingredients
Onions
- 2 medium Vidalia onions peeled and thinly sliced (about 23 ounces/655g)
- 1 tablespoon (14g) vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon (4g) organic sugar
- Pinch of salt
Cheese Sauce
- 2 tablespoons (28g) vegan butter
- 3 ounces (90g) vegan cream cheese
- 1 ¼ cup (135g) vegan mozzarella
- ¼ cup (28g) vegan parmesan
- 1 cup (240ml) nondairy milk, unsweetened and unflavored
Crouton Topping
- 2.5 ounces (70g) croutons
- 1 teaspoon (6g) better than bouillon
- ¼ cup (60ml) hot water
- 8 ounces (227g) pasta, choice
- Fresh oregano or thyme for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pan melt the vegan butter over low heat. Once melted add the sliced onions, sugar, and salt. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes, do not stir. After 10 minutes remove the lid and stir, the onions should be cooked down and getting softer. Place lid back on and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the lid and then mix again continue to cook uncovered for 30 minutes over low heat and mix occasionally.
- After 20 minutes of cooking the onions preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- In a medium pot bring salted water to a boil. Cook pasta to preferred doneness, strain when done.
- Meanwhile, in a medium pot add the cheese sauce ingredients, save about ¼ of the vegan mozzarella and vegan parmesan to sprinkle later. Cook over medium low heat whisking frequently until everything is melted down and uniform.
- Once the onions, pasta, and cheese sauce are all done add the Better than Bouillon to the water and mix to make broth. Pour over croutons and allow it to soak in. *this can be done with vegetable broth as well.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta, reserving a bit to pour on top of mac and cheese later. Mix to coat the pasta. Add in most of the cooked onions but reserve some for the top as well.
- Add half of the pasta to the baking dish. Then add the reserved vegan mozzarella, vegan parmesan, and about a ¼ of the breadcrumbs. You want to save most of the croutons for on top.
- Add the remaining pasta. Then top with remaining cheese sauce, onions, and croutons.
- Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes or until crispy on top.
- Let it rest for 5 minutes and then serve. Garnish with fresh thyme or oregano if desired.
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If you enjoyed this recipe please be sure to leave a comment or review, it is so helpful for the blog. Thank you!
What can I use instead of better than bouillon? Recipe looks great! I’ve always wanted to try French onion soup but couldn’t as a life long vegetarian. So thank you 😊
Hi you can just use vegetable broth instead. I put that note in the recipe 🙂
This was the best mac & cheese I have ever made!
Forgot to rate it. 😉
yay thank you so much Kelli!!! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment and rating means a lot xo
This was delicious! Normally baked mac and cheese can be a little dry but this was creamy and the flavors were awesome. Thank you!!! ❤️
hi Bekah! yay I am so happy you enjoyed it, thank you so much for taking the time to comment and leave a review, means a lot xo!
This was so good!!! The caramelized onions added so much flavor. The cheese sauce was so creamy. The only thing I’ll change next time is the amount of liquid for croutons. They were a little too saturated.
hi Cat, oh yay so glad you enjoyed it overall! thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and a review means a lot 🙂
Just made this tonight. So delicious! Easy to make as well. And that cheese sauce! So good. Thank you for a great recipe that I can’t wait to make again.
hi Paige, I am so glad you enjoyed it so much!! thank you so much for making it and taking the time to leave a comment/review xoxo
I made this last night and it was so yummy. A few substitutions/refinements. I added some vegan parmesan and dried thyme and sage to the cheese sauce. I used unsweetened flax milk for the milk, which is kind of sweet on its own, so I added a bunch of nutritional yeast, a bit of mustard and some garlic powder, which helped. I also added SmartLife eggplant bacon ( a new obsession) diced up and added at the same spots as the croutons. I used quite a bit more than 2.5 oz of croutons, because I had a lot left over from a dish I made the other night. I used the Trader Joes vegan rosemary crossaint croutons. It turned out great. My husband finished off the whole thing! I also used chick pea noodles so it had more protein. The sauce was kind of thick, so in future I might switch it up and make a roux out of shallots and white wine with broth and a bit of milk, or cashew cream. But this was awesome and fun to make. My first time carmelizing onions!
Hi Jess, thanks so much for making it! so glad you enjoyed and thank you for taking the time to leave a comment/review xoxo
Holy cow! My husband and I absolutely loved this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
hi Kelley!!! oh yay!!! I am so so glad to hear that. thank you so much for making it and thank you for taking the time to leave a comment/review xo
This looks so delicious! I can’t wait to make it tonight! I love how your cheese sauce doesn’t include flour to thicken the sauce and it’s just cheese and milk-genius!
Yay!!! I hope you enjoy!!
What kind of vegan mozzarella do you use? Liquid (Miyokos), Ball (Miyokos) or some kind of shredded?
when I made this recipe I used a vegan mozzarella shred! either follow your heart or violife! i wouldn’t use the liquid Miyoko’s for this
Made this tonight , oh my.. rich and creamy .. we both loved it.
Yay I am so glad you enjoyed it Marlene!!! thank you for trying it!!
I love this recipe! I have been making this for years for Friendsgiving and it’s always a hit, even with non-vegans. I have a question- do you foresee any issues if I make the mac and cheese a day before and complete all steps except the final bake and crouton topping and do those the day of the event?
Hi Elise! Oh yay that makes me so so happy to hear!!! I don’t think you should have any issues but I would undercook the pasta and you may want to add in some more liquid whether it be a little non-dairy milk or water if it gets a little dry from being in the fridge.
Thank you!!
Of course hope everyone enjoys again this year xoxo