French Onion White Bean Soup

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Published March 20, 2025

French Onion White Bean Soup
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot.
Total Time
50 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Rating
5(730)
Comments
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French onion soup gets a hearty makeover in this vegetarian recipe thanks to the addition of creamy white beans. While the classic version usually involves a long and slow caramelization of onions, this recipe uses a few simple techniques to shorten the cook time without sacrificing flavor. The onions are cooked with the lid on, which traps the heat, encouraging the onions to cook faster and concentrating all the flavors. (Do make sure to use a pot that is wide and large; the onions will steam rather than caramelize if overcrowded.) While this recipe is vegetarian and alcohol-free, it is no less rich than the original; the pan gets deglazed with soy sauce (or tamari) and balsamic vinegar, which lifts off all the sweet, charred flavors. No white beans? Substitute with chickpeas or lentils. Taking a cue from the original, the soup is crowned with Gruyère croutons — and, veering from tradition, accented by mustard — to bring a big textural finish.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Soup

    • 2tablespoons salted or unsalted butter 
    • 4medium yellow onions (about 2 pounds), thinly sliced 
    • 1teaspoon thyme leaves (from 4 to 5 sprigs)
    • 1teaspoon sugar
    • Salt and pepper
    • 1tablespoon balsamic vinegar
    • 1tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
    • 4cups vegetable stock
    • 2(14-ounce) cans white beans, such as cannellini or butter beans, drained

    For the Gruyère Croutons

    • 2tablespoons salted or unsalted butter
    • 1teaspoon Dijon or whole-grain mustard
    • 1teaspoon thyme leaves (from 4 to 5 sprigs), plus more for garnish
    • Salt and pepper
    • ½pound bread, such as sourdough or ciabatta, cut into 1-inch chunks 
    • 3ounces Gruyère cheese, finely grated
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

674 calories; 22 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 94 grams carbohydrates; 16 grams dietary fiber; 16 grams sugars; 29 grams protein; 1767 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the soup: Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Once the butter has melted, add onions, thyme, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt, and stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring every 2 minutes, until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes. If the onions start to burn, reduce heat to medium.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, make the croutons: Heat the oven to 350 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the butter in a large bowl and microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds (or melt over medium heat in a small pot or skillet). To the butter, add the mustard and thyme, season with salt and black pepper, and whisk to combine. Add the bread pieces and toss very well until coated. Transfer the pieces to the lined sheet pan, spreading them out into a single layer, and scatter the cheese on top. Bake until golden, 16 to 18 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Uncover the onions and add the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Stir the onions vigorously to deglaze the pan. Stir in the vegetable stock and the beans. Cover and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Season with salt and lots of pepper.

  4. Step 4

    To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, top with the croutons and scatter over thyme leaves.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
730 user ratings
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Comments

sushidogg

Very tasty, day 2 and 3 even better as with most soups. I did not use any sugar, maybe that's why there was nothing to deglaze? And I doubled the soy sauce and balsamic, without which the flavor would have been wanting. It was good; I will make it again ;+] Realistic prep time is closer to an hour, esp considering the croutons. What's with the chronic underestimating of prep time with NYT recipes? Annoying and unhelpful.

Karen Lee

This sounds delicious! Um, 1767 milligrams sodium is a LOT. I wonder how much of that is from the soy sauce, broth, and Gruyere cheese. I never add salt to recipes, so that might reduce the total sodium count. I'll look at the individual ingredients, and do the math. 😊

Helen

@Karen Lee @Karen Lee I have to be on a very low sodium diet, and that much sodium is way too much for me. That being said, you can get cannellini beans with no salt added, use unsalted butter, and a lower sodium soy sauce. Also, you can get unsalted vegetable stock. I know this sounds bland to many people, but that’s my life and I’ve learned how to use other seasonings for flavor.

Cooking Easy

Delicious soup - so great with the beans! But I followed the bread from the Melissa Clark recipe- sliced baguette 12 minutes at 350, rub in garlic, place on soup, add cheese, then broil.

SharonF.

I only had 3 onions so I modified the quantities of seasoning and liquid. I used my frozen, home-made veggie broth. For fun and heartiness, I threw in sliced mushrooms and sliced carrots when adding the broth. I didn't make croutons, but had warm crusty bread. And put a slice of Swiss cheese (didn't have gruyere) at the bottom of soup bowls before ladling. All was fantastic. wow.

ETNakashima

I agree that doubling the balsamic and soy sauce would have given it more of the caramelized flavor lacking w/the recipe's amount. Also, I used coconut sugar to reduce the glycemic index. The recipe warned against using too small/shallow a pot or it could steam the onions instead of caramelize, but it STILL steamed in my giant, deep stock pot! I might cook w/o the lid on next time, and slice the onions less thin (1/4"?) to keep their integrity better when soft. Not traditional tasting, but good!

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