Low Sodium French Onion Soup Recipe
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Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Share Pin For Later EmailThis low sodium French onion soup recipe is made with only a few simple, flavorful ingredients! This elegant soup is a great low salt choice for a dinner party or special occasion.
With just a few simple ingredients, you’ll be amazed at the flavors you can build into this fantastic soup without all the salt. I have an optional recipe for low sodium cheese croutons too, in case you want to add some in for flair!
If you follow a strict low sodium diet, you may have thought French onion soup was off the menu for good… until now! Restaurant soups (especially French onion) are overly-salty, but can easily be modified to fit a healthy low sodium diet.
French onion is one of my husband’s favorite recipes – so I came up with a tasty low sodium alternative!
I made a few swaps to traditional French onion soup, so that it can be enjoyed without adding lots of salt. Instead of gruyere cheese, I swap in fresh mozzarella which has a fraction of the sodium, but still gives this dish a rich and tasty flavor.
This Vegan Gluten Free French Onion Soup Recipe Is
- Savory
- Earthy
- A Bit Sweet
- Flavorful
- Loaded with Vegetables
- Low in Sodium
- Gluten Free
Healthier Low Sodium Soup Recipes
Soup is one of the most difficult things to make low sodium (and make it still taste good)! I’ve made dozens of low sodium soups, and this French onion is a really fantastic version – I highly recommend it!.
You can make soups low in sodium by swapping a no-salt-added broth for traditional stocks, and using a good variety of herbs, spices, and a bit of acidity. Browse all our low sodium soup recipes here, for lunch and dinner inspirations all without added salt or preservatives!
What’s In Low Sodium French Onion Soup?
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- Onions – I used about 3 lbs of sweet Vidalia onions, which gave this soup amazing flavor.
- Herbs de Provence, or Thyme if you don’t have any.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- No Salt Added Beef Stock – you can use either a low sodium or no salt added beef stock to your recipes.
- Low Sodium Bread – I have recipes for delicious (and easy!) low sodium no knead white bread, and low sodium wheat bread that you can use in this recipe.
- Fresh Mozzarella – While mozzarella cheese can contain some sodium, I found that fresh mozzarella balls packed in water typically have less sodium overall. I used this fresh mozzarella which has just 40mg of sodium per serving (which is about 3 or 4 mozzarella balls). Always check the labels at your store – but I’d recommend starting with mozzarella cheese packed in water.
How Do I Make French Onion Soup without Salt?
- In a Dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil and unsalted butter on low heat until melted. Add the sliced onions and stir occasionally for about 30-45 minutes until they become dark brown and caramelized.
- Add the Herbs de Provence/thyme and white wine and deglaze the pot. With a wooden spoon scrape the bottom of the pan until all the little brown onion bits have been released into the soup. Cook for 10 minutes until the wine has mostly evaporated. Add the low sodium beef stock and gently simmer for 30 minutes.
- Before serving, slice small pieces of low sodium bread. If using mozzarella cheese, add it to the top of the bread pieces and toast under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese begins to melt and the edges of the bread start to brown.
- Serve the soup in a bowl, and top with a cheese toast on top. Garnish with extra Herbs de Provence/thyme or fresh parsley, enjoy!
An Easy Low Sodium Holiday Appetizer
Whether you are cooking an low sodium or low salt appetizer for yourself or for loved ones, this low sodium French onion soup recipe is a major crowd pleaser! I serve this all the time to guests who don’t even realize it’s low in sodium and has no salt added.
This soup is great because you can prep it a day or two before, then heat it the day you are serving it and make some easy cheese toasts too. Let us know in the comments if you make these, and browse the rest of our low sodium holiday recipes and low sodium appetizers here!
More Low Sodium Soups & Chili Recipes You’ll Love
Low Sodium Split Pea Soup Recipe
Low Sodium Chili Recipe (No Salt Added)
No Salt Added Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe
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Low Sodium French Onion Soup
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 lbs sweet onions peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon herbs de Provence or substitute thyme
- 1 cup good white wine I used a pinot grigio
- 6 cups No Salt Added Beef Stock
For the Cheese Toasts (Optional)
- 4 Pieces Low Sodium Bread
- ¼ cup fresh mozzarella packed in water
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil and unsalted butter on low heat until melted. Add the sliced onions and stir occasionally for about 30-45 minutes until they become dark brown and caramelized.
- Add the thyme and white wine and deglaze the pot. With a wooden spoon scrape the bottom of the pan until all the little brown onion bits have been released into the soup. Cook for 10 minutes until the wine has mostly evaporated. Add the low sodium beef stock and gently simmer for 30 minutes.
- Before serving, slice small pieces of low sodium bread. If using mozzarella cheese, add it to the top of the bread pieces and toast under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese begins to melt and the edges of the bread start to brown.
- Serve the soup in a bowl, and top with a cheese toast on top. Garnish with extra thyme or fresh parsley, enjoy!
Notes
Save Money on Fresh Groceries & Pantry Staples!
I get all the fresh produce for my recipes from my garden and from Misfits Market – they sell organic produce at a discounted price, and it’s purchased direct from farmers to reduce food waste. We get Misfit boxes every other week and love picking out our favorite seasonal produce for delivery. You can save up to 40% off grocery store prices. If you think produce delivery is too expensive… think again, and give Misfits Market a try!Nutrition
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used, it may vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify sodium amounts.
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I could eat it every day
Thyme or Herbs de Provence?
Hi Neran,
I like using Herbs de Provence, but I recignize not everyone has that spice on hand. If you don’t, you can substitute thyme instead.
– Kelly