Low Sodium French Onion Soup Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis 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 Low Salt French Onion Soup Recipe Is
- Savory
- Earthy
- A Bit Sweet
- Flavorful
- Loaded with Vegetables
- Low in Sodium
- Gluten Free
Ingredients You’ll Need
See the recipe card below for a full list of instructions and ingredient amounts!
- 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 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!
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
- Red Cabbage 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!
Nutrition estimate (for 1 serving)
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used in our kitchen. It will vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify your nutrition content and 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