A delicious Vegetarian creamy cheese and spring onions soup recipe that's Slimming friendly, low calorie and low carb for a Keto diet. I'll also give you tips on making it vegan and how to cook it in a soup maker as well as a saucepan. Additionally, it is a Gluten Free onion soup, providing you use the right stock cubes.

Two white bowls full of vegan cheese and onion soup on a white marble kitchen worktop

I originally created this as an unofficial Slimming World cheese and spring onion soup back in 2015, because I'd found a glut of bunches in the reduced aisle. And while it used 6 bunches (and tasted amazing), I was very conscious it was more suitable for those with an allotment.

For those of my US friends, it can also be called a scallion soup recipe. Well, it's now 2021, and I've been making it yet again, because, well, no, I don't have an allotment. But I do have a new local shop that always has surplus spring onions, making it a great soup to make and freeze.

And since I've updated this recipe, you'll find lots of tips on how you can change the quantities for a Keto plan too. And how to make a delicious vegan cream of spring onion soup. It's also packed with vitamins, such as A, C, B2, etc and has lots of health benefits.

Kitchen aid mixer food processor attachment to shred spring onions easily straight into a frying pan

Equipment for Pan Or Soup Maker Onion Soup

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Soup maker or Non-stick saucepan
Garlic press
Chopping board
Chopping knife
Measuring spoons
Measuring jug
Cheese grater
Food processor *recommend for quicker soup recipes with spring onions, or a manual onion chopper

step by step images of making an onion and cauliflower cheese soup in a soup maker

Steps for Making Green Onion Soup

Firstly, you'll find a full list of ingredients in my recipe for my spring onion soup recipe by clicking the link below. But, in a nut shell, there are 3 very easy onion soup steps:

Jump to Recipe

Saute all of the veg and garlic in Fry Light or oil in a large saucepan if you want to*. Soup Makers: use a saute function if you have one.
Add the remaining ingredients, except the cheese and simmer for 20-25 minutes and blend. Soup Makers: do the same and click smooth.
Stir in the cheese until melted and serve with a dash of single cream if using.

Close up of vegan jalapeno and chilli cheddar cheese soup with onions and vegan plant based cream in a white bowl

Cooking Tips

The most daunting part of making spring onion soup is the preparation. So, I have a few tips to make life easier.

Try to use spring onions that are as fresh as possible, because once the outer parts turn mushy, they're time-consuming to remove
Use a spring onion cutting machine after trimming, like an onion shredder in a food processor, which takes a couple of minutes
Saute all of the veg if you want a caramelized onion soup, but it's not essential if you want a quicker meal on the table

Close up of sliced onions, vegan grated cheese and cream on a keto soup

How Much Spring Onion to Use

While I was aware that root vegetables are often avoided when following a keto diet due to their higher carb content, I didn't realize this included onions. And so, I've been playing around with my spring onion ratios as follows:

Quantities for Keto Spring Onion Soup

For a Keto cheese and onion soup, I recommend using no less than 4 bunches (500g of unprepared weight) of spring onions. This which our at around 14g of carbs per serving and makes a single cream texture.

Note, the weight will shrink by around 25% during sauteing, so you'll need to bulk it up as a cauliflower and spring onion soup. Or, swap for courgette, or use an extra 300ml of water and stir in xanthan gum after cooking to thicken.

Quantities for Slimming Onion Soup

If you're following a low-fat diet, then you can use 6 bunches (around 750g) instead. It's very delicious, although higher in carbs. Also, you can make potato and spring onion soup instead of cauliflower.

Alternatively, you can create a cheesy carrot and onion soup if you don't have potatoes or caulfilower.

Vegetarian cheese and onion soup served in bowls from a Morphy Richards soup maker

Best Cheese For Onion Soup

It's very important to use a strong, flavoursome cheese to the best taste possible, like mature cheddar, or parmesan. A spicy cheese works well, too, if you like some extre flavour and heat.

I wouldn't recommend mozzarella, which often spends more time sticking to your spoon. Otherwise, you'll probably have to increase your seasoning.

Vegan Cheese and Onion Soup

Asides from using vegan stock, I've also made it with vegan jalapeno and chilli cheddar, made with coconut milk cheese. It's not a super cheesy vegan spring onion soup, so you may prefer adding a spoon of nutritional yeast flakes.

However, it is SO good, especially with an added swirl of plant-based single cream. For a vegetarian onion soup recipe, simply use vegetable stock cubes and, either way, use a cheese with no animal fats.

White Denby bowl fully of Slimming World onion soup

Other Onion Substitutes

You'll find spring onions have a stronger taste than if making brown onion soup. *Regular onions to those in the UK. However, others you can use, is 500-800g of the following, depending on your carb options:

5 to 8 red onions
20 to 32 shallots
4 to 7 medium leeks

Cheese & Spring Onions Soup - Low Fat or Keto