Meatless Monday - French Onion Soup
Winter is soup season. I honestly can eat soups all year long but in winter a nice bowl of hot soup just sounds really appealing. French onion is one of my favorite soups but it's usually made with beef broth which doesn't work for a vegetarian diet. So I developed my own version which is just as delicious but is animal friendly and has a little less fat than traditional French onion soup.
Before serving this soup you have to put the bowls under the broiler for a few minutes. This may be a concern for people using handmade pottery bowls but the solution is simple. I warm the bowls up by letting them sit on top of the oven, near the cooking soup on a cookie sheet. This way they are not cold going into the broiler but not too hot to bring to the table. They will keep the soup warmer longer this way. I've been doing this with a set of soup bowls I made when I was 17 years old. They have been around quite a few years.
Ingredients:
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
5 large onions (about 3 lb.), halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. salt
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
2 cubes Not Beef Bouillon
4 cups water
2 cups apple juice
⅓ cup brandy
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. sherry vinegar
6 ½-inch slices crusty bread, toasted
⅔ cup shredded Jarlsberg or Gruyère cheese (Jarlsberg Lite is fine)
Directions:
1. Heat butter and oil in heavy, large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and salt, and cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to very low, and cook, stirring occasionally, 50 to 90 minutes, until onions are very tender and brown.
2. Stir in flour, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Blend in bouillon, water, brandy, apple juice, and mustard. Cover, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in sherry vinegar.
3. Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into six warmed bowls. Top each with slice of toast and grated cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve hot.
Check out the gallery page - Future Relics Gallery by Lori Buff
Before serving this soup you have to put the bowls under the broiler for a few minutes. This may be a concern for people using handmade pottery bowls but the solution is simple. I warm the bowls up by letting them sit on top of the oven, near the cooking soup on a cookie sheet. This way they are not cold going into the broiler but not too hot to bring to the table. They will keep the soup warmer longer this way. I've been doing this with a set of soup bowls I made when I was 17 years old. They have been around quite a few years.
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| Vegetarian French Onion Soup |
Ingredients:
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
5 large onions (about 3 lb.), halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. salt
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
2 cubes Not Beef Bouillon
4 cups water
2 cups apple juice
⅓ cup brandy
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. sherry vinegar
6 ½-inch slices crusty bread, toasted
⅔ cup shredded Jarlsberg or Gruyère cheese (Jarlsberg Lite is fine)
Directions:
1. Heat butter and oil in heavy, large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and salt, and cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to very low, and cook, stirring occasionally, 50 to 90 minutes, until onions are very tender and brown.
2. Stir in flour, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Blend in bouillon, water, brandy, apple juice, and mustard. Cover, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in sherry vinegar.
3. Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into six warmed bowls. Top each with slice of toast and grated cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve hot.
Check out the gallery page - Future Relics Gallery by Lori Buff
French onion soup is one of my favorites. Haven't made it in ages. I am putting it on the list for this winter.
ReplyDeletemmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
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