Vegetarian French Onion Soup

Would you just love to visit a true French bistro, but life keeps interfering with your travel dreams? Take a mental break from your hectic day with this world traveler: Vegetarian French Onion Soup. That bistro will have nothing on you when you have this comfort-in-a-bowl on your table. It’s filled to the brim with caramelized onions and then topped with toasty, crusty bread and melted cheese gooeyness that make this gourmet masterpiece a signature dish. You won’t believe what you’ve been missing! Don’t put it off any longer… take your tastebuds on a relaxing, peaceful trip with this Vegetarian French Onion Soup, and you just might end up finding the time to make that real trip after all. Beret, optional.

Ingredients

For the caramelized onions:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 pounds yellow onions, thinly sliced to 1/8-inch thick
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the soup:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 9 cups water, divided
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 carrot, cut in half and then into large chunks
• 2 ribs celery, cut into large pieces
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup dry sherry or white wine
• 1 tablespoon flour

For the topping:

• 6 slices bread, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
• 6 slices Swiss or Gruyère cheese, shredded
• 6 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated

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Directions

Step 1 –Preheat the broiler to high.

Step 2 –Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat.

Step 3 –Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and stir until melted.

Step 4 –Add the onions to the butter and sauté, stirring often, until the onions are very soft and just beginning to brown on the bottom, about 8-10 minutes.

Step 5 –Adjust the heat to medium-low heat.

Step 6 –Add 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt to the onion mixture and stir to combine.

Step 7 –Cook the onion mixture, stirring every 5-10 minutes, until they are deeply golden-brown and sweet, about 40-45 minutes.

Step 8 –In a large pot, heat the remaining butter over medium heat.

Step 9 –Add the mushrooms and sauté until browned, about 6-7 minutes.

Step 10 –Add 8 cups of the water, the remaining kosher salt, the carrot, the celery, the garlic, the tomato paste, the garlic powder, the onion powder, and the Worcestershire sauce to the pot with the mushrooms.

Step 11 –Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer the soup for 30 minutes.

Step 12 –Add the sherry to the onions and deglaze, scraping all the bits off the bottom of the pan.

Step 13 –Sprinkle the onion mixture with the flour and stir until the onions are coated.

Step 14 –Strain the homemade broth into the onion mixture, discarding the strained vegetables, and stirring to combine.

Step 15 –Add the remaining water to the onion mixture and simmer for 2 minutes.

Step 16 –Pour the soup into six oven-safe small bowls or ramekins.

Step 17 –Top the bowls of soup with the bread slices, the Swiss cheese, and the parmesan.

Step 18 –Broil the bowls of soup until the cheese is melted and browned, about 1-3 minutes.

Step 19 –Serve.