I know it is strange but, sometimes, on hot summer days, I crave a hot bowl of soup. Last week I was craving French Onion soup with cheese. Due to my kosher diet, I typically cannot eat French Onion soup out at restaurants because they make it with beef broth and I cannot mix meat and milk.
From time to time, I will make French Onion soup at home with beef broth without cheese, but for some reason, last week I NEEDED the cheese! So vegetarian French Onion soup it was. I just substituted vegetable broth for beef broth and it was DELICIOUS! This recipe is very easy and requires only a few simple ingredients. You can skip adding wine if that isn’t your thing. I think it deepens the flavor, but it is by no means necessary. Hope you enjoy it!
Ingredients:
Onions, 4, large, sliced
Vegetable Broth, 48 ounces (1-1/2 containers of Trader Joe’s Vegetable Broth)
Provolone Cheese, 4 slices
Dried Thyme, 1 teaspoon
Dry White Wine, 1/4 cup
Butter, 1/2 cup
French Bread or Semolina Bread, 2 large slices per bowl
Sea Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste
Directions:
- In a large dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion once the butter has melted fully. Sauté uncovered for 10 minutes, continuously stirring.
- Reduce the heat to low and continue to allow the onions to cook, until they darken in color.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Then add the vegetable broth, thyme, a little bit of sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
- Raise the heat to medium and allow the soup to cook for an additional 15-20 minutes.
- Once the soup is done, ladle it into to large, oven safe bowls. Place crusty bread inside the soup and then cover with cheese. I only had sliced provolone so I used that.
- Turn on your broiler.
- Place the bowls in the oven and cook until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Serve immediately!
I can’t believe I’ve never thought to make french onion soup with vegetable broth. I don’t mix proteins at meals, so was going sans cheese with mine, which is really a crime. I’ll give this a whirl. P.S., I’m with you – I can eat soup on a hot day too.