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French onion soup topped with toasted baguette and melted browned cheese.
Andrew Fowler

Vegetarian French Onion Soup

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 lbs yellow onions thinly sliced
  • 8 oz shallots peeled and thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3/4 tsp fine salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/3 cup dry sherry
  • 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 6 baguette slices 3/4 inch thick
  • 6 oz Gruyere cheese made with vegetarian rennet grated

Method
 

  1. Heat oven to 400°F. Toss onions and shallots with melted butter, oil, salt and pepper in a large roasting pan. Spread evenly.
  2. Roast 70–85 minutes until soft and deeply golden, not blackened. Stir every 20 minutes, more often near the end. Transfer to a soup pot.
  3. Add sherry and 1/2 cup measured broth to the warm roasting pan. Scrape up browned juices with a wooden spoon. Pour into soup pot; add remaining broth, thyme and bay leaf.
  4. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes. Meanwhile, toast baguette on a baking sheet at 400°F, 6–8 minutes until crisp. Heat broiler.
  5. Discard bay leaf. Divide soup among 6 broiler-safe bowls on a rimmed sheet. Top each with toast and equal portions of Gruyere. Broil 6 inches from heat, 2–4 minutes until bubbling and browned.
  6. Rest 5 minutes. Warn diners: bowls are still hot.