Vegetarian French Onion Soup

I've been a vegetarian for as long as I can remember, and for the most part, I'm pretty strict. In fact, my no-meat-whatsoever diet really only has three exceptions.

1. My Uncle Bob's Spinach Strawberry Salad.
 Yes, the dressing uses worchester sauce, and yes, I know that worchester sauce has anchovies in it. But seriously, folks? This is hands-down the best salad I have ever had, and this is coming from a pretty intense salad fan.

2. Ceaser Salad.
Again, the dressing has anchovies in it, and again, I usually pretend I don't know this. Unlike Spinach Strawberry Salad,  I'm not actually too crazy about this one. It's not something I'd ever order on my own accord. Nevertheless, it someone feeds it to me, I'll eat it.

3. French Onion Soup.
When I was younger, my parents and I used to go out to eat at Eagle's Nest Country Club. While I've always enjoyed dressing up and going out to eat, my seven-year-old self was less than happy about a menu filled with "grown-up" foods. At this point in my life, my diet consisted largely of grilled cheese, pasta with no sauce, and bagels, so any fancy restaurant concoction definitely wasn't going to cut it. Enter French Onion Soup.

french onion soup. 

Maybe it was the buttery, toasted bread or the mountain of melted cheese. Perhaps it was the salty-but-sweet carmalized onions, the nine million different flavors, or perfectly silky texture. Either way, I was completely sold and have been ever since.

The problem is, French Onion Soup is not exactly vegetarian-- it's made almost exclusively with beef broth. Once in a blue moon, I'll find a restaurant that serves a veggie option, but for the most part, I'm either skipping it altogether, pretending I have no idea what beef broth is and eating it anyway, or the best option of all: making it myself.

Recipe
(Adapted loosely from this recipe. Overall, french onion soup is super-easy to make, but it does take considerable time- start at least two hours before serving.)

Ingredients
6-7 white or yellow onions
4 cups vegetable stock*
1/4 stick unsalted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
fresh bread, cut into thick slices
shredded gruyere cheese

*A more traditional soup would use beef stock. I use one vegetarian bouillon cube in four cups of water.

Step 1: Chop the onions.

Step 2:  Place a skillet or saucepan over medium heat and add butter. Let the butter melt, brown, and foam up. 

Step 3: Add the onions and sprinkle with brown sugar.

Step 4: Turn the heat to medium-low and let the onions cook. And cook. And then cook some more. Stirring occasionally, let the onions cook for at least 45 minutes, until light brown in color. 

cooking onions, about 30 minutes in. 

Step 5: After at least 45 minutes, add the stock and cinnamon. Turn up the heat until the soup comes to a boil, then turn down the heat and let simmer for at least 45 minutes.

add the stock and cinnamon (if you don't like cinnamon,
rosemary is nice, too.) 

Step 6: Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with gruyere cheese and fresh bread. 

bon appetit!

delicious!- as evident by a very, very
hungry ben.