Cheesy Vegetarian French Onion Soup

French onion soup is the perfect cheesy delight

     One of my favorite gooey, cheesy, guilty pleasures is French onion soup. I always think of it as being a restaurant staple, as they broil it. Dishes that come out sizzling seem somehow more difficult. But it’s actually not at all true. If you have a soup pot and a broiler, it is easy to make French onion soup.

     When I order it at restaurants, it is delicious but often too salty. I can only eat a few bites before I’m reaching for my water glass. But mmm are those few bites delicious! In an attempt to remedy this problem, I make a vegetarian version, substituting organic, low sodium mushroom broth for beef broth. Mushrooms lend the same underlying meatiness that beef flavor does, but without all the grease and salt. I also add one to two cups of water to the soup, letting it cook off into the broth.

     This version is as (or I think more) cheesy and satisfying as the original, but much healthier and vegetarian.  It is also remarkably easy to make and packs a nice wallop of impact for guests as it comes out of the broiler sizzling.

     This time I added actual mushrooms as well, but I’m giving you the recipe without them, as I think it tasted better without them. It’s certainly more traditional without mushrooms.

French Onion Soup
Difficulty:
Time: 1 hour
Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients:

3 large sweet onions, sliced
4 shallots, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup dry sherry
6 cups organic low sodium mushroom broth
1 tablespoon thyme
Pepper to taste (there should be enough salt in the broth, but if not for your tastes, feel free to add it)
1-2 cups water
1 loaf French bread (baguette or other), sliced and toasted
2 cups grated Gruyere, Swiss, provolone or a mixture of all three

Slice the onions along in opposition to their layers, creating long thin slices

 Preparation:

    Heat oil in a large soup pot on medium. Add sliced onions and sauté. You may need to adjust the heat higher or lower depending on your stove. You want the onions to soften and caramelize, not burn. When they begin to soften, add the shallots and sherry. Sauté, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes, enough time for the sherry to cook down and the onions to fully caramelize. Then add garlic. Cook one more minute, enough time for the garlic to become aromatic, then add mushroom broth, water (optional), thyme and pepper, and turn the heat up to high. When it begins to simmer, reduce heat, but keep the simmer going, stirring as needed for 15 minutes.

Soup coming to a simmer.  I used mushrooms this time, but it changed the consistency and I like it better without them.

    Spoon soup into bowl, filling about halfway. Add two slices of bread and top with more soup just to insure they become fully saturated. Top with generous portion of cheese.

The Gruyere is beginning to bubble up and change color in the broiler.

     Place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes. Keep a close eye on it. You want the cheese to completely dissolve, bubble up and turn brown. When this happens remove from broiler and serve. Use a plate underneath the bowl as it will be really hot to the touch.

     I love this recipe for this spring weather, rainy, but not too cool. French onion soup is cozy, like a watch-the-spring-rain-and-the-greening-of-the-world-from-my-window kind of dish. It’s light and little bit sweet, while being earthy and very satisfying. Perhaps it will warm me from the inside out, giving me strength to venture out into the rain. Maybe tulip shoots are also steeling themselves against the weather, preparing to expose themselves to damp, thawing air. Perhaps I should go find out.

Easy Peasy: Split Pea Soup and Bulgur Wheat & Herb Biscuits

Comfort food: Split Pea Soup

     Just back from vacation, this week I’ve been doing dinner on a budget. Post-vacation also means trouble getting back to routine and playing catch-up at work. So let’s say I’m being frugal, not only with money, but also with effort (though maybe not time).

     I had big plans for recipes to share with you, but ended up foraging my cupboards and making meals with items rediscovered therein. The great thing about limiting your options (by not buying anything new to cook with) is that it can be really satisfying. Some of my favorite meals have been composed impromptu, with only what I could find already in my kitchen.

     Split pea soup is easy. It takes about half an hour to chop and sauté all the veggies. Then, add the peas broth and water, and you’re basically done. You just have to stir occasionally. The transformation from dried peas in water into a hearty, thick soup takes place all on its own, hence my decision to make this recipe.

     But while the soup was cooking, I had too much time on my hands and decided to make an accompaniment, herb biscuits. Because they were a last minute addition, I rushed them and didn’t leave time for them to properly rise. If you’re making this, I recommend starting with the batter for the rolls. Then it can rise while you chop and sauté the vegetables. You’ll have plenty of time to finish the biscuits while the soup simmers.

Split Pea Soup
Difficulty:
Time: 2 hours
Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 bag split peas, rinsed and drained
2 cups carrots, chopped coarsely
2 cups celery, chopped coarsely
1 Large sweet onion, chopped coarsely
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
Water – fill to top of large pot (6 cups?)
1 cup mushroom or vegetable broth
¼ cup sherry (optional)
Ham, bacon or prosciutto (to taste, if using)
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste (this is a large pot of soup, lots of salt and black pepper)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Preparation:

     Heat olive oil on medium in a large soup pot. Add onion, carrots and celery. Saute, stirring occasionally, until almost softened, but onions should not be translucent. Add garlic and sherry. Saute another 1-2 minutes to soften garlic. You want everything to cook, but not too much. It’s nice to have a chunkier texture to the finished soup.

Transformation beginning...

     Add mushroom broth, split peas, water, bay leaves, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, paprika and cayenne. (Add ham or pan crisped bacon or prosciutto now, if you’re opting to use meat.) Stir thoroughly and turn heat up to medium high – high. Let soup bubble gently (you may have to adjust temperature), stirring occasionally to prevent sticking for about 1 ½ hours or until thick, not brothy.


Almost finished, you can see it beginning to thicken


     Ladle into bowls, top with grated cheddar cheese and it’s done, simple and easy, satisfying comfort food.


Bulgur Wheat & Herb Biscuits (recipe based on http://chefinyou.com/2009/08/bulgur-dinner-rolls/):
Difficulty:
Time: About 1 hour, depending on rising times
Makes: 10 biscuits

Ingredients:

1/2 cup bulgur
1 cup boiling water
1 envelop dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 cup milk
2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
3 cups whole wheat flour

Preparation:

     Place the cracked wheat (bulgur) into a bowl and pour out the boiling water over it. Cover and soak it for an hour until it has absorbed all the water.

     Preheat oven to 400F.

    Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and stir to dissolve.

Adding more flour until the dough is stiff

     Heat milk in a pan until it starts to bubble around the edges of the pan. Add the rosemary, thyme, olive oil, honey and salt and mix until all come together. Cool to lukewarm, add yeast mixture, cracked wheat and flour gradually until stiff.

     On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until elastic and smooth.

     Drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of a large bowl. Form a large ball with dough and place it in greased bowl. Drizzle a little more oil over the top and cover. Let it rise until doubled in size.

Biscuits rising.  They rise best in warm place.  You can trying turning your oven on to warm and placing the rising dough on top.

     Tear dough and shape into approx 10 balls (depending on the size), place them on a greased baking sheet and let rise again until almost doubled in size.

     Bake for 15-20 minutes or until risen and browned.

     Let cool and serve.

Mine didn't rise properly.  Yours should be much prettier!

     A note on the choice of meat: I sometimes do use a cured meat in my split pea soup (though I didn’t this time), but I tend to go really easy with the amount. The saltiness of the curing can overwhelm the split peas and vegetables. You can end up with salty, ham-flavored mush. Yuck. (I used to work for a brilliant cook who would add ham, bacon and prosciutto to his split pea soup. It was intensely salty, more like an indulgence than a hearty comforting soup. Then again, he did run a bar, maybe the saltiness was the point. What goes better with salt than beer?)

     If you are feeling like making an easy, no fuss meal, skip the biscuits and buy some rolls instead. However, the biscuits are really the canvas for the flavors of olive oil and herbs, which come through potently and deliciously. Excellent dipped in the split pea soup. Enjoy!

     Some final frugal advice: Make a large amount of a dish, then cart leftovers to work for lunch all week.  I even store leftovers in portion sized Tupperware in my fridge.  I get the really hard to open, lunch sized plastic containers from when I have food delivered or buy soup at the grocery store.  In the morning, I just grab and go.  It's easy and much more delicious than the expensive lunches offered near my office.