vegan fronch onion soup
ok HOLY FUCK writing this down because one of my favorite things in the FUCKING WOLD to do is cook, apparently, and i love trying new shit // building towards perfection (have no fear i’ll never reach it) sooooo here we go:
.5 cup earth balance
4-6 onions, sliced super thin (we used little, sweet, white onions– next time i want to try yellow)
2 cloves garlic (i always try to add more garlic…. do not add more garlic. this increases the tendency of the f.o.s. to taste like gravy)
2 whole bay leaves
.25 tsp thyme (would maybe like to try 2 fresh sprigs next time)
kosher salt and freshly cracked black peppa, to taste
roux: 1 part olive oil / melted earth balance to 1.75 parts flour
cook approximately 5 minutes, stirring consistently, to allow starch molecules to puff up and absorb moisture. should take on a slightly nutty taste // be “blond” colored.
6ish cups better than bouillon, no beef broth
daiya smoked gouda block
fronch baguette (or you can do sourdough if you crazy like dat)
1. turn stove to medium low, melt the buttah in a stainless steel or cast iron pan / skillet / whatever, the material of the pan is WAY more important than the shape of the pan
2. add onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, salt (keep it kosher! salt later if needed // but DO USE SALT even if you usually don’t), and peppa
3. allow onions to caramelize, stirring about once ever 5 - 10 minutes. anticipate on this part taking AN HOUR or MORE.
4. deglaze the pan (and the fond!) with cooking sherry. keep heat on medium low and cook until the sherry completely evaporates, about 5 minutes.
5. discard the bay leaves, thyme sprigs (this is aspirational)
6. add your roux! or just shimmy 3-4ish heaping Tbsp of of flour onto the onions, cook for ten minutesish to remove all flour-y flava
- around this time preheat the oven if ya wanna broil something right away -
7. add 6ish cups of no beef broth (or honestly, just add the water and add tsp’s of the no beef broth to taste…. start light, so you don’t get too salty)
8. bring soup back up to a simmer– cook for 10 minutes until soup starts to thicken
YOU COULD BAKE THE SOUP IN RAMEKINS (which is an adorable word, holy fuck ! from the french ramequin ((diminutive (kin) battering ram (ram))) but honestly, this just made the soup taste like thanksgiving stuffing. make sure you toast the baguette first…. surely you don’t expect me to eat raw toast.
layer two baguette slices and daiya smoked gouda
broil on high for 5-ish minutes
or just make leetle toasties with baguette and gouda (i sprayed with a cooking spray out of panic in the last couple seconds before i popped in the oven)
broil on high for 5ish minutes
ONION THOTS~
- cut from stem to roots !!!
- read this article on caramelized onions
