Vegetarian and Hearty Spanish Onion Soup

Developed sometime around 2010

This is my take on a vegetarian version of French onion soup, and at least as hearty. Creating a vegetarian version of this classic beef-broth based soup takes finesse and time, but is well-worth the effort. Especially if you make your own broth. As a cooks hint: I save stems from herbs like parsley and cilantro in the freezer for making broths. 

MAKE YOUR BROTH
(or if using store bought, purchase the vegetarian choice that has onion as the first ingredient)

2T extra virgin olive oil

Mirepoix (one chopped onion plus half the amount each of celery and carrots) 

2 bay leaves

1t salt

2 cloves garlic

1T whole peppercorns

Stems of one bunch of parsley, about ½ cup

1 8-oz package button mushrooms

10 cups water

1-2 T black bean paste or miso 

½ cup whiskey (optional)

Heat a heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium high heat.  Rough chop the mirepoix and garlic. (For the mirepoix, the volume of carrots and celery together should equal that of the onions for good balance.) Add the olive oil, bay leaf and mirepoix to the pot. Stir occasionally but leave the heat up as the onions begin to brown, but not burn. 

Once the onions are starting to brown, reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, mushrooms and salt. Allow the mixture to cook for 3-4 minutes, until the mushrooms soften. It’s okay if material sticks to the bottom of the pot, as long as things aren’t burning. Add the remainder of the ingredients, being sure to release any stuck vegetables from the bottom of the pot. While the whiskey and black bean paste are not necessary, they add quite a bit of nuance to the broth that is really fantastic.

Increase the heat to high, bring to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Allow the soup to cool and then strain through a mesh strainer or colander into a bowl or large measuring cup. (We do not need a clear broth in this case, so straining with a cheesecloth is not necessary). Set aside.

SOUP INGREDIENTS

1-oz package of dried shitake (or other) mushrooms

3 cups boiling water

2T unsalted butter

1T extra virgin olive oil

5 Vidalia or sweet onions, peeled, halved, and very thinly sliced

1 t sea salt

½ T turbinado sugar

4 oz thinly sliced button mushrooms (about half a package) (optional) 

2 cups of fresh spinach, rinsed, destemmed and cut into thin strips or chiffonade  

2 quarts of homemade broth or 1 quart of store-bought plus 1 quart of water

2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and diced

zest of 1 lemon

(optional) ½ cup dry red wine (I use Malbec)

1 t freshly ground black pepper

½ t dried oregano

½ t thyme, stems removed

Oven-toasted cubes of toasted bread 

Gruyere cheese

RECIPE
Place the dried mushrooms in a heat proof bowl. Pour 3 cups of boiling water over the mushrooms, ensuring all are covered. Set aside.

Heat a large heavy-bottomed stock pot over a low flame. When the pot is hot, add the butter and olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add the salt and sugar. Cook the onions over very low heat, stirring occasionally until they are caramelized (medium dark brown). This will take an hour or longer, depending on your pot. 

Once Once the onions are nicely caramelized, add the diced apples, sliced mushrooms and spinach to the pot and cook gently for 5 minutes. 

Strain the liquid from the dried mushrooms into the pot. Chop the remaining mushroom

into bite-sized pieces (about ¾”) and add to the pot. Add the remaining ingredients,

including the broth you made. If you are using store-bought broth add the broth and water.

Raise the heat to medium high to bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat to a nice simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. 

Serve topped with croutons and shredded gruyere cheese. If you have oven-proof bowls, you can throw the soup under the broiler to melt the cheese and make it nice and bubbly. Broil on low for about 3 minutes and enjoy!