French Onion Soup

As French Onion Soup is essentially a beef stock soup I thought this would have been impossible to recreate for my vegetarian sensibilities but by creating a stock with mushrooms it came, according to my meat eating friends, "really close" to that intense beefy flavour.

Ingredients
(serves 4)
30g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
600g onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 tsp soft brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1.5 tbsp plain flour
150ml dry white wine
1 litre mushroom veg stock (see below)

salt

ground black pepper

to serve

4 slices from a baguette, cut diagonally
100g Gruyère (vegetarian version),  grated

for the mushroom veg stock

4 tbsp olive oil

300g shitake mushrooms, roughly chopped
500g chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
25g dried porcini

1 large carrot, chopped

2 onions, chopped

1 sprig of fresh thyme 

3 garlic cloves, crushed

250ml full-bodied red wine

1 litre vegetable stock

salt

ground black pepper

soft brown sugar

Method

Begin by preparing the mushroom veg stock. In a large heavy-based saucepan, fry the onions in the olive oil until they soften, then add the garlic, soft brown sugar and carrots and cook for a further few minutes. 

Pour in the red wine and bring to a simmer before adding the bouillon stock, mushrooms and thyme. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place a lid on the saucepan, bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer.  Cook gently for at least half an hour, stirring occasionally to avoid the vegetables from sticking.  

Once it's cooked down remove from the heat. Add the marmite then taste the liquid and adjust the seasoning. Leave the vegetables in the liquid until you need to use it.  Sieve and set aside. 

In the same large heavy-based pan over a medium to low heat pour in the olive oil, then slowly melt the butter.

Add the onions and fry with the lid on for 10 mins. Then add the sugar and mix throughout. Cook for 20 mins more, stirring frequently. The onions should be nicely caramelised.

Add the garlic and continue to cook for a few more minutes before sieving the plain flour over the onions. Stir in well. 

Turn up the heat and gradually add the wine as it slowly gets absorbed. Then pour in the Marmite laced mushroom veg stock. Cover with the lid. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20 mins.

Toast the baguette slices, then cover with the grated cheese. Place under the grill to melt. 

Ladle the soup into large bowls. Serve with a piece of cheese on toasted baguette placed on top of the soup.