French Onion Soup-Vegnam Style

Day 17: I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather, lately, so I decided on french onion soup.

Ingredients:
3 large white onions, cut into rings
1Tbl olive oil
4 cups water
3-4Tsp yeast extract (to taste)
1 Tblsp dried thyme
Couple of sprigs of marjoram
2Tbslp balsamic vinegar
1/2 Tsp dried parsley
bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, crushed
For topping:
Bread of choice – I use a delicious organic wholegrain bread from our local organic butcher ( I know)
Daiya vegan cheddar cheese.
Half clove garlic
Olive oil to drizzle

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. When hot, add the onions, toss the onions until well-coated in oil, turn the heat down and let simmer for about twenty minutes until translucent and, perhaps, turning golden.

Add the crushed garlic, thyme, parsley. Simmer for about five more minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and allow to dissolve into the onions.

Boil water. Add the yeast extract and mix until diluted. Add to the onions and herbs. Add the bay leaf and the marjoram. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.

Put a couple of slices of bread under the broiler (or grill, for UK friends). Once one side is toasted, take it out, drizzle the untoasted side with olive oil and rub the half clove of garlic over the bread. Top with the grated vegan cheese, pop back under the grill.

Serve the soup. Place a piece of the garlic-cheese bread on the top of each bowl.

I got the balsamic vinegar tip from Elizabeth Ryder’s vegan onion soup recipe, but the rest is something I’ve known since my college days.