Vegetarian Onion Soup au Gratin

Start by listening to k.d. lang's rendition of Roy Orbison's "Crying" while peeling and slicing about 2 1/2 pounds of onions. (about 8 cups, sliced longitudinally). This makes 4 to 6 servings of onions soup au gratin, depending on the size of your soup bowls and how much bread in the bottom.

 

 

Saute the onions in two batches or use two skillets. Use 3 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of olive oil for each batch.  Saute over high heat for as long as it takes to caramelize the onions.  When they are a nice golden brown with a little bit of almost burnt color, combine all the onions in one skillet, add 1 1/2 cups of dry white wine and 2 teaspoons of salt and simmer for a few minutes.

 

Transfer the onions to a soup pot or large sauce pan and add about 4 cups of water. Let simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes to an hour, adding a little water to maintain about 6-7 cups of soup.

Meanwhile, grate some cheese or buy some pre-shredded - about 2 to 4 ounces of cheese per bowl. Sharp Cheddar, Muenster and Swiss make a great combination for this soup. Or try some Gouda, Asiago, Jarlsberg, or other cheese of choice.

Place a piece of crusty French or Italian bread on the bottoms of four oven-safe soup bowls. Ladle about a cup and a half of the soup in each bowl, distributing the onions and the broth evenly so no one gets cheated. Put a good heavy layer of cheeses on top and place the bowls on cookie sheets and into a 400 degree oven. Wait 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese melts and starts to brown on top.

Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes - they will be HOT and the cheese will burn your mouth if you are too impatient. But really, can anything with melted cheese be bad?

While the soup cools, listen to k.d. lang again, then holler: Dinner's Ready!

Serve with nice white wine like Pinot Grigio or Soave or an Apple Cider, hard or sweet. With a salad, it's a meal in itself.