Soup's On

After watching my husband work very hard in the freezing cold barn on all my craft projects..he does all the cutting, assembly and other tool involved work ( I'm the ideas and decorating person) I thought a bowl of soup might be a nice lunch. I also thought that he probably thinks that's it for crafts today but I had other things on my/his to do list! People are always asking me for recipes. Somethings I have recipes for, somethings I know the recipe in my head and somethings you just make up. Like soup. How hard can it be. I don't think I've ever used a soup recipe. Soup should taste exactly like what it is. On today's menu, French Onion, a personal favourite and a discerning guide to whether or not a restaurant is worthy of ordering an entree. Stock should be homemade( just put all of your veggie peels (not potato or cabbage) in a pot and just barely cover with water and simmer...VOILA!!!) Hell everything should be homemade but I realize not all of you have as much time on your hands as I do lately. The last restaurant I ate at..a certain roadside cafe/pub in Berwick, boasted a French Onion Soup with red wine and it was vegetarian! Huzzah. When said bowl finally arrived with a mere sprinkle of cheese..not Swiss of Gruyere...it was a watery pale yellow color with a few onions that tasted haphazardly fried, not caramelized, and was a tasteful as a hot cup of onionesque water. I scooped the cheese and bread off and ate those instead.
But back to my soup. A rich bowl of vegetarian onion soup is easy and filling and looks fabulous if you are entertaining. You don't even need those cheesy..pardon the pun...heavy brown bowls that were oh so charming in the 70's. A simply white bowl and after broiling just place it on a white plate. Gorgeous. Now for my recipe. I expect you to try it and want to hear your results. Please keep in mind this is a guideline. Keep tasting until it has reached the flavour you look for in onion soup. Trust me..we are all different.

French Onion Soup

-a guideline-

3 large onions, sliced thin - by large I mean Spanish or red or sweet or vidalia...try using at least two colors
6 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
1/2 cup butter or margarine...not oil
2 tbsp white sugar - not brown, not raw but good old fashioned honest white sugar
1 cup red or white wine - cooking, your best vintage, whatever dregs are left from last night...whatever
2 tbsp sherry/brandy - not necessary but it does add a nice sweetness
1/3 cup soy sauce - don't use up your good tamari...it tastes too light anyway
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce - I can't say that let alone spell it..there are vegetarian brands out there folks!
3 1/2 cups veggie stock

In a big sauce pot brown the butter/marg. Add your onions, garlic and sugar and cook until they are nice and brown and smell sweet and don't make your eyes water anymore. Cook that for about 15 minutes on medium low heat. Add wine,sherry/brandy, soy sauce and wurchester...that sauce and simmer on medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add stock and let it cook on low for about 40 minutes. Remember to keep tasting this...does it taste right to you? Need more sugar? Add some. Need more salt? I doubt it. More wine? Go for it. When it's done toast up some nice bread in the broiler, add your favourite cheese..oooh I'm having a moment of genius...can you put cheese curds on this....hmmmm... and broil till bubbly.
You're Welcome.