JUAB COUNTY, UTAH- (Good Things Utah) Chef Austin Buhler is back in the kitchen working some more delicious magic! Buhler, who is the chef at Central Valley Medical Center‘s cafeteria and owner of Buhler’s Gourmet, shares a scrumptious French Onion Soup. The best part is it is all vegetarian! Don’t be fooled, this soup will be a big hit with vegetarians and meat eaters alike. You can also pair it with his French Dip Sandwich recipe for optimal goodness.
Vegetarian French Onion Soup (Serves six)
● 2 oz Dried Mushrooms (This can be found at most Asian markets and recently in some
grocery stores. Try and find a blend of mushrooms but if they only have a single type,
they’ll work just as well.)
● 8 cups water
● ¼ cup butter
● 6 medium sweet onions; Peeled, Halved, & Sliced Thin. Save the onion peelings!
● 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
● ½ cup, dry vermouth or sherry
● 3 cubes of “Not Beef Boullion”
● 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
● 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
● 1 tsp thyme leaves
● 1 bay leaf
● ¼ tsp MSG (can omit if you don’t like to use MSG)
● Salt to Taste
● 12 slices of swiss cheese
● Slices of Baguette, Artisan Country, or Sourdough Bread
(Needs to be a hardier, Artisan style bread)
- In a large pot, bring the 8 cups of water, the onion peelings, & the dried mushrooms to a boil. Let this simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes. When finished, just set it to the side.
- While your broth is simmering, heat another large pot on medium heat and add your butter & onions. Gently and slowly, caramelize your onions. You want this to develop over the course of 45 minutes to an hour. Stir every so often to keep the onions from burning. They will be a rich golden-brown color and will have cooked down into a nice tender onion when finished. If you have your heat too high, you’ll scorch the onions and make them turn bitter.
- Once the onions have caramelized, add your vermouth or sherry to the pan to deglaze. Let
this reduce for about 5 minutes. - Strain your mushroom broth into the pot with your caramelized onion. Toss the onion peelings & mushrooms.
- Add the bouillon cubes, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaf, & MSG.
Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and let the ingredients simmer for 30 to 45 minutes to marry & develop the deep, rich, flavors we love with French Onion Soup. - At this point, feel free to adjust the salt & acid levels to your liking.
- Toast your bread slices until crisp.
- Ladle your soup into oven-safe bowls or crocks, top with a slice of bread, & 2 slices of swiss
cheese. Place under a broiler until the cheese has browned. - Be very careful removing them from the oven and remind your guests that their bowls will be very hot!
NOTE: This recipe can easily be adapted to a non-vegetarian version by omitting the mushroom broth & bouillon and substituting it with 6 cups of beef broth. You’ll need to add more salt than in the original recipe, but season to your taste.
Buhler is also running a special today – 25% off & free shipping for all spice orders placed before the end of the show at 11 a.m. Using code: iloveGTU on his website.
