Red Onion Soup with Goat Cheese Toasts

This morning I found a bag of red onions, a little neglected in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator, and remembered a soup that everyone loves from “The Inspired Vegetarian” cookbook , published in 1992 by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, Inc. and written by Louise Pickford. The soup is Red Onion Soup with Goat Cheese Toasts. The onions need to be sautéed for a very long time to allow their flavor to develop. I usually end up cooking it a lot longer than the recipe suggests. You will need to have the following:

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

2 pounds of red onions thinly sliced (I do mine in the food processor)

2 large cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon sugar

½ cup dry red wine

2 tablespoons port wine

3 ¾ cups Vegetable Stock

Salt and pepper to taste.

For the topping

8 ½ inch slices of French bread

2 ounces soft goat cheese

Melt butter in saucepan and sate the onions over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes or until well browned. Do not allow the onions to burn or they will become bitter.

Add the garlic, thyme and sugar, and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the wines and cook over high heat to reduce the liquid to 4 tablespoons. Add the stock, bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the topping, preheat the broiler and toast the bread lightly on both sides, cool slightly and spread one side of each toast with the goat cheese.

Pour the soup into heatproof bowls, place 2 toasts in each bowl and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and golden. Serve immediately.

Picture is taken from the cookbook.