Tasty Tuesday: French Onion Soup

French onion soup and Salmon salad. That's what my 18 month old had for lunch yesterday. She actually loves this soup and dips her bread in it like she's been dipping bread in soup all her life! Oh, she has.

There is no such thing as "kid food" in our house. She eats what we eat, and every once in a while I am really surprised by the variety of things she will eat. Like, for example, French Onion Soup. She sops up all the broth with her bread and then eats all the onions out. My husband also said that this is quickly becoming one of his favorite soups, second to Broccoli Cheddar Soup. This recipe is from A New York Times article.

Vegetarian French Onion Soup
The recipe calls for water, and in most recipes, I ignore the water and use veggie broth, but I'd advise actually using water not broth. The miso makes this soup so rich and salty that it can not afford any more salt or flavoring for that matter. Water it is!

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/2 pounds large Spanish onions, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
8 diagonal slices of baguette (home-made is nice!), about 1/4 inch thick.
1/3 cup miso
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme, optional
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large slices Swiss cheese

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, and heat until shimmering. Add the onions and cook, stirring constantly and adjusting heat as needed, until the onions are soft and deep golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove pan from heat and allow onions to cool in the pan.
2. Brush both sides of the bread slices with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake, turning once, until just crisp, about 4 minutes a side. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. Pour 3 cups of water into a 2 quart saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Add miso, thyme, and cooked onions; mix well. Simmer and season with salt and pepper as needed.
4. Preheat a broiler. Place a large oven-proof serving bowl or four small oven-proof bowls on a broiling pan or small baking sheet. Pour the hot soup into the large bowl or divide among the small bowls. Place the croutons on top of the soup, and top with Swiss cheese slices. Place the pan holding the soup directly under the broiler until the cheese is melted, and the soup is bubbling. Serve immediately.