When the leeks go on sale, or when ramps show up at farmers markets, it’s time to think about French onion soup. If you’re a botanist you may know that onions (Allium) were once part of the lily (Liliaceae) family, but are now grouped with garlic and a few other genera under the new (Alliaceae) family. Thus the often-used moniker for onion soup. While using just one or two varieties of onion will make a wonderful dish, using more adds so many layers of flavor and complexity that you’ll always be looking for more species and varieties to try out in your own kitchen.

This is a vegan take on the usual recipe, which commonly uses beef or bone broth and Gruyère, and substitutes a vegetable stock and a dash of Kitchen Bouquet for that traditional dark and rich color and flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 large Spanish onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large leek, thinly sliced, white part only (you can add some of the light green part as well but it gets tougher the farther you go and may extend the cook time a bit)
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ cups frozen pearl onions
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Vegetable stock
• 1 tsp. Kitchen Bouquet
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• Salt and pepper
• 4 thick slices French Bread
• Vegan shredded mozzarella (we like Daiya)
• scallions, thinly sliced, to garnish

Preparation:

In a cookpot, sauté the first five ingredients in 2 Tbsp olive oil, or enough to lightly coat the onions. Cook on medium heat until everything starts to caramelize. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and cook for another minute. Then add your favorite vegetable stock to cover the onions (about 3-4 cups), along with the Kitchen Bouquet and thyme. Simmer gently until the onions are tender. You may add more stock if you prefer a thinner soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.

In another pan, drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom, bring to medium-high heat, then add bread slices and fry until toasted brown on one side. Flip bread, top with shredded cheese, then cover with a lid (or tinfoil) as you brown the other side. (This will help the cheese to melt.) When the bread is toasty and the cheese is melty, serve the soup in bowls with bread and cheese floating on top. Sprinkle with scallions and give thanks to Gaia for the Allium genus. Yum!