👥8 people
⏲️15m
🕐1h 30m
🍽️starter
Add a little smoke to this soup for a signature touch on a classic soup!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 lbs onions, halved, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
- 6 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 lbs portobello mushrooms, stemmed, caps halved and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick strips
- ¼ cup cognac or brandy
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 11 cups canned vegetable broth
- 1 ½ cups dry white wine
- 24 1-inch thick slices French-bread baguette, toasted
- 11 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, room temperature
Method
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large pot over high heat. Add onions and thyme; sauté until onions begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low; cook until onions are caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to medium bowl.
- Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the same pot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until soft, about 12 minutes. Add Cognac and garlic; stir for 20 seconds. Stir in onion mixture, broth, and wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer until onions are very tender, about 45 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs. Season soup with salt and pepper. Do this step ahead of time, it can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly; cover and chill. Bring to a simmer before serving.
- Set up an Egg for direct heat at 350°. Place baguette slices on the grill and dry toast. In a small cast iron place goat cheese on the grill with smoking wood of choice, for class we used apple. Allow the goat cheese to sit with the smoke for a few minutes. Spread goat cheese on baguette slices, dividing equally. Divide soup among 8 bowls. Top with croutons and serve.
