This richly flavourful soup is part tomato soup, part French onion soup and 100% vegetarian. The perfect slow-food bowl of comfort for a chilly day.
Author: Finn
Recipe type: Soup
Ingredients
Slow-Roasted Tomatoes:
10 tomatoes, halved horizontally
Olive oil
Fresh thyme, leaves picked
Salt and pepper
.
Soup:
6 medium red onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp salt
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and crushed
2 Tbsp fresh thyme, leaves picked
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 cup Port (or full-bodied red wine)
8 cups vegetable stock
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
.
1 baguette, sliced
Extra aged cheddar
Fresh basil, garnish
Instructions
*Slow-Roasted Tomatoes (if you don't feel like clicking the recipe link below, I'll include the simple instructions here): Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay tomatoes on the baking sheet, skin side down. Lightly brush the tops of the tomatoes with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme leaves. Bake for 3.5-4 hours, until dried but still juicy.
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add sliced onions and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 1 hour, until the onions are soft and lightly golden. Add garlic, thyme, pepper and sugar and continue to cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to break down. Deglaze the pan with port and reduce until syrupy.
Coarsely chop the roasted-tomatoes and add to the soup pot along with the balsamic vinegar and vegetable stock. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning after simmering and adjust with more salt, pepper or vinegar if needed.
Slice baguette and crumble aged cheddar over top. Broil on high for 3-5 minutes, until the cheese has melted in to the bread. Serve cheese bread with soup and top with a sprinkle of fresh basil.