' With the cost of food rising, especially meat, I’m trying to find delicious meatless meals to serve. My kids say they dread “Meatless Mondays” (or any day we’re having meatless meals), they have yet to complain about what they’ve eaten. My hope to keep that record was easily supported by this soup.
When I first told them what it was called, they were less than enthusiastic – until I said it was a variation of French Onion soup. Then they were excited. Hypocrites. 
This recipe does take about an hour to make, unless like me you think the red onions at my local grocery store are “large”, and not actually almost twice the size of the stereotypical large onion. By the way, a large onion comes to about 1 to 1.5 cups of sliced onions. The red onions I bought came to about 2 to 2.5 cups sliced. Can you see where I started having difficulties? LOL! So, after taking half the onions out of the pan after they’d been cooking for 20 minutes, everything go back on track and the dish was done within a reasonable about of time.
It turned out very good, with the balsamic vinegar giving it a tangy sweetness enhanced by the onions and mustard. The original recipes is Caramelized Balsamic-Red Onion Soup with Cheese-Topped Croutons at Serious Eats. I made some changes, based on the ingredients I had on hand.
Caramelized Balsamic-Red Onion Soup with Cheese-Topped Croutons
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
6 large red onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons prepared mustard (I used Meijer Gold spicy grainy mustard)
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth (or a combination of the two)
6 slices French bread
3/4 cup grated Swiss cheese
Heat a large pot over medium heat for one minute. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan, and then add the butter. Once it melts, add the sliced onions and salt, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Add the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and mustard, stir well, and cook for five minutes.
Pour in the six cups of water, and turn the heat to high. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the slices of bread on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and cook for five minutes. Carefully remove the sheet, and turn on the broiler. Divide the cheese between the slices of bread. Set the sheet under the broiler for however long it takes to melt the cheese, about 30 seconds. Remove the sheet, turn off the heat, and set aside.
Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a crouton. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
