Brasserie Au Pied de Cochon is a Paris institution. The place has been open 24/7 since 1946! Their specialty is… you guessed it, pig, but their “soupe à l’oignon gratinée” is super popular with locals and tourists alike. Hearty and satisfying on a winter day it also works great as a 4 AM snack. Here’s an adapted version of their recipe.
soupe à l’oignon gratinée
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg (3 lbs, approx. 9 medium) white onions, halved and sliced
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) Earth Balance or other good vegan butter
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
- 1.5 L (6 cups) strong vegetable stock (leek, parsnip and mushroom is my 1st choice for this)
- 500 ml (2 cups) dry white wine such as Muscadet or Mâcon-Village
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) dry Jerez
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
- 2 bay leaves
- Ground black pepper
- sea salt
- 6 slices of baguette
- 150 gr (1/3 lbs ) shredded Teese Mozzarella
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) white fermented bean curb (optional)
- 2 cloves of garlic
Serves 6
In a large pot heat the stock with the thyme, bay leaves and pepper. Cover and simmer on very low heat.
Heat a large cast iron dutch oven, add the oil and the butter. When the butter starts bubbling add the onions, mix well to coat, reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add wine and continue cooking until the liquid has evaporated and onions are golden brown, approx. 45 minutes. Add Jerez to deglaze and cook stirring frequently until liquid has evaporated again, about 5 minutes. Add the hot stock, simmer for 30 minutes. Remove and discard herbs, season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.
While the soup simmers, arrange the baguette slices in single layer on baking sheet and bake in a 175°C (350°F) oven until the bread is dry, crispy and golden at edges, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Rub bread with garlic cloves, lightly spread with fermented bean curd (optional) then sprinkle with Teese and return to oven for a couple minutes until the cheese has melted.
Divide soup into 6 bowls, top with a cheese crouton and serve immediately.
Note
The soup and dried croutons (before garlic and cheese) can be made ahead and stored for up to 3 days. To serve, reheat soup and proceed with the recipe.
Fermented bean curd, available at chinese grocery stores, is potent stuff. Its very sharp and piquante flavour, comparable to blue cheese, is an acquired taste. Try it first and go easy with it. You want to use the white type for this recipe.
I’m not a big fan of fake cheese. I find Teese to be the best of the “meltable” vegan options but use it very rarely and only for texture. Most of the time I feel no cheese is much better then poor cheese imitation but hey, that’s just me.
