Coffee French Onion Soup

A Jerry James Stone Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 4 pounds red onions
  • 8 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 ½ cups brewed coffee, Philz Dark French blend
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon mugi (barley) miso
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 1 small sprig fresh thyme
  • 1 small sprig fresh marjoram
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, more for croûtes
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 baguette
  • 2 cups Gruyère, shredded
Jump to instructions
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Instructions

  • In a dutch oven, warm olive oil over a medium-low heat and add onions, tossing to coat. Increase heat to medium-high, stirring every 10 minutes. If they begin to burn instead of caramelizing, reduce heat. When done, they should be a deep golden brown and jam-like. You have probably been lied to in the past. Caramelizing onions takes about an hour, why many recipes say 20 minutes, I will never know. But those fuckers are lying!
    Red Onions 1
  • I used coffee for this recipe, because, as you may have noticed, the soup itself is vegan, which is far from traditional French onion soup. I used one of my favorites, Philz Coffee's Dark French. The coffee has these wonderful smoky and charcoal tones that just play well with this classic peasant dish.
    Philz Coffee Dark French Blend 2
  • Add 8 cups of vegetable broth, 1 1/2 cups brewed coffee, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon miso, 1 clove garlic, a sprig of thyme and marjoram, and bring the soup to a low simmer. Cook for 30 minutes.
    Caramelized Onions 1
  • While that is simmering, we are going to make our croûtes. Cut the baguette into 1-inch slices (I like mine thick), place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush them with olive oil, and bake them in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes, until toasty.
    Baguette 1
  • Croutes 1
  • When the soup is done cooking, salt to taste and divide it into 8 oz ramekins. Top each one with one or two croûtes and some shredded Gruyere. Place them in a baking dish and broil them on low until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Enjoy!
    Coffee French Onion Soup 2 1
  • Coffee French Onion Soup 3