I’m clearly on a vegetarian kick! One of my favorite things is making dishes that are traditionally meat-centric and turning them into vegetarian-friendly foods. While there is no meat in traditional French onion soup, it does lean on rich beef broth to give it a really delicious savory flavor.

Instead of including the beef broth, I decided to add sliced cremini mushrooms to attempt to add some deep flavors to the broth. It worked! It’s super delicious and tasty and of course, it wouldn’t be French onion soup without a lot of Gruyere cheese and slices of bread on top. It’s the perfect soup for cold nights when it’s blisteringly chilly outside. This soup miraculously still has that deep, savory flavor to it thanks to the caramelized onions, a bit of butter and of course sautéed mushrooms.

Vegetarian French Onion Mushroom Soup

This alternative vegetarian French onion mushroom soup still has that deep, savory flavor making it perfect for cold nights. (Recipe Credit: Adrianna Adarme of Fresh Tastes)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• Salt
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 5 cups of water 
• 6 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
• French bread, sliced

Directions

1. To a medium pot, set over medium-low heat, add the olive oil, butter, onions and a few pinches of salt. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Spread the onions out into an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Stirring occasionally, cook for about 10 to 15 minutes until caramelized. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook for an additional 15 minutes, again, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms; continue cooking until the mushrooms are softened, about 10 minutes. Add the water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes. Give it a taste and adjust the salt to your liking.
2. Divide the soup amongst the soup bowls. Top with slice of bread and a huge handful of shredded cheese. Transfer to a baking sheet and place it under a broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Yield: Serves 4

Adrianna Adarme is a food blogger and author living in Los Angeles, California. She writes the blog A Cozy Kitchen, where she shares comforting, everyday recipes from her kitchen. She recently authored her first cookbook, PANCAKES: 72 Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Perfect Stack. She’s a lover of breakfast, pie (and sometimes even pie for breakfast), corgis and cute things. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.