Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Soup

Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Soup

I love French onion soup and I love mushrooms.  Why not join the two together?  There is no reason not to do so.  The outcome has to be good.

I caramelized a bunch of assorted onions:  red, white,  yellow, and even pearl.  To that add some minced garlic and assorted sliced mushrooms - I used baby bella and shiitake.

After the mushrooms were nice and tender, I started with the liquids.  First, I added some Kolsch beer we had on tap and let it cook for a while and reduce.  Next came beef stock and water.  When that came to a boil, I added the seasoning:  bay leaves, salt, pepper, and white pepper.  While everything was simmering, I sliced and broiled a sourdough baguette until golden.

When the soup was done I played a little game of find the bay leaves.  I won 2 and bay leaves won 1.  The Guinea Pig had to get involved to find the last drowning bay leaf, which he did.

I served it up just like French onion soup:  ladle the soup into a bowl, top with a sourdough slice, sprinkle some shredded Gruyere cheese, and broil until cheese is melted and bubbling.

By itself, the soup was a bit on the spicy side.  Together with the bread and cheese, the flavor was perfect!  Watermelon we planned to have for dessert was the only thing that prevented The Guinea Pig from going in for seconds.