French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup use to be one of my favorite things to get at restaurants.  The soup base is a pretty simple recipe that just takes time and patience because you can not under cook the onions or the soup will not taste right.  There are pages of recipes out there and after playing this is what tasted best to me.  The hardest part to accomplish vegan was the cheesy top.  I have tried it with different processed cheeses and was able to come up with an adequate version but none that really conquered the craving for the gooey melted Gruyere that really makes this basic soup something special.  Then by a fluke I created the cheese for the Scalloped Potato recipe that had a remarkably similar taste to a Swiss cheese.  Since then I have seriously been kept awake at night by my overly active brain trying to figure out how to pull this recipe off and I am happy with what I came up with!  The only thing it is missing is the stringy aspect of the melted cheese but the taste is right on.

Makes 6 servings

1/2 cup Earth Balance
4 yellow onions sliced 1/3" or 8mm thick
1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup red wine
3 tbsp flour
2 not beef bouillon cupes
4 cups water
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Swissy sauce
Baguette sliced (day old is preferred)
Serving bowls that can go in broiler

Melt the earth Balance in a large soup pot over med/low heat.  Add onions, thyme and bay leaves.  Keep on low heat stirring so onions are covered with Earth Balance.  Cook for 30 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.  Stir in brown sugar and salt and continue to cook another 30 minutes.  Add wine and raise temp to medium.  Bring wine to a boil, then reduce heat back to low/med and cook until wine is evaporated.  Remove bay leaves.  Dust onions with flour making sure they are well covered.  Cook for 10 minutes.  Dissolve not beef bouillon in 4 cups of water.  After onions and flour have cooked for 10 minutes stir in bouillon water, vegetable broth and vinegar.  Simmer for at least half hour. Prepare Swissy sauce and cut baguette.  Fill serving bowls 3/4 of the way full. Generously spread Swissy sauce on top of baguette slices (use as many baguettes as will fit in your serving dish.) Carefully place baguettes in soup, sauce side up.  Broil soup for 10 minutes or until sauce turns brown. Serve.