Today I made Vegetarian French Soup in the Crockpot, which I've been wanting to do for some time.
And now I know, it is a bad idea. Don't do it.
I sliced four large onions, and put them in a crockpot on high with a melted half a stick of butter, to carmelize.
About three hours later, I added two cups of vegetable stock, and turned it down to low.
Probably, I should not have added the stock, since the onions had no all carmelized. If it is possible for them to carmelize in a crockpot.
About five more hours later, I broiled swiss cheese onto sliced french bread in the broiler. I put the cheese toasts into bowls, and ladled soup over them.
But the soup was short of liquid. The bread absorbed most of what little liquid there was, giving me soggy cheese toasts with cooked onion sitting on top.
Which wouldn't have mattered if it were delicious. But I'm sorry, Knorr vegetarian broth was not enough to stand up to the beef stock flavor I expect in french onion soup, and cooking onions in it all day did not enrichen it enough.
Everyone hated it.
I've heard it would work better if I cooked it on the stove, carmelizing the onions thoroughly first, and then simmered on the stove all day. I hear it would have worked better if I added some miso soup for broth, to give it the umami flavor.
But frankly, I'm not going to try again. I don't want to get anywhere near this disaster again.
And now I know, it is a bad idea. Don't do it.
I sliced four large onions, and put them in a crockpot on high with a melted half a stick of butter, to carmelize.
About three hours later, I added two cups of vegetable stock, and turned it down to low.
Probably, I should not have added the stock, since the onions had no all carmelized. If it is possible for them to carmelize in a crockpot.
About five more hours later, I broiled swiss cheese onto sliced french bread in the broiler. I put the cheese toasts into bowls, and ladled soup over them.
But the soup was short of liquid. The bread absorbed most of what little liquid there was, giving me soggy cheese toasts with cooked onion sitting on top.
Which wouldn't have mattered if it were delicious. But I'm sorry, Knorr vegetarian broth was not enough to stand up to the beef stock flavor I expect in french onion soup, and cooking onions in it all day did not enrichen it enough.
Everyone hated it.
I've heard it would work better if I cooked it on the stove, carmelizing the onions thoroughly first, and then simmered on the stove all day. I hear it would have worked better if I added some miso soup for broth, to give it the umami flavor.
But frankly, I'm not going to try again. I don't want to get anywhere near this disaster again.
