December 2008 French Onion Soup 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 cups red onion, finely diced or slices 1 1/2 cups sweet, yellow onion, finely dices or sliced 1/2 cup white onion, finely diced or sliced 2 Tbsp unfiltered, fresh apple cider (or juice) 1 Tbsp whole wheat flour 8 cups low-sodium broth or stock (veggie, chicken etc) 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp honey or agave Heat a large pot over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add oil and heat for another minute. Reduce heat to medium-low and add onions, saute, stirring occasionally with lid half-covering pot. Do this for about 20 minutes as onions will slowly carmelize. Add apple cider and stir to deglaze. Add flour and stir to thicken. Add broth, vanilla and honey/agave. Increase heat to medium-high a d bring to a simmer, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low or turn off until ready to serve. CROUTONS 1 loaf multigrain french bread, sliced very thinly into a minimum of 24 pieces 12 oz fresh chevre or low fat Swiss of farmers’s cheese, grated 1-2 Tbsp fresh thyme for garnish (optional) Note- made from goat's milk, chevre is lower in fat and calories than regular cheeses. A typical serving of chevre is about 30 cals less than cow's cream cheese. Preheat broiler to high. Lay bread slices on a cookie sheet and broil for 1-2 minutes until lightly toasted. TO SERVE Preheat broiler to high. Ladel 1 cup warm soup into overnproof ceramic bowls or soup tureens. If using chevre, spread chevere onto the croutons, using about 1/2 oz per crouton. Place 2 croutons in each soup bowl..(if using grated cheese sprinkle cheese on top of croutons and soup.) Place soup bowls under broiler for 5-6 minuts, u til cheese is melted and slightly browned (chevre will get more creamy). Remove and serve immediately. Nutrients (per one cup soup and 2 croutons) 220 cals, 10.5 grams fat, (5 sat), 16 grams carbs, 1 gram fiber, 12 grams protein, sodium 520 cals. Count as 1 starch, 1.5 protein, 1 fat, 1 veggie (if not using the crouton and cheese subtract 150 cals from this total) Soup only, per cup, count as 1 fat + 1 veggie From Clean Eating magazine Jan/Feb 08 www.cleaneatingmag.com Archived Recipes Copyright 2002-2007 - Lisa Merrill