FRENCHY FRENCH ONION SOUP

Having trouble sleeping and/or feeling a little blue? This soup can get you back to enjoying the fun! Onions contain folate, which helps with your mood by preventing an excess of homocysteine from forming in the body that can prevent blood and other nutrients from reaching the brain. Excess homocysteine interferes with the production of your feel-good hormones serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine that regulate, not only mood, but also sleep and appetite as well¹.  So uplift your mood and mind with this French inspired soup!

Feature Power Food:   Onions

Prep. Time: 10 min. | Cook Time: 12 min. |Total Time: 22 min. | Servings: 4  |Serving Size: 2 cups

Free From: Gluten, Dairy

Ingredients:

• 4 medium onions, sliced into rings
• 2 cups of your favourite mushrooms (button, shitake, oyster), sliced
• 6¼ cup vegetable stock (low sodium & gluten free), divided
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. thyme & 8 sprigs to garnish
• 1 Tbsp. marjoram
• ¼ cup soy sauce, raw (low sodium & gluten free)
• ¼ cup red wine (optional)
• 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar (ACV)
• ¼ cup *nut cheese, crumbled or shredded (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 °F.
2. Place onions and mushrooms on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with ¼ cup of the stock, and sprinkle with garlic, thyme and marjoram. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until onions are aromatic.
3. Add roasted onion and mushroom mixture, reserving a bit for garnishing, to stock in a large stockpot on medium heat. Add soy sauce, red wine (if using) and ACV. Simmer for a few minutes for flavours to become enhanced.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with remaining onions, mushrooms, nut cheese (if desired) and a few thyme sprigs just before serving.

*Shopping Tip: Nut cheese can be found in the cheese section of your health food store or grocery store.

 Nutritional Facts:  Calories  304 |  Total Fat  14 g |  Saturated Fat  6 g  |  Monounsaturated Fat  3.4 g |    Polyunsaturated Fat   2.3 g |  Cholesterol  59 g |   Sodium  498 mg  |  Potassium 529 mg |  Total Carbohydrate  24 g |    Natural Sugar 8.9 g  |    Dietary Fiber  3 g  |  Protein  8 g  |  *Vitamin A 100 % | * Calcium 31 % | * Iron 14 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

 

Reference: 1. Depression and Diet, Nutrition 411, Review Date November 2008, Accessed February 20th, 2014

 

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