Yeast-Free Onion Soup

     The conventional recipe for onion soup includes a good dose of wine, which of course contains traces of yeast. This recipe relies on pomegranate juice for the rich, slightly tart, fruity flavors that would usually be provided by the wine. Note that juice freshly squeezed from a pomegranate is likely to contain less yeast than bottled juice (See Juice in the Glossary). Fresh juice and bottled juice both contain a lot less yeast than wine.

     Pomegranate works well with a variety of herbs; I like bay leaf and thyme in this soup, with maybe a little parsley for a garnish. 
     
     The usual garnish for onion soup is a toasted piece of good, crusty bread with melted  cheese. Bread and cheese both being serious sources of yeast and other allergens, it is time to consider alternative garnishes--or rediscover what a good soup this is without all that stuff on top of it.


     8 c. sliced onions
     1/4 c. oil (See Oil in the Glossary.)
     salt (See Salt in the Glossary.)
     6 c. beef broth (See Broth in the Glossary.)
     1/2 c. pomegranate juice (See Juice in the Glossary)
     good sprinkle of black pepper (See Spices in the Glossary.)
     1 bay leaf
     small pinch of thyme (See Spices in the Glossary)
     (optional) handful of washed fresh Italian parsley
  
     Thoroughly caramelize the onions with the oil and 2 tsp. of salt. Add all the remaining ingredients except the parsley, bring to a boil, and simmer for half an hour.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

     Garnish with chopped fresh parsley leaves if you like.