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Add oil and vegan butter to large stock pot or cast iron pot and melt over medium-low heat.
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Add onions and stir to coat.
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Cover pot and cook for 20 minutes until onions are light yellow and almost see-through.
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Remove lid, add sugar and salt and increase heat to medium high.
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Stir to caramelize onions until light brown in color and onion size has diminished.
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Turn heat to medium low, add flour and stir.
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Brown flour for about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
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Add a cup of warm stock and scrape pot to pick up any flour or onions stuck to pot.
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Add remaining stock, wine, sage and bay leaf and simmer, semi-covered for 30 minutes.
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Preheat oven to 325 F.
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Slice baguette into eight 1 1/2" slices and toast in toaster oven (or oven at 325 F.) till light brown.
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When cooled, spread cheese evenly on one side of each toasted slice. (If using pre- grated cheese you can omit this step and sprinkle cheese on after bread is placed in soup)
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When soup has simmered, remove bay leave and adjust seasonings.
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Ladle soup into crocks, leaving enough room for bread.
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Gently place bread in crock and generously sprinkle cheese if cheese has not already been spread on bread.
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Place crocks on rimmed baking sheet and bake in oven for 30 minutes.
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Turn oven to broil after 30 minutes and broil for 1-3 minutes until cheese browns.
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Cool ever so slightly and dig in.