French Onion Soup
Well, it’s a snowy MLK Day here in the DC-area and temperatures are unseasonably frigid across much of the country so what could possibly be better than soup? Better yet, French Onion Soup! I mean, who doesn’t love French Onion Soup?
One night I found myself with a surplus of onions (thanks to my friend Leanne who was heading out of town), and decided on a whim that this is what I’d do with them. I should mention that when I literally found the Lululemon bag of onions on my doorstep and started in on this recipe for French Onion Soup from Once Upon a Chef, I didn’t exactly know from where the onions came which horrified my family. I had a hunch and a craving and decided to run with it!
If you happen to have onion soup crocks, which I do not, go ahead and make this recipe authentically. But if you do not, do not fear. You can toast the bread and broil the cheese before floating the toasts on top of each bowl when serving. Just don’t make the same mistake as me which was to walk away from the broiler. It’s a cardinal rule that I broke and sadly our toasts were somewhat burnt and the cheese slightly less gooey. Yet despite all that, this soup was still a winner. Enjoy!
PS: And yes, once again the photo was an afterthought. Just know that this version of French Onion Soup tastes as delicious as any picture-perfect version you’ve been served in any restaurant anywhere. I will stand by that promise but not this sad looking image.
French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 4 Tbls unsalted butter
- 1 Tbls vegetable oil
- 3 lbs Vidalia (or sweet) onions (about 5 medium) halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 c dry white wine
- 2 Tbls all-purpose flour
- 6 c beef broth
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small baguette cut into ½-in slices
- 1 Tbls dry sherry
- 8 oz Gruyère cheese, grated about 2 heaping cups
- 1/2 c grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the oil, onions, salt, pepper, and sugar. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until onions are deep golden brown and caramelized, 45 to 55 minutes. In the beginning, you will only need to stir the onions occasionally. As they start to brown midway through cooking, you will need to stir them frequently, scraping the fond (the brown particles) from the bottom of the pan. If the onions are browning too quickly, reduce the heat slightly or add a few tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan and continue cooking.
- Add the wine and raise the heat to high. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape any fond from the bottom of the pan, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated and the onions are jammy, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute.
- Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, covered, for about 30 minutes.
- While the soup simmers, preheat the oven to 400°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Arrange the baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until the bread is dry, crisp, and golden at edges, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
- When the soup is finished, remove the bay leaves and add the sherry; taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. If the soup needs a deeper flavor, try a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce. If it's not quite sweet enough, add ¼ teaspoon sugar.
- Adjust an oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Set individual broiler-safe crocks on a baking sheet and divide the hot soup among the crocks (be sure the soup is very hot as it won't warm up much in the oven). Top each crock with 1 or 2 baguette slices (do not overlap slices) and sprinkle evenly with Gruyère and then Parmigianno Reggiano. Slide the crocks into the oven and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly around edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Let the crocks cool for a few minutes before serving.
- Alternatively, if using regular soup bowls: Top each toast slice with some cheese and return to broiler to melt, about 2 minutes more. Divide the soup among bowls and top each serving with two cheese toasts.
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January 15, 2024 @ 9:46 am
Looks delicious!!!!😋