Decadent French Onion Soup
Need a way to combat long winter nights? Think French onion soup topped with melted Gruyere. Oh yes, this is a homey, rewarding treat for a cold evening and with such a large, batch, it's very easy to share.
Tell me more...
Well, other than it's delicious, French onion soup has a limited number of ingredients. Most you will have on hand (like onions, wine and flour). And it's easy to convert into a vegetarian dish - simply substitute beef broth for vegetable stock.
WARNING!
This is not particularly good for a romantic evening. Sure, the onions are caramelized and thus not nearly as pungent as a fresh onion would be, but it's still not particularly welcoming on the breath. Plus you may find yourself eating this so quickly you slurp your soup which is unattractive. So yeah, don't serve this for Valentine's Day...
Anyway. Did I mention that my father loves French onion soup? The parents were visiting for a long weekend and I made a huge batch which was promptly devoured. Big hit, and the Gruyere croutons barely made it to the end of the pot -- they were just too delicious.
So what's the point? It's that this is easy, tasty and worth your time. Provided you like onions...
Oh, and be prepared to cry. Not because of the beauty of the dish or its simplicity. You can thank the onions.
I think I head your apron calling your name...
Slice up all the onions. Bring a tissue...
Lug out your trusty Dutch oven and melt some butter. Throw in the onions and some herbs - some minced garlic, a few sprigs of fresh time, and a couple of dried bay leaves should do it.
Caramelize those onions like it's your job. Medium to low heat preferably otherwise you risk burning them. Stir the pot occasionally just to make sure you're cooking everything.
When the onions are a dark golden brown, de-glaze the pan with half a bottle of red wine (then pour yourself a glass just to make sure it tastes okay). When the red wine has reduced, sprinkle in some flour and stir for at least 5 minutes to cook off any of the raw flour flavor.
Pour in the beef broth and bring to a boil. Turn down and allow to simmer for at least 15 minutes (the longer the better). Season with salt and pepper as desired.
While the soup matures, cut up a baguette into 1/2" slices and toast under the broiler. Sprinkle with grated Gruyere and return to the oven until melted.
When ready to serve, throw a couple of croutons in the bottom of the bowl. Ladle hot soup on top, and float a couple more croutons on the top.
Sprinkle in some more cheese for fun and broil a few additional minutes until the cheese is bubbling and melted.
Serve (after warning everyone that the bowls are hot)...
Enjoy!
Tell me more...
Well, other than it's delicious, French onion soup has a limited number of ingredients. Most you will have on hand (like onions, wine and flour). And it's easy to convert into a vegetarian dish - simply substitute beef broth for vegetable stock.
WARNING!
This is not particularly good for a romantic evening. Sure, the onions are caramelized and thus not nearly as pungent as a fresh onion would be, but it's still not particularly welcoming on the breath. Plus you may find yourself eating this so quickly you slurp your soup which is unattractive. So yeah, don't serve this for Valentine's Day...
Anyway. Did I mention that my father loves French onion soup? The parents were visiting for a long weekend and I made a huge batch which was promptly devoured. Big hit, and the Gruyere croutons barely made it to the end of the pot -- they were just too delicious.
So what's the point? It's that this is easy, tasty and worth your time. Provided you like onions...
Oh, and be prepared to cry. Not because of the beauty of the dish or its simplicity. You can thank the onions.
I think I head your apron calling your name...
Slice up all the onions. Bring a tissue...
Lug out your trusty Dutch oven and melt some butter. Throw in the onions and some herbs - some minced garlic, a few sprigs of fresh time, and a couple of dried bay leaves should do it.
Caramelize those onions like it's your job. Medium to low heat preferably otherwise you risk burning them. Stir the pot occasionally just to make sure you're cooking everything.
When the onions are a dark golden brown, de-glaze the pan with half a bottle of red wine (then pour yourself a glass just to make sure it tastes okay). When the red wine has reduced, sprinkle in some flour and stir for at least 5 minutes to cook off any of the raw flour flavor.
Pour in the beef broth and bring to a boil. Turn down and allow to simmer for at least 15 minutes (the longer the better). Season with salt and pepper as desired.
While the soup matures, cut up a baguette into 1/2" slices and toast under the broiler. Sprinkle with grated Gruyere and return to the oven until melted.
When ready to serve, throw a couple of croutons in the bottom of the bowl. Ladle hot soup on top, and float a couple more croutons on the top.
Sprinkle in some more cheese for fun and broil a few additional minutes until the cheese is bubbling and melted.
Serve (after warning everyone that the bowls are hot)...
Enjoy!
French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 3 medium yellow onions, sliced
- 3 medium sweet onions, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 cup red wine
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 quarts beef broth
- 1 baguette
- 1/2 lb Gruyere, grated
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until the onions are caramelized, about 30 minutes.
- Add the wine and deglaze any bits stuck to the bottom. Simmer for 5 minutes to let the wine reduce. Remove bay leaves and thyme.
- Sprinkle flour over onions and stir until well mixed. Cook over low heat for 5-10 minutes.
- Add beef broth and bring to a boil. Turn down temperature and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven broiler. Slice the baguette into 1/2 inch rounds and arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer. Grate Gruyere on top of slices and broil for 3-5 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
- Layer 2 croutons in the bottom of each bowl and pour soup on top. Float an additional 2 croutons on top of the bowl. Grate additional cheese on top.
- Place bowls under the broiler for an additional 3 minutes until cheese has melted. Serve
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