French Onion Soup
French onion is one of the most popular soups in the west, and it’s with good reason. This decadent indulgence extracts most of its flavor from the slow-cooked, caramelized onions that also help to gives the soup its dark, rich color. It’s slightly sweet, a little salty and chock full of the flavor that those little beauties give to it. Then you have the beef broth, where its own full flavor helps work with the onions to create a full-bodied taste. There’s no subbing out the beef broth on this one. Chicken or veggie stock just won’t do the trick. And then, perhaps most people’s favorite part, the broth absorbed croutons that still manage to give it a little crunch and the melted gruyere or Swiss cheese, that add the certain “je ne sais quoi” to bring everything full circle. Plus, with all formalities aside, it’s just really, really good. Like addicting good.
FRENCH ONION SOUP
- 1.8kg yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
- 45gm butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 6 cups of beef stock
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
- baguette
- 170gm Swiss gruyere, grated
- Caramelize the onions. In a large heavy-bottom pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until well for about 30 to 45 minutes until caramelized (but not burnt), initially stirring every 3-5 minutes, then about once a minute near the end of caramelization to prevent burning. Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for an additional 1 minute. Stir in the wine to deglaze the pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Simmer the soup. Add the stock, Worcestershire, bay leaf, and thyme and stir to combine. Continue to cook until the soup reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for at least 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and sprigs of thyme. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Toast the bread. Preheat oven to 180°C. While the soup is simmering, slice the baguette into 2cm thick pieces and arrange them in single layer on baking sheet. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until the bread is toasted and golden around the edges. Remove and set aside.
- Grill the topping. Switch the oven to the grill. Once the soup is ready to serve, place your oven-safe bowls on a thick baking sheet. Ladle the soup into each bowl, then top with a baguette slice and some grated. Place on an oven rack and grill for 2-4 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately while the soup is hot and bubbly.