One of my very favorite soups is French Onion! Is there anything better than caramelized onions in a rich beef broth, topped with crunchy bread and ooey, gooey cheese? I sincerely don't think so! One of the most important steps in making go…
One of my very favorite soups is French Onion! Is there anything better than caramelized onions in a rich beef broth, topped with crunchy bread and ooey, gooey cheese? I sincerely don't think so!
One of the most important steps in making good French Onion Soup is patiently allowing the onions to caramelize properly. Don't rush! Turning up the heat to speed things along almost always guarantees that the onions burn, making the whole soup bitter and unpleasant. On the other side, shortening the time the onions have on the heat means they won't properly develop their characteristic deep flavor profile and ultimately make a disappointing soup. Just be patient and stir them frequently; they'll get there!
You'll notice there's an optional teaspoon of sugar in the ingredient list, meant to help the onions caramelize easier. It's not actually necessary, since sweet onions already have a decent amount of natural sugars. So if you're cutting down or avoiding processed sugars, feel free to leave it out.
6 large sweet yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced (equivalent to 3 pounds or 10 cups sliced) 4 TBSP olive oil, plus more for bread slices 2 TBSP butter OPTIONAL: 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt 2 cloves garlic, minced 8 c beef stock 1/2 C dry white wine, like chardonnay 2 bay leaves 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme (OR 1/2 tsp dried thyme) Salt and pepper to taste French bread or a baguette, sliced 1 inch thick 1-1/2 C grated Gruyere cheese Grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top
In a 5 or 6 quart thick-bottomed pot, heat olive oil, butter, and sliced onions over medium heat. Toss to coat onions evenly and cook 15-20 minutes, stirring often, or until they have softened.
Increase the heat to medium high and continuing cooking 20-40 additional minutes, stirring often, until the onions start to brown.
Add salt and sugar, if using. Continue to cook for 10-15 additional minutes, or until the onions are well browned.
Add the minced garlic and cook for a minute more.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom and sides of the pot.
Add the beef stock, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot, lower the heat, and cook on a low simmer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450F, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Brush both sides of the bread slices lightly with olive oil, and place them on your prepared sheet pan. Toast them in the preheated oven for 5-7 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned. Set aside.
Once the soup is done simmering, season it to taste with salt and pepper, and be sure to discard the bay leaves.
Ladle the soup into oven-proof bowls. Place your prepared bread slices on top of the soup, toasted side down. Sprinkle the whole thing with the Gruyere and Parmesan. Place the filled bowls back into the oven until the cheese gets bubbly and lightly browned. Serve immediately.
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