Dare I name a soup that requires more effort than French Onion Soup. It is one of those dishes that you might enjoy when you are in a restaurant.
That would be a shame, because the rewards you’ll get from making it yourself are well worth it.
Restaurants don’t make fresh French onion soup every day. He is sitting waiting for someone to command. When the order arrives, it is poured into a bowl, covered with bread and cheese, and placed under the salamander for a while. That is, if you’re lucky, it won’t be microwaved first.
When you make your own, you can experience the taste of fresh French onion soup, in all its glory just as it is.
Snow is expected to fall and then fall below freezing by Sunday. I don’t know about you, but to me, this sounds like the perfect French onion soup ritual.
6 large red or yellow onions
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
8 cups beef broth or chicken broth
1/2 cup dry yeast or dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 slices (1 inch) of French bread or baguette
1 1/2 cups grated cheese
Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese
1. Peel the onion and cut it into thin slices from root to stalk. There should be about 10 cups of sliced ​​onions in total.
2. In a 5-6 quart saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and stir to coat with the olive oil. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, for 15 to 20 minutes, until softened. Raise the temperature to medium-high. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and butter and cook, stirring frequently, for 20 to 40 minutes, until the onions begin to brown. The time varies depending on the pot, the pot, and the onion.
3. Sprinkle with sugar (to help caramelize) and 1 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook until onions are golden, about 10 to 15 minutes more. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute
4. Add the wine or vermouth to the skillet and scrape any browned bits from the bottom and sides of the skillet, removing the sulfur from the skillet as you go.
5. Add the broth, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and lower the heat to maintain a low boil. Cook for 30 minutes.
6. Season to taste with more salt and add freshly ground black pepper. discard bay leaves.
7. While the soup is boiling, cover a griddle with parchment paper or aluminum foil and preheat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the top third of the oven. Brush both sides of the baguette or baguette slices with a little olive oil (you’ll end up using 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil for this). Place in the oven and roast until lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. We take it out of the oven. Turn the toast over and sprinkle with grated cheese and Parmesan. Return to the oven when ready to serve and bake the cheesecake until lightly browned.
8. To serve, put the soup in a bowl and rub the cheese croutons over each soup bowl. Alternatively, you can use oven-safe individual bowls or a large casserole dish. Put the soup in bowls or pots. Cover with bread and sprinkle with cheese. Roast for 10 minutes at 350°F, or until the cheese is bubbly and lightly brown.
