French Onion Soup
Whenever I think of French cuisine, the rich aroma of French Onion Soup instantly comes to mind. Several years ago, I desperately wanted to make this soup, but didn't think I'd be able to accomplish that rich, complex flavor that characterizes this famous dish. Thankfully, there are simplified ways of doing famous dishes that are just as delightful to cook and to eat.
The following is my favorite way to prepare French Onion Soup. It is certainly not the only way, and you may notice it’s quite different from how the queen herself (Julia Child) would've prepared it. Nevertheless, my family and I have learned to love this recipe. It’s a great meal on its own, but would also make for an impressive appetizer.
Things to note:
With French food, it's all in the subtleties. The higher quality the wine, the fuller the flavor. The same goes for your beef stock. Homemade is almost always better than anything store-bought, but if you don't have the time, invest in a top-shelf stock, not the cheapest your store has.
You can play around slightly with your cheeses, although I'd highly suggest an older Gruyere. The older it is, the more flavorful it will be. If you aren’t keen on Gruyere, you can try a younger one, a Swiss cheese, or Comté.
Ingredients:
• 1 stick butter (or 8 tablespoons)
• 4-5 sliced onions (enough to make 5 cups worth)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• sprinkling of thyme, or 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 cup red wine (the nicer the wine, the better the flavor)
• 3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 quarts good-quality beef stock (or roughly 8 cups)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 baguette, sliced into 1/4 or 1/2 inch slices
• Gruyere cheese, grated (at least a 1/2 a pound)
Instructions:
1. Melt your butter in a soup pan over medium heat. Once your butter is bubbling ever so slightly, add your onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are well-caramelized (about 30 minutes or so), stirring frequently. You can also sprinkle in a pinch of sugar to help with the caramelization.
2. Once you’re satisfied with your onions, add the wine. Let the wine cook and evaporate, stirring every so often. This will take about 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Once the onions have soaked up most of the wine, add the flour and stir frequently for about a minute. Slowly pour your stock as your keep stirring, deglazing the pan as you go.
4. Let everything come to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let it simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until all the flavors begin to meld together and the broth starts tasting delicious. You’ll want to taste frequently here, adding more salt as needed. (At this point, you’ll also want to remove your bay leaves and if using, the fresh thyme sprigs.)
5. While your soup is coming to a boil, heat the broiler on your oven. Place your baguette slices on a tin-foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle half the cheese over the baguette slices. Broil in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.
Don’t leave these in the broiler for too long! These don’t take long at all to brown!
6. When you’re ready to serve, take out your bowls and fill with the soup. Take as many of the baguette slices as you’d like and put in the bowl. Top the soup with more cheese, and broil in the oven for a minute or two, just until the cheese has melted and begun to brown a touch.
**Note: This step isn’t necessary, and indeed not recommended if you have delicate bowls that won’t survive a broiler. Simply top the bowls with additional cheese and serve!
Serve, and enjoy!