Do you have a favorite soup? A soup that you always order when eating out (if you were to order a soup)? I have to admit that French Onion Soup is my all time favorite soup. I have tried it in so many restaurants over the years. Some make it so well that you know you will order it time and again. There are many versions of this soup; using different ingredients. To me, if it is done right, it is rich in flavor from using beef broth and wine (must add wine) and several yellow onions sliced nice and thin (no big/long onions in my soup please). I love the way the onions get slowly cooked to caramelize; they are cooked to perfection making the onions nice and sweet. The longer the soup simmers, the better the flavor. It then gets a nice golden, toasted piece of French bread. Best of all, it is topped with lots of Gruyere cheese. When the cheese is melted it gets nice and soft & gooey. Sometimes you need a knife and spoon to eat this soup to cut through the bread and cheese. I have tried many versions where different cheeses are added to the soup. Sorry, but no other cheese cuts it in this soup for me. The Gruyere cheese is sweet but slightly salty. Gruyere’s flavor varies greatly as the cheese is aged; it is also known as one of the finest cheeses for cooking. Adding it to French Onion soup gives it the right balance of flavors and melts so perfectly. Note to self, next time add more cheese!
Look at that gooey cheese!!
I have been wanting to recreate this at home for quite some time now. For a long time, no one in my family was as excited over this soup as I am. I finally said, who cares! I am going to make it anyway and if I am the only one to enjoy it then that is OK. More for me, right?! Turns out, it wasn’t more for me. They all LOVED it! My daughter told me it was the best soup she has ever eaten. WOW! Now, that may not sound like a big deal to most people but if you knew my daughter she is one of the pickiest eaters on the planet and is not big on trying new foods. I now know I will definitely be making this soup again. Only thing is I will have to double the recipe next time.
French Onion Soup
Makes approx. 4 small or 2 large servings. To make 4 bowls/crocks I recommend doubling the recipe.
Ingredients
2 lbs., Onions, Yellow *(sweet onion)
1 Tablespoon, Olive Oil
5 Tablespoons, Butter, unsalted
S&P, good pinch of Kosher salt and several turns on the pepper mill
2-3 sprigs, Fresh Thyme
2 Bay Leaves
2 Cloves, Fresh Garlic, minced
2 Teaspoons, All-Purpose Flour
2 glugs (about 1/4 cup), Dry Red Wine
4 Cups, Beef Broth, low-sodium
1 1/2 Cups, Water
1/2 lb., Gruyère Cheese, sliced and/or shredded
3 Tablespoons, Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, grated
1 French Baguette, sliced thick
Instructions
Yellow Onions
Slice the onions thinly. Place a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the olive oil and heat through. Add the onions, thyme, bay leaves and S&P and cook uncovered until onions are very soft and turn a nice golden brown, approximately 30-45 minutes. Turn heat down to medium-low and even low about 1/2 way through cooking the onions to avoid burning them.
Caramelizing Onions
Towards the end of caramelizing the onions, add the garlic and cook for just about a minute. Then add the flour, stir well and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine and continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes. Add the beef broth and water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about another 30 minutes.
Toasted French Bread
While soup is simmering, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread butter on one side of each piece of bread. Line a baking sheet with the slices of French bread (buttered side up). Place in oven to toast. Cook for approx. 5 minutes then turn the bread over to cook the other side, about another 5 minutes or until they turn a nice golden color. Remove from oven and rub a piece of garlic on each piece of toast (this step w/the garlic is optional). Set aside.
Turn broiler on in oven. Place the soup crocks onto a baking sheet. Discard the bay leaves and thyme (if you used fresh sprigs of thyme); if you used dry thyme no need to remove. Transfer the soup into each soup crock. Place 1 piece of the toast into each crock of soup (set it right on top of the soup). If your crocks are larger you can place 2 pieces of the toast in each bowl/crock.
Gruyere and Parmesan Cheese
Add a slice(s) of the Gruyère cheese and/or a handful of shredded cheese to each. Allow the cheese to cover tops of crocks and the ends of cheese to hang over the rims. Sprinkle each with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. It may look like a lot of cheese but some of it will melt into the soup.
French Onion soup with Lots of Cheese!
Broil in oven just until cheese is melted and nice and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Remove the tray with the soup crocks from the oven and serve immediately. This soup is a meal in itself but you can also serve with a panini sandwich or grilled cheese or some extra bread for dunking!
Mangia! Enjoy!
Tips
This recipe is so great. It is quick and simple and can be made in advance. You can prep and make the soup 1-3 days in advance. You can also toast the slices of the French Baguette in advance and then store in an airtight bag or container. If you like, you can also cut the bread into large bite size pieces to make croutons out of them.
Once you are ready to serve the soup, remove from fridge, heat on stove and then add to the soup crocks and top with the bread and cheese. Then place under broiler.
Look at that gooey cheese!!
Having everything prepped and cooked in advance makes this a great meal when you have a busy schedule or if you are planning a party.
For the wine: you can use whatever you like best. Choose from the following:
- Dry White Wine
- Vermouth
- Dry Red Wine
- Dry Sherry Wine
Other options to add to your soup:
- few dashes of Worcestershire
- I happen to think that Gruyère Cheese is THE BEST in French Onion Soup. There is no other cheese for me when it comes to making and eating this soup. But, if you do not like Gruyère cheese (Swiss) you can use whatever cheese you do like, such as Provolone, thicker slices of Parmesan. Just be sure to use a cheese that melts well.
- If you do not have fresh Thyme you can also use dry/ground Thyme. I have made this soup with fresh herbs as well as with dry herbs. I try to use fresh whenever it is available. I think fresh provides much more flavor. However, both versions were just as delicious!
- The yellow (Spanish Style) Onions tend to be sweeter. You definitely want a sweet onion for this soup. If you do not like or cannot find yellow onions, you can also use white onions. Most produce tags will tell you if the onion is sweet or not.
Enjoy! This soup is slightly sweet but very feels very hearty. It is so decadent and has tons of flavor from the wine, beef broth and Gruyere Cheese. The longer it cooks, the richer it tastes. It has the perfect combination of sweet and salty flavors.