Description
Hearty French onion soup delights diners with rich caramelized onions and deeply flavored broth, offering a classic comfort from French kitchens. Crusty bread and melted cheese crown this soul-warming dish, promising a delectable experience you’ll savor with every spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Ingredients:
- 6 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 8 cups (1.9 liters) beef stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian version)
- 2 cups (226 grams) Gruyere cheese, shredded
- 1 baguette, sliced into 1-inch rounds
Cooking Fats and Seasonings:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
Finishing Ingredients:
- ½ cup (118 milliliters) dry white wine (optional)
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter and olive oil in a spacious pot over medium heat, creating a perfect base for transforming raw onions into a rich, caramelized foundation.
- Introduce sliced onions to the pot, gently coaxing them to soften and develop a deep golden-brown hue through patient, consistent stirring over 35-45 minutes.
- Incorporate minced garlic during the final moments of caramelization, allowing its aromatic essence to permeate the onion mixture.
- Sprinkle salt and sugar over the caramelized onions, intensifying their natural sweetness and depth of flavor.
- Deglaze the pot with wine, meticulously scraping up the concentrated browned bits that carry intense flavor.
- Pour in beef broth, introducing thyme, bay leaf, and black pepper to create a complex, layered taste profile.
- Bring the mixture to a vigorous boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, allowing ingredients to harmonize for approximately 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, transform baguette slices into golden, crisp croutons by toasting them in a 400F (200C) oven for 5-7 minutes.
- Extract the bay leaf and carefully ladle the aromatic soup into oven-safe serving bowls.
- Crown each bowl with a toasted baguette slice, generously blanketing it with a luxurious mixture of Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses.
- Position the bowls under the broiler, watching carefully as the cheese melts into a bubbling, golden-brown canopy.
- Allow the soup to rest briefly, then serve piping hot, presenting a symphony of rich broth, sweet caramelized onions, and molten cheese.
Notes
- Caramelize onions slowly on low to medium heat, stirring occasionally to develop deep, rich sweetness without burning.
- Use a mix of butter and olive oil to prevent burning and add complex flavor to the base of the soup.
- Select a robust beef broth or make your own for an extra layer of depth and authenticity in the recipe.
- Opt for Gruyere cheese for its traditional flavor, but swap with Swiss or provolone for dietary restrictions or personal preference.
- Enhance soup’s texture by using day-old bread, which absorbs broth better and creates a more satisfying consistency.
- Reduce sodium by using low-sodium broth and controlling salt during caramelization process.
- Create a vegetarian version by substituting beef broth with rich mushroom or vegetable stock for similar umami profile.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg