French Onion Soup
Servings: 4 servings
Simplicity meets elegance… French Onion Soup is steeped in history, with roots going back hundreds of years. One of its most distinctive features is its rich, deep flavor. The process of slowly caramelizing onions draws out their natural sugars, and when combined with robust beef stock and a splash of wine, the soup achieves the perfect balance of savory, sweet, and umami flavors. French Onion Soup is a testament to how simple ingredients, when prepared with care and patience, can create something truly extraordinary.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs yellow onion, thinly sliced about 5-6 cups
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 cup red or white wine
- 2 quarts beef stock You can make homemade stock using roasted beef bones for a rich flavor. Roast 3lb beef bones for 45 minutes with salt and pepper, then place in a large stock pot with onion, carrot, thyme, and peppercorns. Cover with water and bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 1-2 hours. Strain out bones and vegetables.
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp ground sage
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 baguette
- 1/2 lb gruyere
Instructions
- Melt butter with oil in a 4-6 quart saucepan and add sliced onions. Stir to coat with butter. Cover the pan and cook over low to medium heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If browning starts, turn down the heat. Cook until onions are tender and translucent.
- Once the onions are cooked, uncover the pan and turn up the heat to medium-high. Stir in the salt and sugar and cook for about another 30 minutes, stirring frequently until onions have turned deep golden brown.
- While onions are cooking, heat beef stock over medium heat and keep warm.
- Lower heat to medium and stir in the flour. Add more butter if the flour doesn't absorb into a paste with the onion. Cook, stirring continuously, for about 2 minutes until flour is lightly browned. Once browned, deglaze your pan with the wine. Cook down until the wine is reduced by half.
- Once reduced, stir in about 1 cup of hot beef stock and ensure flour blends with the stock. Add the rest of the stock with the cup of wine, bay leaf, and sage. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for 30 – 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Pour soup into oven-proof bowls. Place bowls on a baking sheet and top each bowl with a slice of bread and grated gruyere. Broil until the cheese is golden brown. Serve! (Warn everyone that the bowls and soup will be VERY hot!!!).
