Whats for Dinner? French Onion Soup

The nights are beginning to get on the chilly side.

Southern California is actually getting some much needed rain.

(Yay!)

 

Dinner tonight will be French Onion Soup to warm our insides.

 

French Onion Soup is a classic soup made with broth and caramelized onions

then topped with a toasted baguette and Gruyere cheese melted until a broiler.

Absolute deliciousness!

 

If there is a trick to making great French Onion Soup, it would be

in caramelizing the onions.  True caramelized onions are slowly cooked

until they are  SO soft they are almost dissolved.  They can be SLOWLY cooked

stove top or placed in the oven (with its pan covered) at a slow

temperature for about 40 minutes then finished stove top.

The onions will have turned soft and sweet!

 

Broth is then added to the caramelized onions and cooked further until

you reach the desired richness (taste!)

 

I like to add  all beef broth for a deeper beef flavor. 

Half beef broth and half water can also be used and

I have seen chicken broth used also.

In a perfect French world, it would be made with veal stock.

If you happen to have some homemade veal stock tucked

away in your freezer - by all means use it!

 

After simmering, you will have a rich soup.

 

 

As the soup is simmering, shred a handful of nutty tasting,

easy melting, Gruyere cheese, and cut some slices

from a baguette.  I like to use three slices

for each soup bowl.

 

Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and place

in a hot oven until lightly toasted on both sides.

 

 

Lade the rich soup into the bowls, top each

with three toasted baguette slices (stacked in a sort of a

triangle so they cover the opening of the bowl), and a

good heaping of shredded Gruyere.

Pop the bowls under the broiler... (Be sure to watch them!)

 

... until nicely browned and melted.

Carefully take the hot bowls out from under the broiler

and you will have a delicious rich onion soup

with a cheesy topping!

 

The following is a general recipe for French Onion Soup

but this is a great soup that you can easily "wing" without a recipe.

Go ahead, wing it! Give it a try!

 

 

French Onion Soup

Serves 6-8

 

2 oz. (half a stick) unsalted butter

4 large yellow onions, sliced, to make apx. 8 cups

1 small baguette, cut into 1/4-1/2 inch slices

2 quarts low-sodium beef broth

2 cups grated Gruyere cheese

Salt and Pepper

 

Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Stir in the onions to coat well.  Reduce the heat to low and slowly cook until the onions are very soft and taste sweet.  Stirring occasionally.  Apx. an hour until deeply browned.

 

While onions are caramelizing, make the baguette toasts by placing the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Place in a 350 degree onion dry-toast until lightly toasted on both sides.  Set aside.

 

Add the broth to the caramelized onion and simmer to enrich the broth and combine the flavors. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

 

Ladle the soup into oven proof bowls that have been placed on a baking sheet.  Put 3 baguette toasts in each bowl and cover opening completely with cheese.  Broil at high heat for a short few minutes (watch them so they don't burn).  Be extra careful removing the hot bowls from the oven.

 

Serve and enjoy!



 

Thank you for visiting!

 

I will be linking up with 

Rattlebridge Farms:

 



 

 

Fondly,

~Karen