Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.--Ludwig van Beethoven
This bonus recipe, French Onion Soup, is one of my Sunday favourites. I hope it becomes yours, too.
French Onion Soup
Author: Stacey Scott
Equipment
Your fave measuring spoons
Flat, wooden spoon for sautéing
8 qt. stock pot
Very large saucepan
Medium-sized glass or ceramic bowl
Cutting block or board (you may want a plastic board, as there are onions & garlic involved)
Chef's knife
Paring knife
Medium-sized whisk
Small, 1 c. spouted glass measuring cup (e.g. Pyrex)
Oven mitts or potholders
Soup ladle
Broiler-safe soup mug or French onion soup bowl w/handle
2 medium-sized baking sheets for broiling
Now, we’re ready to get our cook on! 👨🏻🍳
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Sautéing onions time: about an hour -- low, slow, and keep sautéing baby!
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 6-8 servings
Recipe Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 stick butter or v.butter (v. = vegan)
3 large white or yellow onions, peeled, halved and sliced thin
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 c. vegetable stock --or-- 2 heaping tbsp vegetable + 2 heaping tbsp roasted garlic bullion base (I use Better Than Bullion) + 6 c. water
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
2-3 tbsp A1 Steak Sauce TT (to taste)
2-3 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce TT
2 tablespoons dry sherry, or 1/2 c. hearty dry, red wine
1 tbsp dried thyme, + a big pinch (for the cheese)
1 tsp dried parsley, for garnish
Salt and pepper TT
4 oz (or more, no judgement!) Swiss and/or Gruyére cheese, shredded
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 slices French bread
Instructions
Slice onions on cutting board, and add to medium-sized bowl, set aside. Mince garlic and add to onion bowl. Heat stock pot over low heat, and add olive oil and 1/2 stick of butter to the pot. Add the sliced onions, minced garlic, salt & pepper and sauté for 10-15 minutes until translucent. Add thyme, red wine vinegar, dark brown sugar, and continue to sauté regularly for about an hour, until onions are caramelised.
When the onions are halfway done cooking down (pic below), add the large saucepan to another burner, and heat on low. Add the vegetable broth --or-- bullion + water combo, Dijon & spicy brown mustards, A1 steak sauce, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce, and whisk until combined. Let cook on low until the onions are caramelised.
👨🏻🍳TIP: If the soup stock is a little too salty -- that can happen when using bullions, add a teaspoon or two of brown sugar to balance the salinity.
Once the onions are caramel brown and sweet, add the sherry or wine to cook off the alcohol, about 10-15 mins. Then take the spouted glass measuring cup, and dunk in the warm broth, transferring a few cups into the onion stockpot, until you can safely pour the rest of the broth from the saucepan into the stockpot with no spillage. Bring the soup up to a simmer for 10-15 mins, to marry the flavours.
Turn on the broiler. Place soup mugs or French onion soup bowls w/handle onto the baking sheet and set aside. Butter each side of the French bread slices, salt and pepper both sides to taste, and place on baking sheet to toast in the oven until lightly brown. In the meantime, add thyme and pepper to the shredded Swiss & Gruyére cheeses, and toss lightly.
Ladle the soup into the mugs/soup bowls on baking sheet. When toast is done, remove from oven and top each bowl of soup with a slice, then sprinkle Swiss & Gruyére cheeses on top of the toasts, and broil for 3-5 minutes until bubbly and GBD (golden, brown, delicious!) Use oven mitts to remove them and turn oven off. Garnish each bowl of soup with parsley before serving.
Store leftovers in the fridge for 5 days max.
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