french onion soup

Meet the most delicious soup anywhere, France or otherwise. Thanks to the likes of Julia Child, (who single-handedly ignited the world’s love affair with this humble creation), it has been visited upon by many – including moi!

In an attempt to not be redundant, recreate the wheel or go where many have already gone, I’m thinking the valuable lesson here is to share the basic method, of which there are ample stellar examples already in existence (my choice, French Guy Cooking). Master the basic method, then check out a few of my twists and turns that only up the smack factor – with a few tiny tweaks, this one-of-a-kind French classic can be enjoyed as is, or dressed to the nines, or somewhere in between! Bon appétit!

click here to jump down to the french onion soup recipe

yield serves 6

INGREDIENTS & METHOD

1. Heat a dutch oven over low to medium heat, while you thinly slice the following:

4-5 medium onions

2. Heat the following in a stock pot or dutch oven before adding the sliced onions, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes:

2 tbsps. olive oil
2 tbsps. butter

3. Add the following, stirring often until the onions have reduced and become golden brown:

1 tsp. sea salt
pinch of sugar

4. Once the onions are a deep golden colour (caramelized) stir in and cook for 3-4 minutes:

2-3 tbsps. flour

5. Stir in the following until thoroughly combined and continue to simmer for an additional 30-45 minutes:

6-7 cups beef/vegetable or chicken stock
¹/₂-1 cup dry white wine
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
S & P, to taste

6. Taste and adjust before stirring in:

3-4 tbsps. cognac, port, sherry or vermouth

7. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut any rustic bread /baguette into 1″ thick slices, and bake them for 6-8 minutes until the bread is toasted and crispy (or do this in a toaster). Remove from the oven and rub each slice with a couple of swipes of a garlic clove. Cube the slices into 1″-size pieces and set aside.

8. Grate any combination (or not) of the following and set aside, you will need ¹/₄+ cup of grated cheese per serving:

swiss, gruyère, emmenthal, mozzarella, parmesan

9. Preheat the broiler. Using oven-safe bowls, ladle the soup into each and completely cover the top with the following:

crispy bread cubes
grated cheese

10. Put soup bowls on a baking tray and place under the broiler for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is brown and bubbly. Serve immediately.

onion soup augmentation

switch up the onions: use a mixture of red, yellow, white, leeks or shallots
add a couple of cloves of minced garlic
stir in savoury herbs to the onion mixture before adding the broth: thyme, sage, parsley, rosemary, oregano
before topping with bread and cheese, stir any of the following into the soup: chunks of cooked chicken, turkey, steak, pork or sausage
before serving top with sliced scallions, chopped parsley, smoked paprika or chilli flakes