Originally published on March 13, 2015
French onion soup is not like other soups. You can’t just throw a whole bunch of odds and ends into a pot, let them simmer for an hour or so, and then be left with a wonderful piping hot bowl of soup. Unfortunately, making this restaurant classic will take a bit more of your undivided attention, if not time (the soup should still come together in about an hour). There are two key things to remember when making French onion soup: the stock needs to be the best of the best, and your onions need to be carmalized. If you feel like your stock is sub-par, adding a beef bouillon cube can help; and don’t crank up the heat when cooking the onions. While you do want them to be caramel brown and tender, it will take at least 40 minutes for that to develop. Be patient. In the end, you’ll be happy that you were.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
4 medium Vidalia onions, peeled and halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
6 cups beef broth
2 teaspoons sherry
4 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
2 cups store-bought or homemade croutons, or one baguette sliced into 1/2″ slices
8 slices thickly cut Swiss cheese
Directions:
1.) In a large Dutch oven, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the oil and onions and cook until onions are softened, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the salt, pepper and sugar and continue to cook, stirring regularly, until onions are deeply golden brown and carmalized, about 35 to 45 minutes more. Be sure to turn the heat down slightly if the onions start to brown too quickly.
2.) Add wine and raise to heat to high. Boil until almost all of the liquid has been reduced, 8 to 10 minutes.
3.) Add broth, sherry, thyme leaves and bay leaves to the pot. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes to let the flavours really develop. Taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.
4.) Preheat the broiler and position the oven rack four inches below.
5.) Ladle the soup into four 16-ounce ramekins or oven-safe bowls and top with croutons or baguette slices. Place two slices of cheese on top of each bowl so that they slightly overlap and hang over the edges of the bowl.
6.) Place the soup under the broiler and let broil for two minutes or so, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
7.) Serve and enjoy!