French Onion Soup

I debated (for about 5 seconds) whether or not I should post this recipe today. I already posted two soups this week (well, one soup and one chili but same concept). However when I started looking at my list of outstanding posts all I really had were crock pot recipes (already posted one of those this week too) and pasta dishes (also posted this week). It's winter and this is how we eat, so...French onion soup it is! Plus, there is something about a good soup that just warms the cockles of your heart. What does that even mean, anyway? I looked it up on Wikipedia (the source of all truth and knowledge) and learned it means "a deep seated contentment has been generated". I'd say that's the very definition of French onion soup; let us proceed.

A good French onion soup has 4 key elements: good stock, caramelized onions, bread or croutons to float on top and most importantly, cheese. Let's take a brief moment to discuss each element. First the stock; it is widely accepted in the foodie community that stock can't possibly be good if it's not homemade. I beg to differ, dear reader. There are so many good stock options (see what I did there?) available now that I believe a boxed stock works just fine. For this soup I used Swanson's beef stock (not broth) and it turned out great but other reliable brands include Kitchen Basics or Pacific Organic. My advice is to pick a name brand, not a store brand this time and embrace the fact that boxed stock works here.

Second, let's talk caramelized onions. I covered caramelizing onion extensively in this post in December. The key is low, slow and patience. For French onion soup the caramelized onions are key so don't rush this process. I promise it will pay off when you (finally) take that first bite of soup! 

Now for the bread: to be authentically French about it (oui, oui) you need to buy a baguette, slice it into thin rounds, toast it then lightly butter before topping your soup. The cool thing is, you can buy a day old baguette for, like, 50 cents, slice it up, toast off what you need for the soup and freeze the rest of the rounds for later! If you are in a hurry (which you shouldn't be if you're making French onion soup. Did you READ my description of caramelizing onions?!) you can use croutons or forget toasting the baguette rounds, but I don't recommend it. 

Lastly, the cheese: traditionally, gruyere is used to top French onion soup. If you want to be authentic, use a good imported gruyere. If you see the price tag and it makes you want to faint (because it ain't cheap, my friends), then pick up a package of Swiss, mix it with a little Parmesan and call it good. It works and it's easier on your pocketbook. 


The most important thing to remember is, you are making what is actually a very basic and easy soup recipe. It's not rocket science, it just happens to take a little time to coax the goodness and love out of the onions. Plus, it's too cold to go outside anyway so why not invest the time inside making delicious soup for your loved ones? Let the cockles be warmed!

French Onion Soup (adapted from smittenkitchen.com)

3 T. unsalted butter
1 T. olive oil
1 1/2 lb. yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 t. salt, divided (plus additional to taste)
3 T. all purpose flour
8 c. beef stock (not broth)
1/2 c. dry vermouth (or white wine)
1 t. pepper
3 T. cognac or brandy
18 (1/4") slices baguette bread, toasted (I toasted mine on a sheet pan in the oven at 400 for about 8-10 minutes, cooled them then lightly buttered with salted butter)

2 c. (8 oz.) gruyere cheese, grated (or a mixture of swiss and Parmesan)

Place the butter and oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat and allow the butter to melt. Add the onions, toss them to coat in the oil and butter, turn the heat to low, cover and allow to steep for 15 minutes. No need to stir or worry about them. Take a break.

When the time is up remove the lid and add 1 t. of salt. Raise the heat to medium and cook the onions for 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are a deep, even brown. Do not try to rush this process or you will end up with burnt onions. Not. cool.

After the onions are caramelized sprinkle them with the flour and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the vermouth in full, then the stock a little at a time, stirring between each addition. Season with the remaining salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a simmer and simmer, partially covered, for 30-40 minutes. Taste the soup and add additional salt if needed, keeping in mind that the cheese will be slightly salty as well. Add the cognac and stir to combine.

At this point the soup can be ladled into bowls, topped with the baguette slices then cheese and served. However, if you want to serve it like they do in a restaurant, read on! You will need 6 individual oven proof soup bowls. Place the bowls on a foil lined baking sheet, ladle the soup into the bowls, top with the baguette slices, sprinkle on the cheese and bake in an oven that is preheated to 325 for 20 minutes. At the end of the 20 minutes turn on the broiler and broil the soup so the cheese gets bubbly and brown for about 2 minutes. Keep a close eye on it so the cheese doesn't burn!

6 servings (444
calories each serving) according to my calculator on loseit.com