French Onion Soup

Nick’s in Los Angeles at the annual Siggraph convention for work.  He is not a fan of French onion soup, but it’s my favorite.  Onions and gruyere cheese?  Heck yeah!  I’m super excited to make it today.  Hopefully mom can come over for a late lunch to help me enjoy it.

 

INGREDIENTS

frenchonionsoup.jpg

½ cup unsalted butter
4 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 fresh thyme sprigs
Salt & pepper
1 cup red wine, about 1/2 bottle
3 heaping Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 quarts beef broth
1 baguette, sliced
½ lb grated gruyere cheese

 

DIRECTIONS

  • Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

  • When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the slices with the Gruyere and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

  • Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and top with cheese. Put the bowls into the oven to toast the bread and melt the cheese.

  • Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 45 minutes (sometimes longer. Be patient). Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.

Soup, Side DishesMarie KellyMilford Kitchensoup, onionComment