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Traditional French Onion Soup

Classic French Onion Soup

Perfectly caramelized onions, combined with a rich and lightly seasoned broth and a cheesy toast topping, are the recipe for a flavorful Classic French Onion Soup.
Course Soup
Cuisine French
Keyword broth-based soup, Classic French Onion Soup, French Onion Soup, soup,
Servings 4
My Island Bistro Kitchen My Island Bistro Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 2¼ lbs large yellow onions, cut in half vertically, peeled, and sliced into ¼“ slices
  • 2 + tbsp olive oil
  • 3 + tbsp butter
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch or flour (optional)
  • 1/3 – ½ cup red or white wine
  • 4 cups warm beef or poultry stock, or a combination of both
  • 2 tbsp Passata (optional)
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 large dried bay leaf
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • Fine sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
  • Baguette, cut into ½“ slices (allow 1-2 slices per serving, depending on bowl width and size of baguette slices)
  • Olive Oil for brushing baguette slices
  • Apx. 1½ - 2 cups shredded melting cheese(s) of choice (e.g., Gruyère, Havarti, Swiss, Provolone, Mozzarella) (shredded on the large hole side of a box grater)
  • Finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (optional)
  • Fresh thyme for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. [NOTE: Broiler-proof onion soup bowls are required for this recipe.]
  2. Tie the bay leaf and sprigs of fresh thyme together with kitchen string to make a bouquet garni. Set aside.
  3. Remove and discard the stem and root ends from the onions. Cut the onions in half, vertically, from pole to pole, and peel onions. If you have one, use a mandolin to cut the onion halves vertically into ¼“ slices. Alternatively, lay the “half-moon” onions, cut side down, on a cutting board and, using a sharp knife, slice vertical slices, according to the grain of the onion, about ¼ “wide.

  4. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large, wide, heavy-bottomed sauté pan or a wide 4 – 5-quart Dutch Oven that is stove-top safe to medium-high heat. Add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the onions. Stir to coat the onions well with the oil and butter and spread the onions out in the pan. Cover pan for the first 3-4 minutes to allow the onions to soften. Stir once or twice during this time and, if the onions start to stick to the pan, reduce the heat to prevent them from burning.

  5. Remove the cover from the pan or Dutch Oven and continue cooking the onions, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about every 2-3 minutes, for the first 15 minutes to prevent onions from sticking to pan. After about 15 minutes, sprinkle onions with some salt and start stirring more frequently (i.e., every minute or so). After 20 minutes of cooking, stir in the brown sugar. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to stir the onions frequently as they begin to caramelize, scraping up any brown bits (the fond) from the bottom of the pan with each stir. If the onions start to show signs of burning or sticking to the pan, reduce the heat further as necessary and add a little bit of stock. Do not let the onions burn or scorch. Expect the whole caramelization process to take at least 45-60 minutes or longer until the onions are a deep caramel/chestnut brown color.

  6. When the onions turn a deep caramel or chestnut brown color, add the minced garlic and stir continuously for about 15-20 seconds, until the garlic becomes fragrant but, at the same time, ensuring the garlic does not scorch.
  7. Remove the pan from the heat and add the wine needed to deglaze the pan. With heat set to medium-high, immediately return the pan to the stove and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the brown bits have been loosened from the pan and the wine has reduced to less than half of its original amount and the mixture has a jam-like consistency.
  8. If using thickener (either cornstarch or flour), sprinkle it over the onions and stir for about 30 seconds.
  9. Add the stock, Passata, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture just barely to the boiling point then reduce the heat to low, partially cover (i.e., pan cover slightly askew), and simmer for about 35-40 minutes to let the flavors develop.
  10. While the soup is simmering, position oven rack to center of oven and preheat oven to 400°F.
  11. Lightly brush baguette slices on both sides with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Place bread in preheated oven to toast until golden brown, turning slices over once to ensure both sides are toasted. Remove toasted baguette slices from oven and set aside. Adjust oven rack position to 6-8” inches from broiler element.

  12. Place broiler-proof onion soup bowls on rimmed baking sheet. Remove bay leaf and thyme from the soup and ladle soup into bowls, leaving enough room on the top for the toasted baguette slice(s) and cheese. Place baguette slice (or slices, if two are required, side-by-side (not overlapping)) in each bowl. Top each bowl with a generous ¼ cup of shredded cheese of choice or a combination of favorite melting cheeses. If desired, add a sprinkle of finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to each bowl (or you can mix this cheese in with the shredded cheeses, if you wish).

  13. Set oven to broil mode. Transfer soup-filled bowls to oven and broil just until cheese is melted and soup is bubbling at the edges of the bowls. Watch carefully as this will not take very long. It will go from a lovely gooey cheese topping to burnt offerings in mere seconds!
  14. This soup (minus the toasts and cheese) will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator but must be heated before being placed under the broiler as it will not be in the oven long enough for the soup to heat. The soup base can also be frozen in an airtight freezer container for longer storage. Add the toasts and cheese at time of serving.

Recipe Notes

[NOTE: Broiler-proof onion soup bowls are required for this recipe.]

Yield: Apx. 4-6 servinggs

 

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