I’ve always loved French Onion Soup since I was a kid – what’s not to love about caramelized onions and ooey gooey cheese? I always thought it was a super difficult dish and never dared to attempt it until recently. Since I don’t have oven-safe bowls, instead of broiling the cheese in the oven, I sprinkle cheese over hot croutons and let it all melt together. There’s many ways to make this dish, but this is the easiest with the least amount of effort for me.
Recipe adapted from: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/91192/french-onion-soup-gratinee/
Servings: 4-6 bowls
Ingredients:
- 4 Tbsps (1/4 cup = 55g) butter
- 2 large red onions, sliced
- 2 large yellow/sweet onions, sliced
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 cups (1.5L) chicken broth
- 1 cup (250ml) beef broth
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 sprigs fresh parsley
- 1 sprig fresh thyme leaves (or a pinch of dried thyme)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- salt & pepper to taste
- 4-6 thick slices of French or Italian bread
- 1 cup of shredded cheese (a lighter cheese is better since the soup itself has a very robust flavour and can be salty – ie. Asiago, mozzarella, Gruyere or Swiss. You can do a mix of these cheeses!)
- pinches of paprika
Directions:
- In a medium pot, melt the butter and cook the onion with the salt until they’re caramelized and syrupy – stir frequently and scrape the bottom of the pot so it doesn’t stick and burn. This is the most time-consuming process and takes about half an hour.
- Add into the pot: chicken broth, beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, thyme and bay leaf. Simmer on medium heat for 20mins, stirring occasionally.
- After 20mins, remove the herbs, reduce the heat to low and add in the balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pot on low heat to keep the soup hot while you prepare the bread.
- Slice the bread into thick 3cm x 3cm cubes and toast them until golden and crispy (either put them in the air fryer or put slices a toaster first then cut them into cubes; you can also keep them as thick slices instead of cubes).
- Spoon the soup into bowls and place the crispy toasted bread in the soup, then immediately sprinkle the shredded cheese over it. Sprinkle some paprika over top of each bowl. Serve and enjoy! – if you have an oven-proof bowl, you can put it in the oven and broil the cheese until it’s bubbly and golden brown then serve.
Abby Approved 