I advise those who don’t like onions, don’t even say what the soup is made of at the beginning. Let them taste and guess. Soupe a l’oignon it tastes a bit like sauerkraut soup and definitely has nothing to do with that horrible boiled onion that you would even shake off as a child if you accidentally ate it.
The flavor of the onion is changed several times during the preparation of the French onion. In the beginning, during the long cooking, the moisture evaporates and the sugars in the onions caramelize, giving a beautiful copper color. Later, the acidity of the dry wine adds crunch to the onions and clarifies the soup. And of course, reheating in the oven with toasted bread and cheese takes it to a whole other level.
French onion soup
Ingredients
- 1 kg onions
- 1 l broth
- 200 ml white, dry wine
- 1 baguette
- 100 g cheese (gruyere or other well-melting)
- olive oil for cooking
- salt, black pepper, a few bay leaves, cayenne pepper flakes, or freshly ground hot pepper if you want more heat
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- fresh thyme, if you have it, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients: cut the onions into slices. Cut in half and then try to slice as thinly as possible. Press and crush a few cloves of garlic with the side of a knife.
- Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onions. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. The onions should evaporate the moisture and begin to caramelize. A kilogram of onions may seem like a lot, but by the time they are cooked, the volume will decrease significantly.
- While the onions are cooking, prepare the broth. If using frozen, thaw and reheat.
- Preheat the oven and toast a baguette cut into slices a couple of centimeters thick.
- Add the garlic to the pan a few minutes before the onions finish cooking. Salt, pepper, add a bay leaf if you want it hotter, a little of your favorite hot pepper. You can flavor it with Provence herbs.
- Put the onions in the hot broth and bring to a boil, add the wine. Taste for seasoning.
- Pour the soup into individual baking dishes. So-called chenach ceramic or other heat-resistant, slightly taller bowls are perfect.
- Place a few slices of toasted baguette on top and cover generously with cheese.
- Place in a preheated oven and bake until the cheese melts and is nicely browned.
- Serve with the remaining toast, sprinkled with fresh thyme if you have it. And it smells delicious and looks beautiful.
Notes
Be careful not to burn yourself! let the jars cool a little after taking them out of the oven 🙂
Those who tried the recipe say…
We’re waiting for the first approved cooking experiences for this recipe. Yours could be the first!