Uh, so yeah. I’ve seriously been slacking on my Eleven in ’11 list. This french onion soup marks only the fourth item conquered from my list, and with only ten days left of 2011, it looks as though I’m going to have to spend the rest of this year in the kitchen if I want to complete my goal. Eek!
French onion soup is one of my all time favorite foods. I have to order it whenever it’s listed on a menu, no matter how hot it might be outside. As simple as it is, there’s something so comforting about a big bowl of steamy hot soup topped with a crouton and smothered in cheese.
As much as I love it, I’d been dreading making it at home. Not because it seemed difficult to do (it’s quite easy, actually), but more so because it’s incredibly time consuming. It took at least twice as long to complete each step than what was stated in the original recipe (but luckily, I had read through a bunch of the comments which also reflected that, so I was prepared). With a five star rating and over 400 reviews, I knew it would be good. I upped the number of onions called for since I wanted to make sure they were the focus of the soup, and I kept the bay leaves in until the soup was ready to be served. The end result was so incredibly delicious, it was worth every second spent making it. The only change I’d make next time (because yes, there will be a next time!) is to buy more cheese so that it oozes over the sides of the bowl. That’s the best part!!
French Onion Soup – slightly adapted from Tyler Florence
- 1 Stick Unsalted Butter
- 6 Yellow Onions, thinly sliced
- 5 Garlic Cloves, chopped
- 2 Fresh Bay Leaves
- 4 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 1 Cup Pinot Noir (or your favorite red wine)
- 3 Heaping Tbsp. Flour
- 2 Quarts Beef Broth
- 1 Baguette, sliced and toasted
- 1/2 Lb. Gruyere, grated
Heat a large pot over medium and melt the butter. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized and turn golden brown in color, about 45 minutes.
Add the wine, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 10 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs from the pot and scrape the leaves back onto the onions. Add the flour and stir until the onions are covered. Cook for 10 minutes, then add the beef broth. Return to a simmer then partially cover the pot and allow to simmer 1-2 hours. Remove bay leaves.
Turn on the broiler. To serve, ladle soup into individual oven safe bowls placed on a baking sheet. Add a toasted baguette slice to each bowl then top with a mound of gruyere. Keeping a watchful eye, broil 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted, brown and bubbly.
