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Onion Soup

see also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzL07v6w8AA

  • 4 biggish onions, sliced pole to pole
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp salt
  • some water, optional
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 4-8 cups water or stock
  • bay
  • thyme
  • maybe a bit more butter
  • 1 cup white wine
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • bread and gruyere

from NYT

French Onion Soup By Sara Bonisteel

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

In 1954, what was then called the Food News Department of The New York Times released a pamphlet simply called “Soups,” which had 20 recipes for soups “thick and thin, hot and cold,” including those for minestrone, shrimp bisque and this French onion soup. We've updated the recipe adding sherry and wine to layer in more flavors. The bulk of the time is spent on caramelizing the onions, a process that always takes longer than it seems it should. But it's worth the wait.

INGREDIENTS Yield: 4 to 6 servings

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 to 4 large red or yellow onions (about 3 pounds), peeled and thinly sliced
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
  • 2 quarts (8 cups) beef stock
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 tablespoon dry sherry
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper, more to taste
  • French bread cut into 8 to 12½-inch slices
  • 1½ cups grated Gruyère cheese

PREPARATION

  1. Melt butter in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and ½ teaspoon salt, stir and cover, letting onions soften for 5 minutes. Remove lid and let onions caramelize until golden brown over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Adjust heat if onions are browning too quickly. The caramelization process may take 45 to 60 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile, warm broth in a saucepan over low heat.

  3. Once onions are caramelized, add wine and sherry to the pot and allow mixture to come to boil. Stir in flour and let thicken for a minute or two.

  4. Slowly add warm broth, ¼ teaspoon salt and the pepper to the onion mixture and boil uncovered for 10 minutes. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

  5. Heat the broiler, and arrange individual ovenproof casseroles on a baking sheet. Ladle soup into casseroles, and cover top with bread slices. Sprinkle each casserole generously with Gruyère. Broil for a minute or two, watching carefully, until cheese melts and browns. Serve immediately.

nyt comments

diane (2 years ago) Simplify by making overnight caramelized onions. Fill slow cooker with 4-5 lbs sliced onions, pour 1/3 cup olive over the onions & mix well. Cover with lid and cook on HIGH for 7-9 hours. Yes it does indeed needs to be High. I had my doubts at first, but I've done this probably at least 20 times and the onions cook way down & caramelize beautifully. I haven't tried this yet with my new multi-cooker but plan to try that next using slow cooker function.

Elisa (3 years ago) Great and easy recipe. I suggest doubling the onions and mixing in some leeks. Also, since I don't have oven proof casseroles, I toasted the bread with the cheese on top (in toaster oven), and served on regular soup bowls.

Gonzalo (2 years ago) 1 Tbsp of Sherry is a very small amount, it won't add any significant flavour. Also, if Sherry boils for a long time, it completely loses its aroma. I suggest adding 2 tbsp on each individual soup dish just before broiling (that's the way people have fancy consomme in Madrid).