In The Kitchen With The Editor: French Onion Soup

August 30, 2022 Stefan Montauk Columns 0

French Onion Soup

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 Large Onions (Yellow or Red)
  • 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Butter
  • Pinch of Kosher Salt
  • ½ Teaspoon Sugar
  • ¼ Cup Apple Juice or Cider (or a dry white wine)
  • 4 Cups Beef Broth (or the equivalent made with bouillon. I use Better Than Bouillon.)
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • ½ Teaspoon Dried Thyme
  • ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 4 Slices French Bread (or any bread you would like to make into croutons)
  • ¾ Cup Grated Gruyere Cheese (or cheese of your choice)

    Photo A

DIRECTIONS:

Soup:

  1. Slice the onions into ¼ inch slices and mince the garlic.
  2. Heat the oil and butter in a thick bottomed pot on medium heat. Add the onions and garlic. Sprinkle with the kosher salt and sugar.  Let cook, stirring often, until slightly wilted. (Photo A)

    Photo B
  3. Cover the pot, turn the heat to low, and allow to cook for about 30 minutes,or until most of the water has cooked out of the onions. (It will look as though you’ve added water to the pot…this is all from the onions. Cooking the water out leaves concentrated flavor!) (Photo B)
  4. Uncover the pot, increase the heat to medium, and continue to cook the onions until the water has evaporated and the onions have started to caramelize. (Photo C)
  5. Deglaze the pot with the apple juice (or wine).
  6. Add the broth, thyme and bay leaves. Stir. (Photo D)

    Photo C
  7. Cover the pot and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
  8. Remove the bay leaves. (Photo E)

Meanwhile, make your croutons…

Croutons:

  1. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Brush both sides of bread slices with a little oil and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
    Photo E

    Photo D
  3. Toast in the oven until lightly browned. Remove from oven.
  4. Turn the bread slices over and sprinkle them with the grated cheese. (Photo F)
  5. Just before serving, put the croutons back in the oven until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned. (About another 10 minutes…but keep an eye on them)
Photo F

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a crouton.  Making the cheesy crouton separately and transferring it to the soup right before serving keeps it from getting soggy.   Enjoy!