Ingredients
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400 g white onions
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20 g butter
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1 tbsp olive oil
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20 g wheat flour
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1/2 tsp salt
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1 pinch sugar
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900 ml beef or chicken broth
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75 ml cider or 50 ml dry white wine
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salt
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freshly ground black pepper
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bouquet garni, filled into a cotton sachet:
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1 medium bay leaf
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2 sprigs parsley
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3 peppercorns
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2 sprigs thyme
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For serving:
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9 baguette slices
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100 g hard cheese
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Optionally:
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cognac
Directions
In every French family and in every French region classic French onion soup is cooked differently. This soup has an intense sweet salty flavor with a slightly sour note and gray brown color. It is served with toasted bread and melted cheese – and it is a perfect match. There are a few explanations as to the soup’s origin and reasons of its popularity. According to a beautiful story, a king loved to eat this soup, which then used to be flavored with champagne, in his lodge. Personally I tend to believe that the soup, as well as other delicious and popular dishes, was created by scaring up from leftovers. The soup is cooked from a few main ingredients: onion, broth and wine, complimented with toasted bread and cheese before serving.
Whether you end up with a most delicious French dish or just onion kissel (I ended up with it once – gross!) depends on a few nuances. The secret of cooking onion soup you will find here. You must read it before cooking!
You can find plenty recipes for onion soup on the Internet containing celery, garlic, potatoes and other vegetables. I would recommend you start with a classic recipe (onions, broth and wine) to get familiarized with the soup’s original taste and later try out other recipes to find your favorite one. I suggest you try out the recipe I like – it is surefire and quite logical, its’ principles you can find in French cookbooks.
One more thing: I flavor my onion soup with cider – just like Normans do. I also tried flavoring with white wine and vermouth but the cider based soup became my favorite because of its pleasant flavor. I recommend you try it. Or you may cook with your favorite white wine.
Today's visits: 1.
Steps
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1
Done
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Peel and cut the onions into thin (2 mm thick) semi circles. |
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2
Done
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Heat a big high-sided pan over medium or high heat. We will also need a lid. |
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3
Done
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Melt butter in the pan, then add olive oil. |
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4
Done
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Add onions and cook covered for 15 min, stirring occasionally. The onions will become soft and release much juices but remain white. . |
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5
Done
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Remove the lid, add sugar and cook over medium heat for 30-40 min, stirring frequently. The onions will remain soft and turn golden brown. |
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6
Done
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Meanwhile bring the broth to a boil. |
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7
Done
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When the onions are caramelized and golden brown, dust them with flour and stir. Cook together for 2-3 min. |
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8
Done
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Add the oiling broth to the onions and mix until smooth. Important! The broth should be hot otherwise lumps will form. |
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9
Done
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Bring to a boil. Add cider, bouquet garni and simmer for 30 min partially covered. You don’t need a rolling boil. |
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10
Done
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10 min before the soup is done, toast baguette slices on both sides. Coarsely grate the cheese. |
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11
Done
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When the soup is done, try it and add salt and pepper to your taste. You may also add some cognac, if desired. |
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12
Done
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Ladle the soup into deep high heat bowls, place 1-3 baguette slices on top and sprinkle with grated cheese. |
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13
Done
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Put the bowls into the oven for 2 min until cheese has melted and slightly toasted. How to serve: Serve immediately while cheese is still hot, gooey and stretchy. How to keep: The soup (without cheese and bread) can be kept refrigerated up for 2-3 days. Warm it up before serving and garnish with bread and cheese according to the recipe.
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