There’s nothing quite like French Onion Soup~ especially on a cold day. Savory onions with melting cheese and toasted bread satisfies the hardiest appetite. Believe it or not, it’s very easy to make, even though it is time consuming. If you time it just right, though, you can begin it in the evening, and have have a wonderful French Onion Soup for the next day.
Begin by peeling a huge pot of onions!
Melt butter in bottom of heavy stock pot (mine is enamel) on LOW heat. Add onions and allow to cook until caramelized~ LOW HEAT!!!
This will take over an hour. Stir gently to be sure onions are not cooking too fast and sticking to pot. Cook until most of the moisture has cooked down. Deglaze the pan by adding 1 cup water. Allow to cook down once again and deglaze with 1 cup of water again.
Repeat this process until the onions are deep brown…I deglaze with water 6+ times. The 5th time I add minced garlic.
On the last (6th) deglazing add wine, stocks and herbs S&P. Simmer for about 20 minutes, reducing liquid somewhat. I must tell you I started working on this around 6pm and finished the next to the last deglazing around 10:00pm. This includes slicing the onion and everything. BTW, I did not shed a single tear…I was surprised ~
This is a very slow recipe…your patience is worth the end result. I usually cook this while I watch TV at night. Then on every commercial, I check to see, stir/ deglaze when needed. And I’m not counting how many times I deglaze…I do it until the onions are a deep brown. Then I usually finish the recipe the next afternoon to serve for supper. That’s the point I add stock, wine etc…
( BTW, wine is optional~ Thyme is not.)
Just replace wine with additional stock. Pour into soup bowls, add a toasted round of bread or croutons and top with grated cheese.
Broil until cheese is bubbly and brown approx 3 mins. Serve immediately. I figure this makes about 8-10 servings.
I usually have plenty to freeze, since it’s just the two of us…and that’s a wonderful thing…all my hard work is done and we can enjoy it again in a week or two….If you love French Onion Soup, you’ll love this recipe. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 5lbs.yellow onion
- 1 ½ stick butter
- 1TBLS salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1tsp Dried thyme
- 1 tsp Herbe de Provence
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 3 cups beef stock
- Toasted bread or croutons
- Gruyere Cheese or Swiss will do
Instructions
- Peel and slice onions. Melt butter in bottom of heavy stock pot (mine is enamel) on LOW heat. Add onions and allow to cook until caramelized~ LOW HEAT!!! This will take over an hour. Stir gently to be sure onions are not cooking too fast and sticking to pot. Deglaze the pan by adding 1 cup water. Allow to cook down once again and deglaze again. Repeat this process until the onions are deep brown…I do this 6+ times. The 5th time I add minced garlic. On the last (6th) deglazing add wine, stocks and herbs S&P. Simmer for about 20 minutes, reducing liquid somewhat. Top with croutons and cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 3 minutes
4 Comments
I love a good French Onion soup. We are fortunate to be able to grow several varieties of onions in our community garden here in upstate New York – this is a good onion growing area. I haven’t had this soup in a while and may schedule this for the weekend. It’s great for a cold winter night.
December 13, 2013 at 5:43 pmOh, good…..lots of onions! then you should have no problem making this….. I live in Georgia ~just about 40 miles from Vidalia! So we are kinda known for Onions, too! Let me know if you try it! Thanks!
December 13, 2013 at 8:24 pmHi! I’m visiting from the UBC. What a fantastic recipe for French Onion Soup! I’m so glad to find your blog. Please keep cooking!
December 13, 2013 at 8:08 pmThanks! I’m glad you found me,too! It really is a good and simple recipe. Just takes time…
December 13, 2013 at 8:22 pm