French Onion Soup

Daria Souvorova

45 minutes
serves: 5-6

I grew up wondering what French Onion soup was. As a Russian, I would question the lack of other flavors. Onions are the start right, and then you add cabbage, and meat, and carrots, and beets…right?

Turns out I was wrong. I had my first bowl of French Onion Soup during a high school trip to France. It was unexpectedly delicious! I made plans of figuring it out myself one day. As I grew older, I realized it was fantastic for more than it’s flavor. It is a great way to keep from throwing away old produce. What a great way to use up a bunch of onions that are close to death! This recipe also happens to be a good way to use up bread that is a bit too stale and cheese that isn’t large enough for a cheese plate.

The addition of butter, vermouth, and white wine really elevate the flavors. Beef broth gives it stability and strength, and there is cheese on top!

I ran out of beef broth when I was making it this week, so I decided to try a substitute. I had some frozen drippings from a roast duck I prepared a while back, so I dumped that in. It was glorious! There was some sweetness and fat in the drippings, so I left out the sugar and the last 2 tablespoons of butter. I highly recommend this variation if you happen to have any drippings on hand.

We paired our soup with a loaf of Whole Wheat Baguette with Sunflower Seeds.

Ingredients:

• • • • 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter, separated
      • 1 tablespoon olive oil
      • 4-5 large onions
      • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
      • 1 1/2 cup (360 mL) dry white wine
      • 6 cups (1.5 L) beef broth
      • handful of sprigs of thyme and 2 bay leaves, tied with string
      • crusty bread, sliced to fit serving ramekins
      • 1 clove garlic, cut in half
      • 2 teaspoons sherry or vermouth
      • 4 ounces (115 g) Gruyère, grated
      • salt and pepper

      

      1. 1. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large Dutch oven.
            Add oil and onions.
            Sauté for 15 minutes.
         2. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until onions have browned, between 15 and 30 minutes.
         3. Add wine and cook until almost dry, 15-20 minutes.
         4. Add broth, herbs, and simmer for 20-30 minutes until thickened.
            Add 2 tablespoons butter.
         5. Heat broiler and crisp up bread. You want it dried not browned.
            Rub one side with a bit of garlic.
         6. Pour soup into ramekins, add garlic toast, sprinkle with cheese.
            Broil until melted and bubbly.
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