On a chilly day, is there anything more comforting than French onion soup with a steaming bowl? Especially, the top brim with a thick cut of bread that has been toasted and garnished with Gruyere cheese along with caramelized onions.
How to Create the Perfect French Onion Soup
A French onion soup has two important elements that makes it the work of art.
The Importance of Stock
The stock is the first key element. As they say, you’re only as good as the stock you put in.
Hearty meals are often made with beef stock but, while the recipe is sometimes difficult to find or makes it inconvenient to make by ourselves, it is expensive to buy.
If you’re going with boxed stock, always try it first! If the taste doesn’t please you, then it’s better to avoid – it.
(If you are going to cook a lot of beef or the roasts, monument those fragments and foods to freeze them later so you can have your stock.)
The Secret to Deep Flavor: Time
Secondly, caramelizing the onions properly forms the second critical component. The rich sweet flavor will be obtained when you spend at least 40 minutes to caramelize onions.
This is a chemical reaction, where sugars in the onions are overheated to a certain point.
This is a time-consuming process (but adding a bit more sugar can help). The more onions get darker and the color closer to brown the stronger the flavor becomes.
Alternatives to Wine in French Onion Soup
This recipe typically makes use of dry vermouth or white wine, but brandy is also sometimes included. Nonetheless, there are people that do not take alcohol, and they have shared that they have not used any and that the soup still tasted great.
There are people who advise on including Worcestershire sauce in the very end for an extra topping of flavor. If that is the path you want to take, use a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce in place of alcohol. Although it is not necessary.
Should you choose to skip the alcohol, use half a cup of beef broth to deglaze the pan in Step 2 before adding the remaining stock in Step 3.
The Best Cheese Options for French Onion Soup
Gruyere and Parmesan have always been the go-to French onion soup cheeses. You can also go for these alternatives if you don’t have any of them:
- Gouda
- Swiss
- Fontina
- Mozzarella
Storing and Reheating French Onion Soup
To keep the soup fresh, do not include the croutons and store the soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. But if the patient person wants to enjoy it again, just heat the product on the stove.
Freezing French Onion Soup
This is the one that can be made without croutons. The main problem is finding a freezing method that works. The most suitable way would be flash freezing. Freeze the soup for three months and use it as the demand arises. Thawing in the fridge and then boiling will help you to reheat it.
Method
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 60 mins
Total Time: 80 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Note: Your choice of stock has a very huge impact on the overall flavor of the broth because flavor in stocks might be different. Depending on how good your stock flavors, you might need beef bouillon to be able to get better-tasting soups. We prefer Better Than Bouillon brand.
Ingredients
6 large red or yellow onions (about 3 pounds)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups beef stock, chicken stock, or a combination of the two
1/2 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, a few sprigs of fresh thyme, OR 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
8 slices (1 inch thick) French bread or baguette
1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
Sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preparing the Onions
Peel the onion skin first, then cut them long from the base to the stem part. If 10 cups of onions would have been cut into slices, your slicing is going to be so right.
2. Begin Caramelizing the Onions
Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in the pot with the capacity of 5 to 6 quarts over medium heat. Next, season the onions with olive oil and toss them a bit to coat them.
Constant stirring the onions until they have become pliable, which would take a period of approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
Later, switch over to medium-high heat. Throw in the last tablespoon of the olive oil and the butter and let it cook, stirring constantly until the onion begins to brown for about 20 to 40 minutes. The process changes with the type of pot, stove, and onions.
3. Finish Caramelizing and Add Garlic
Distribute sugar over the onions (a help in the caramelization process) and add 1 teaspoon of salt. The onions will be sufficiently browned in about 10-15 more minutes of cooking.
Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
4. Deglaze the Pot
Pour either the wine or vermouth into the pan and scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom and sides of the pot as you go through it.
5. Add Stock, Bay Leaves, and Thyme
Add the stock, bay leaves, and thyme. The heat should be reduced so that the liquid will be simmering, cover the pot.
Then, move on with cooking for about 30 minutes.
6. Season and Add Brandy
Season in accordance with the individual tastes you may have by using more salt and just-milled pepper. Remove the bay leaves. Add brandy if desired.
7. Toast the Bread
There is an oven rack in the third upper part of the oven, so, after lining a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil, set the oven temperature to 450°F. Then, the soup will be simmering to shoulder you through.
You need to grease each slice of the French bread or baguette slices with about 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil on both sides.
No need to go so far because 5 to 7 minutes are enough.
Remove from the oven. I also want to remind you that you should yield to making your toasts flip, sprinkle cheese and Parmesan on top, and put them to bake again exactly when you are ready to serve.
And then bake this so that the cheese becomes bubbly as well as browns a little.
8. Serve and Enjoy
For serving, you can ladle the soup into the individual bowls and place a piece of cheesy toast on top of each bowl.
Else you may employ the use of oven-proof individual bowls or one large casserole dish. The soup needs to be poured into the dishes first, and then the bread should be used to cover them, which will need to be sprinkled with cheese.
Don’t forget to Browning for 10 minutes at 350°F or until the cheese starts to bubble up and acquire a slightly browned appearance.
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