Nov 14 2008
French Onion Soup
Now that the weather is getting colder, I’ll probably be suggesting more soup recipes. It’s just my mood. I love eating a hot cup of soup on a cold day. My family loves it too.
Today’s recipe is a bit more complicated than normal, and it takes about an hour to cook, but it’s quite delicious. Now there are a million ways to make French onion soup, and some recipes recommend that you use star anise. Not everyone has star anise in their cupboard—like myself. All the ingredients in this recipe you can most likely find in the local grocery store or in your own cabinets.
It’s cheesy, oniony, and Frenchy all at the same time! Enjoy and try it with your family… It’ll be a nice treat during the holidays. When the kids are home from school, ask them to help you make it!
Yield: 4 servings
French Onion Soup
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large red onions, cut into thin wedges
1/8 teaspoon sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced finely
4 cups reduced sodium beef broth
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon dry thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups Gruyere Cheese, grated
Directions
Add olive oil to a large pan and heat on medium high heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté until brown. Stir in sugar when onion is yellow to help it caramelize. Stir in the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
When the onions and garlic are well caramelized, add the beef stock, red wine, bay leaf, and thyme to the pot. Cover partially and simmer for 30 minutes.
Uncover and season to your taste with sea salt and ground black pepper. Remove the bay leaf from the pot.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls. Top with slices of French bread (or croutons). Sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Place into pre-heated oven to melt the cheese.
When cheese is melted and browned, remove from oven and enjoy a delicious meal.
