French Onion Soup
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Recipe type: Soup
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6 servings
 
A properly romanced french onion soup to satisfy your soul
Ingredients
  • 8 medium onions peeled and sliced
  • 1 cup or 2 sticks of butter
  • 2 quarts good chicken stock (beef or veg work too)
  • 1 cup of red wine
  • ⅛ cup of brandy
  • 2 tablespoons of flour
  • 2 tablespoon of sugar
  • 2 bay leaves
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • a crusty french baguette or a few toasted sourdough bread bowls
  • 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
  • olive oil for bread toasting
Instructions
  1. First, relax and clear your schedule for the next few hours. This recipe should not be rushed, and requires frequent affection through out the cooking process.
  2. Chop onions and pour a glass of wine for yourself (to help with relaxation and tears)
  3. Melt butter on low to medium-low in two separate heavy bottomed pots or pans and split onions between them
  4. Give the onions a good stir to coat with butter and let the magic begin
  5. Keep the temp low to medium low and let the onions gently and slowly caramelize. You do not want burnt onion flavor here (which is what happens when you rush it with high heat and cause a bad chemical reaction), so please be patient and stir frequently. This process should take about 1.5 hours.
  6. Pre heat the oven to 325 degrees.
  7. While the onions are cooking grate the cheese and set aside.
  8. Now, if you want to get fancy, you can also take this time to make a side dish. We suggest our Krispy Kale Beet Salad! But don't forget to pay attention to your onions!
  9. Slice baguette and drizzle pieces with olive oil and toast in oven on a baking sheet. If using bread bowls, cut the top off and pull out some of the center to create a bowl. Place bowls and lids on baking sheet and brush with olive oil and lightly toast in the oven. Cooking time will be approximately 15 minutes. You are not looking for a lot of color at this point, just crusting them up a bit to withstand the soup.
  10. When the onions have reduce by about half and the color is a rich golden you can combine the onions to one pan and deglaze the other with a splash of stock. Scrape off the crusty tidbits (you don't want to loose any of this flavor!) and add it to the other pan with the onions.
  11. When you have reached a rich dark golden brown color turn up the heat to medium-high and add the wine and brandy. Scrape pan down and simmer until the liquid has evaporated, and you can move the onions to one side again with spoon (they should be pretty dry)
  12. Add the flour and sugar and stir to evenly coat the onions. Cook for about 10 minutes to cook off the raw flour flavor.
  13. Now add the stock and bay leaves and let simmer for 15 minutes.
  14. Remove bay leaves and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
  15. When you are ready to serve turn oven on broil. Place soup bowls on baking sheet (you may want to line it with foil for easy clean up) and fill with them with the hot soup. Cover with a couple slices of bread and a large helping of cheese to cover top. Leave the lids bottom side up on sheet if you are using a bread bowls and feel free to cover that with cheese too.
  16. Broil until cheese is browned and bubbly. Do NOT walk away from broiler!
  17. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Recipe by Romancing The Onion at https://www.romancingtheonion.com/french-onion-soup/