French Onion Soup is made from beef broth and carmelized onions. It is finished by being baked in a French Onion Soup bowl and topped with a croute and gruyere melted on top.
Although French Onion Soup is a little fussy to make, the flavour is worth the effort…..a perfect soup for a cold winter’s eve.
French Onion Soup
Print recipe| Serves | 10 - 12 |
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 5 Medium to large white cooking onions (about 2 lb)
- 1 Tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 1/2 Tsp white sugar
- 2 Litres (quarts) unsalted beef stock
- 1 Cups red wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 Tsp rubbed sage
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Croutes
- 10 - 12 3/4 inch slices French or Italian bread (which have been cut into a circle the size ot the top of the french onion soup bowl)
- olive oil for brushing
- 1 clove garlic (peeled and cut in half)
- 1 - 1 1/2 Cups Gruyere or Swiss cheese (grated)
Directions
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Peel and thinly slice the onions. Set aside.  | |
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Heat the oil and butter in a heavy saucepan. Stir in the onion and cook slowly, uncovered for 30 minutes or more.  | |
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Take off the heat. Add the salt, sugar and flour. Put back on the heat and stir fry for about a minute. Take off the heat again and gradually add the beef broth, stirring all the time. Put the pot back on the heat and add the wine and sage and bay leaf. Simmer for 20 minutes or more. Remove the bay leaf and taste and correct for seasonings.  | |
| Croutes | |
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Brush each side of the bread with olive oil.  | |
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Lay out in a single layer on a cookie sheet which has been covered in parchment paper.. Bake 15 minutes at 325 deg F. Turn and bake another 15 minutes to brown and crisp the other side. Remove from the oven and rub with the cut garlic.  | |
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Place about a 1/2 tbsp of grated Parmesan in the bottom of each onion soup bowl. Ladle the soup into each bowl almost to the top.  | |
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Top with a croute and sprinkle with grated gruyere or swiss cheese. Bake 350 deg F for 20 minutes.  | |
| Broil for 1 or 2 minutes to brown the top. | |