Paris French Onion Soup....yummy!
When we were in Paris, Mark was all over the nutella crepes. For me, it’s the salty and savory that makes my mouth water and I couldn’t leave Paris without trying french onion soup. The Paris version was pretty pricey, if I recall $7 euro…a bit pricey for me. But it was so amazing.
I sought out my inner Julia Child, bought a couple of individual serving soup crocks and went to work on my first try at French Onion Soup. It was a huge success. Savory, warming and oh-so-fall. It wasn’t 2 days after our first batch that we both had a hankering for it again. Best part it: it’s really affordable to make! Most of the ingredients I had handy, I just needed a french baguette. And who doesn’t feel like a savvy cook when you walk out of the grocery with a loft of french baguette?
Try it. It won’t disappoint. Bon Appetit!
French Onion Soup, recipe courtesy of Gourmet magazine
Ingredients:
- 2 lb medium onions, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced lengthwise
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups reduced-sodium beef broth (32 fl oz)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices of baguette (the 2nd time I cut them into cubes & they fit better in the bowl)
- 1 (1/2-lb) piece Gruyère, Comte, or Emmental (the 2nd time I used swiss…just as good)
- 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (the 2nd time I used asiago…just as good)
Cook onions, thyme, bay leaves, and salt in butter in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, uncovered, stirring frequently, until onions are very soft and deep golden brown, about 45 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in wine and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in broth, water, and pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
While soup simmers, put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
Arrange bread in 1 layer on a large baking sheet and toast, turning over once, until completely dry, about 15 minutes.
Remove croûtes from oven and preheat broiler. Put crocks in a shallow baking pan.
Discard bay leaves and thyme from soup and divide soup among crocks, then float a croûte in each. Slice enough Gruyère (about 6 ounces total) with cheese plane to cover tops of crocks, allowing ends of cheese to hang over rims of crocks, then sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat until cheese is melted and bubbly, 2-3 minutes.
My version! JUST as awesome.
