FRENCH ONION SOUP

• servings: 4 servings
• total time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

3 lbs Spanish onions

6 cups high quality beef stock (or amped up store bought stock, see below)

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp flour

1 cup dry sherry

soy sauce, optional

fish sauce, optional

day old French baguette, for topping

kosher salt, to taste

black pepper, to taste

Gruyere cheese, shredded, for topping

For the Amped Up Store Bought Stock

1 bunch parsley

3 large carrots, sliced

thyme sprigs

3 garlic cloves, halved

2 bay leaves

sprinkle of peppercorns

2 cloves, optional

parmesan cheese rind

chopped chives, for garnish

Directions

For the Soup

Begin by preparing your onions. Peel them and then cut in half from pole to pole - through the root and stem. Remove the tough root part by cutting it away with your knife. Then thinly slice them pole to pole - like cutting with the grain of the onion. This gives the slices more structural integrity so that they stand up to the slow cooking method. - 3 lbs Spanish onions

Repeat this process with the rest of the onions. - 3 lbs Spanish onions

Next prepare your stock. Ideally you would use homemade beef stock, but you can also “soup” up a store bought version. - 6 cups high quality beef stock (or amped up store bought stock see below)

For the Amped Up Stock

Add your beef broth to a stock pot and bring to a simmer. Add aromatics like parsley, sliced carrots, thyme sprigs, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, and parmesan rind. Let it simmer for 1 hour. - 6 cups high quality beef stock (or amped up store bought stock see below) - 1 bunch parsley - 3 large carrots sliced - thyme sprigs - 3 garlic cloves halved - 2 bay leaves - sprinkle of peppercorns - 2 cloves optional - parmesan cheese rind

For the Soup

In a large Dutch oven drizzle olive oil and let heat up for one minute. Dump in the sliced onions. It will look like way too many, but just trust me. - 3 tbsp olive oil - 3 lbs Spanish onions

Slowly caramelize the onions over medium heat. Keep them moving constantly, and scrape down the sides of the pot. - 3 lbs Spanish onions

The onions are done when they are soft, jammy, and caramelized with a lot of fond on the bottom of the pot. - 3 lbs Spanish onions

Add flour to the onions and cook for 1-2 minutes. - 2 tbsp flour - 3 lbs Spanish onions

Deglaze the pot with dry sherry and cook, scraping up fond from the bottom of the pot. - 1 cup dry sherry

Once the alcohol is cooked off, add the beef broth. Make sure to strain it first if you added aromatics. - 6 cups high quality beef stock (or amped up store bought stock see below)

Let the whole thing simmer for 5-10 minutes to let the flavors get to know each other.

Optional: add umami boosters. I like to add a splash of fish sauce and soy sauce to richen the flavors. - fish sauce optional - soy sauce optional

Cut thick slices of day-old french baguette. Put them on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and top with salt and pepper. - day old French baguette for topping - 3 tbsp olive oil - kosher salt to taste - black pepper to taste

Toast bread in a 400°F oven for 5 minutes. - day old French baguette for topping

Slice a clove of garlic in half and rub down each piece of bread with the garlic. - 1 garlic cloves halved - day old French baguette for topping

Check the soup for salt and pepper and season as necessary. - kosher salt to taste - black pepper to taste

Ladle soup into broiler-safe cups. Top with sliced baguette and shredded cheese. - day old French baguette for topping - Gruyere cheese shredded, for topping

Put the bowls onto a baking sheet and put into an oven preheated to broil. Broil at your broiler’s high setting or at 500°F for 3-5 minutes until golden brown.

Garnish with chives and serve and enjoy! - chopped chives for garnish

Notes

https://youtu.be/1qRir364aNk?si=sgThkY_L12PHYosO