French Onion Soup

[Rael]

It'd be great if you could put your version(s) out here, I'd like to see how everyone makes theirs. I'm caramelizing 7 yellow onions right now to make french onion soup for the first time. The plan isn't to have it today, only to get the ingredients to marry up tonight. Tomorrow or Sunday for the meal.

 

[RoseRed]

Do you deliver?

 

[Rael]

Do you deliver?

Only in a jpeg (and only then if it turns out okay)

 

[RoseRed]

Only in a jpeg (and only then if it turns out okay)

Dang.

 

[Southern Belle]

It'd be great if you could put your version(s) out here, I'd like to see how everyone makes theirs. I'm caramelizing 7 yellow onions right now to make french onion soup for the first time. The plan isn't to have it today, only to get the ingredients to marry up tonight. Tomorrow or Sunday for the meal.

It sounds really good but it's too hot for soup. Can you make some and deliver it in the winter months?

 

[Rael]

It sounds really good but it's too hot for soup. Can you make some and deliver it in the winter months?

Never too hot for soup.





And if this round is good, it'll be great to make in winter. One thing I've learned today is when they say 'brown at medium heat for 10 minutes', they're full of it--> That would be (at least) 10 minutes at very high heat.

For now, I'm just keeping it at medium to reduce them down. Leaving them alone mostly, and stirring once in a while.

 

[Rael]

Okay, browned 'em good finally.

Added garlic to the hot pan, a little white wine, pinch of dry thyme, 2 qts beef stock, 3 bay leaves, s/p. Letting it boil up then simmer for a half an hour before letting it cool, then I'll put it away in the fridge to let it all blend.

 

[DoWhat]

Okay, browned 'em good finally.

Added garlic to the hot pan, a little white wine, pinch of dry thyme, 2 qts beef stock, 3 bay leaves, s/p. Letting it boil up then simmer for a half an hour before letting it cool, then I'll put it away in the fridge to let it all blend.

When you are done with that, finish cleaning the rest of the house.

 

[Rael]

When you are done with that, finish cleaning the rest of the house.

I like cooking (and eating) better than cleaning anyday.

 

[Merlin99]

It'd be great if you could put your version(s) out here, I'd like to see how everyone makes theirs. I'm caramelizing 7 yellow onions right now to make french onion soup for the first time. The plan isn't to have it today, only to get the ingredients to marry up tonight. Tomorrow or Sunday for the meal.

1/2 stick butter
3 lbs onions sliced
1 tbsp sofrito
1/4 cup flour
1 sprig thyme
1 pt chicken broth
1 qt beef broth
Caramelize onions in butter, add sofrito, flour and thyme let toast till the flour browns then add the stocks

The original recipe called for tomato paste, but I didn't want to open a can for that small amount so I used some Goya sofrito. I've had it both ways since and definitely prefer the sofrito. If you use real stocks, you don't have to add the flour, it's just there to add some body to it.

 

[Roman]

What is Sofrito? I am familiar to Goya Brand.

 

[Merlin99]

What is Sofrito? I am familiar to Goya Brand.

It's a common base for latin cooking. It's a combination of tomato paste, onion, green pepper, cilantro and garlic. Goya Online Store, shoppers always has it.

 

[Roman]

It's a common base for latin cooking. It's a combination of tomato paste, onion, green pepper, cilantro and garlic. Goya Online Store, shoppers always has it.

Thanks for the information Merlin. Food Lion in Solomons carries some goya products too.

 

[acommondisaster]

I saute sliced onions in butter along with a bay leaf. (I use yellow onions)

Deglaze the pan after the onions have carmelized with 1/4c or so of sherry and cognac (optional), let that simmer for a few minutes.

Then I add a cup of dry white wine (you get to drink the rest with the soup...BONUS!). Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes.

Add 2 cups of beef broth, some dried thyme leaves (or I use a stem of fresh if I've got it) and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Take out bay leaf and either top with freshly grated parmesan cheese or put in individual soup cups, top with a slice of french bread and guyere (or swiss) cheese and put in broiler until cheese is bubbly.

All of the amounts are to taste - I vary the wine/sherry depending on what I have. I taste and decide whether to add salt (kosher) just before taking it off the stove, but the broth usually makes it salty enough.

 

[Rael]

It's a common base for latin cooking. It's a combination of tomato paste, onion, green pepper, cilantro and garlic. Goya Online Store, shoppers always has it.

Cool, I've heard of sofrito, but never really knew what it was. It sounds like a great base for cooking. Will put that on the "will try" list. Thanks.

I saute sliced onions in butter along with a bay leaf. (I use yellow onions)

Deglaze the pan after the onions have carmelized with 1/4c or so of sherry and cognac (optional), let that simmer for a few minutes.

Then I add a cup of dry white wine (you get to drink the rest with the soup...BONUS!). Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes.

Add 2 cups of beef broth, some dried thyme leaves (or I use a stem of fresh if I've got it) and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Take out bay leaf and either top with freshly grated parmesan cheese or put in individual soup cups, top with a slice of french bread and guyere (or swiss) cheese and put in broiler until cheese is bubbly.

All of the amounts are to taste - I vary the wine/sherry depending on what I have. I taste and decide whether to add salt (kosher) just before taking it off the stove, but the broth usually makes it salty enough.

:like: I bet the cognac adds a good taste, didn't think of that either. Heard of sherry, and I use wine in a lot of meals.

I gots to buy some more gruyere today, seems some form of mouse somehow got into the bottom drawer of the fridge with the drawer tightly sealed and not showing any visible signs of entry and took about half of it. This thing must have been huge, 'cause its teethmarks looked like they were human-sized.

 

[Rael]

It came out very tasty. Gruyere over toasted ciabatta chunks melted for 12 minutes on 350 was the final step. Can't wait to try it again. Here's how I did this batch..

7 med. yellow onions, sliced thin
3 tbsp unsalted butter w/ a drizzle of EVOO for browning onions
Salt/pepper
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 cup chardonnay
2 qts beef stock
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp ground thyme
gruyere cheese
ciabatta bread

Reduce the onions in a hot pan of butter/EVOO on medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Stir every once in a while until it reduces down and onions are browned, but not burned (At the low/med setting I used, it took an hour and a half). Once onions are translucent (around 15 minutes or so), sprinkle the brown sugar around and mix it in.

Once onions are browned and caramelized, move some of them aside in the hot pan to allow a space for your garlic to sizzle up when you add it. Stir the garlic into the mix for a minute (don't let it burn), then pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape up and loosen those onions if they're stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the bay leaves, stock, and thyme. Simmer for at least an hour or until the flavors blend together (letting it rest overnight in the fridge or freezing it is a good idea).

If you freeze it, here's where you'll pick up the second part once you've reheated the soup---> Slice enough ciabatta to cover the number of ovenproof crocks/soup bowls you'll need. I cut these around 1/2" thick and toasted them. Once toasted, I sliced them into "1/2 chunks.

Set oven to 350. Ladel the soup into the soup crocks until nearly full, leaving room for the bread and gruyere to reach the brim. Drop in the toasted bread chunks to cover the soup, then cover the bread with grated gruyere cheese and place them on a baking sheet in the oven for around 10 - 12 minutes (or until it starts bubbling).

Viola. Enjoy..

 

[desertrat]

It came out very tasty. Gruyere over toasted ciabatta chunks melted for 12 minutes on 350 was the final step. Can't wait to try it again. Here's how I did this batch..

7 med. yellow onions, sliced thin
3 tbsp unsalted butter w/ a drizzle of EVOO for browning onions
Salt/pepper
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 cup chardonnay
2 qts beef stock
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp ground thyme
gruyere cheese
ciabatta bread

Reduce the onions in a hot pan of butter/EVOO on medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Stir every once in a while until it reduces down and onions are browned, but not burned (At the low/med setting I used, it took an hour and a half). Once onions are translucent (around 15 minutes or so), sprinkle the brown sugar around and mix it in.

Once onions are browned and caramelized, move some of them aside in the hot pan to allow a space for your garlic to sizzle up when you add it. Stir the garlic into the mix for a minute (don't let it burn), then pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape up and loosen those onions if they're stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the bay leaves, stock, and thyme. Simmer for at least an hour or until the flavors blend together (letting it rest overnight in the fridge or freezing it is a good idea).

If you freeze it, here's where you'll pick up the second part once you've reheated the soup---> Slice enough ciabatta to cover the number of ovenproof crocks/soup bowls you'll need. I cut these around 1/2" thick and toasted them. Once toasted, I sliced them into "1/2 chunks.

Set oven to 350. Ladel the soup into the soup crocks until nearly full, leaving room for the bread and gruyere to reach the brim. Drop in the toasted bread chunks to cover the soup, then cover the bread with grated gruyere cheese and place them on a baking sheet in the oven for around 10 - 12 minutes (or until it starts bubbling).

Viola. Enjoy..

View attachment 82154

Sounds good, will have to try that.

 

[Rael]

Sounds good, will have to try that.

Crikey, DR.. just read your soon-to-be location, congrats! Hope that works out well for you.

 

[desertrat]

Crikey, DR.. just read your soon-to-be location, congrats! Hope that works out well for you.

Well, it's till undecided. Still kinda like the looks of it though. Get some pretty good spreads out there for good prices. Does get a bit chilly in winter though, which may last until April.

 

[acommondisaster]

I'm not sure I'd add brown sugar, but the rest of your recipe sounds yummy. I've never used garlic in FOS, but I'm going to try that next time - I love garlic!

I'm glad you liked the idea of cognac - it adds an undertone of warmth to the broth that you don't necessarily get from wine.


Your photos of food always look as good as your recipes sound.