07 Oct Recipe » Classic French Onion Soup
I’m not sure what the weather is like in the rest of the world, but here in the Netherlands it feels like winter is coming! Time for a recipe that warms you up!
This time we focus on a classic French recipe with a strong flavour: French Onion Soup. The beauty of this recipe is, that you only need a few ingredients to make it taste incredible.
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 large onions (about 5 lb.), thinly sliced
- 1 large shallots, finely chopped
- 1,5 garlic cloves, finely chopped (we looove garlic!)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper and some sugar
- ½ cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- Feel free to add 2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, 2 sprigs thyme and 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
- 4 slices ¼”-thick slices country-style bread, toasted
- 4 ounces of sliced old cheese or or vegans you can check this article.
Now let’s cook French Onion Soup!
Peel and slice the onions in half size moons. Melt the butter in a big enough pan en add the onions, shallots, garlic and simmer on low heat for 15 min. Remove the lid. The onions should have wilted down somewhat. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt, a generous quantity of black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar (this helps the onions caramelize). To get the best taste, you continue to heat the onions with a covered lid, for about 45 minutes until brown. Cook water and add the cubes of vegetable stock. (You can also make your own broth, but this will take a lot more work.)
If you don’t like the supermarket stock, try some from the nature shops where they don’t add conservatives. Add the broth and bring to boil. Also add the wine, vinegar and other spices. Cook gently for about 50 minutes. (yes, it takes time to create this classic soup!) Roast the bread and grate . Divide the soup into bowls and add the toasted bread on top. Grate your cheese of choice over the toast and put it in a preheated oven for a few minutes until the cheese has melted.
Now…sit on the couch, put your warm socks on and enjoy this classic French onion soup.
Bon à petit!
Elke
No Comments