French Onion Soup

The onion is probably the most flexible vegetable out there.  Think about it.  Is there a cuisine that doesn't use onions in one way or another?  Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Middle Eastern, all have major dishes with some form of an onion.

And they're extremely versatile.  Put slices on your burger for a crispy bite.  Dice them up for some extra flavor and texture in your chili. Stir fry them in a lo mein and that slight soft feel mixed with all the other vegetables is great.  Dice and saute for all sorts of applications.  But probably my favorite is to slowly saute until they start to carmelize and get sweet, tender and almost transparent.

And that's what French Onion Soup is all about.  Getting that flavor infused into a great soup.  The secret is to slowly saute a LARGE amount of onions over time.  The carmelization will build up on the pot and then when you add the broth, all of it releases off the pot walls (deglacing) and blends in with the soup.  Now you can cook the onions all at the same time (my preferred method)... or you can cood the onions in shifts.  Just make sure you use the same pot in the application.  That way, any leftover bits or small carmelized onions that stick to the pot can deglace into the soup.

Also, I recommend you use a fresh baguette to top the soup, or some sourdough bread.  In a pinch, you could use large croutons.  They turn out OK, but they can add a lot of salt and if they are too small, they may just disintegrate into the soup.

French Onion Soup
Serves 4-6

6 tablespoons butter
6 cups onions, cut into very thin half moons
1/2 cup red or white wine, your choice
2 quarts beef broth (or 1 quart each of beef and chicken broth)
2+ teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Slices of a french baguette or sourdough bread
2-3 cups grated Gruyere cheese (or mozzarella if you can't get gruyere)

Melt the butter in a stock pot or a VERY large saute pan over medium heat.  Once the butter is melted and slightly boiling, add the onions and stir so they are coated.  Allow them to saute until the onions are becoming translucent, about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.  If they start to singe, reduce the heat slightly and keep them moving.  Once they start to become translucent, add the wine and stir until it's mixed in. Have a glass of wine yourself.  You deserve it. Let the onions cook over medium to medium-low heat for another 12-15 minutes until they start to carmelize.

Once that happy moment of doneness has been reached, pour the broth into the onions (watch out for steam) along with the thyme and pepper.  Allow it to simmer for another 10-20 minutes so everything can infuse.  At this point, turn on your broiler and set it on Low.  Next, fill your serving bowls 3/4 full with the soup.  Slice pieces of the bread so it will cover the top of the bowl and drop them in.  In an absolute emergency, you could use croutons, but I like the bread much better.  Cover the bread with the grated cheese. Place the bowls on a large cookie sheet and place under the broiler until the cheese has melted and begins to brown.  Remove and serve immediately.

So make a batch of this today and appreciate how great a basic onion can taste.