Tomato Tomatoe

french onion soup

French onion soup is by far my favorite soup to make in the colder months. This soup screams comfort and it’s so easy to make. The hardest part is slicing the onions, I suggest using a mandolin if you have one, else there will be a lot of tears! I’ve made this recipe numerous times and it’s always a huge hit in my house! The rich beef broth, caramelized onions, crunchy bread and gooey cheese is a combination that I crave often. There are a few things that will take your French Onion Soup to the next level. First, you must make your own homemade beef stock! Do this in advance and store it in the freezer, you can take it out to thaw when you’re ready to make the soup. I always try to keep homemade beef stock in my freezer because most beef stocks from the grocery store contain natural flavors, vegetable oils and sugars. Homemade beef stock is very simple to make, I usually make it on the weekend when I’ll be home from most of the day. I have a really easy recipe for Homemade Beef Stock.

The key to this recipe is of course to caramelize the onions but to also toast your bread and brush it with olive oil. When it comes out of the oven rub a clove of fresh garlic on it. The bread is super crunchy and stands up to the hot soup. I hate when you order French onion soup at a restaurant and the bread is soggy and disintegrating. I make this soup multiple times throughout the winter months because it’s comforting and it’s everyone’s favorite!

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french onion soup

Ingredients

• 6 cups sliced white onions
• 1/4 red wine
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp olive oil plus more for drizzling on the bread
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 5 cups homemade beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 8 pieces of toasted baguette with olive oil
  

Directions

1. Slice the onions as thinly as your can by using a sharp knife or mandolin.
2. Heat a large pot to medium-low. Add a few drizzles of olive oil and 3 tbsp of butter. Once the pot is hot and the butter is bubbling, add the onions and stir for a few minutes. Cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes until tender and translucent. Remove the lid and turn up the heat. Stir the onions constantly until they have browned. This should take 10-15 minutes.
3. Add the flour and cook for a few minutes. Add wine and cook for 5 minutes. Add beef stock, bay leaves and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer on low for 30 minutes.
4. While the soup simmers, shred the cheese and prepare the crostini.
5. Make the crostini by slicing a baguette into 1/2 inch pieces. Brush with olive oil on both sides. Bake in oven at 325 for 10-15 minutes, flipping the bread halfway through. Once the bread has been removed from the oven, rub with garlic on both sides.
6. Sprinkle a small amount of cheese at the bottom of oven safe ramekins. Ladle the soup into each ramekin and add a few pieces of crostini and top with cheese. Broil in the oven until the cheese is golden.