Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 2 1/2 lbs onions
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 Tbsp sugar
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 6 cups beef broth
- 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 loaf sourdough bread (or french baguette)
- 6 slices swiss cheese (or grated Swiss cheese)
Preparing the Onions
Peel the onions and slice them in half through the root end, then slice them into slices approximately 1/4 inch wide.
The goal is to get the onion slices as uniform in thickness as possible so they cook evenly. As you work with the onions, some of them will naturally fall apart into individual layers — this is normal.
Softening the Onions in Fat
In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil together.
When the butter is melted, add all of the onions to the pot and cook for about 20 minutes, or until they are soft, stirring occasionally to keep the onions from burning. You don’t need to keep constant attention on them at this stage.
Caramelizing the Onions
After the onions have softened, increase the heat to medium-high and sprinkle the salt over the top of the onions.
Stir the onions frequently for 15 minutes; you will see them darkening and releasing more moisture.
After 15 minutes, add the sugar to the pot and continue cooking for 15 more minutes, stirring regularly.
After 30 minutes total, the onions will be caramelized to a deep golden brown and will have reduced significantly in volume. The onion mixture should smell sweet and nutty, not burnt.
Building the Soup Base by Deglazing
Pour the white wine into the pot and use a spatula to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.
Cook the wine for about 2-3 minutes to burn off some of the alcohol.
Add the black pepper, bay leaves, thyme leaves, and beef broth to the pot.
Bring the mixture to a boil; once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
This time allows the ingredients to come together and flavor the broth; it should taste rich and oniony.
Preparing Cheese Toasts
Preheat your broiler to the highest setting.
Cut thick slices of bread and place them on a baking sheet.
Broil on the top rack for 1-2 minutes or until lightly toasted on top.
Flip each slice over, place a slice of Swiss cheese on top, and return to the broiler for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Keep a close eye on the cheese, as it can easily go from melted to burnt under the broiler.
Serving
Remove the bay leaves from the soup.
Using a ladle, serve the soup into bowls and float a slice of cheese toast on top of each serving.
The cheese toast will start to absorb the broth; this is exactly what you want.
French Onion Soup
Ingredients
~6 servings
- 2 1/2 lbs onions
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 Tbsp sugar
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 6 cups beef broth
- 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 loaf sourdough bread or french baguette
- 6 slices swiss cheese or grated Swiss cheese
Instructions
- Slice onions thinly and evenly.
- Melt butter and olive oil in large pot over medium heat.
- Add onions and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Increase heat to medium-high, add salt, and cook 15 minutes until golden.
- Add sugar and cook another 15 minutes, stirring regularly until deep golden brown.
- Pour in white wine, scrape pot bottom, and cook 2-3 minutes.
- Add beef broth, pepper, bay leaves, and thyme.
- Simmer 30 minutes until broth is rich and flavorful.
- Toast bread slices under broiler 1-2 minutes per side.
- Top bread with Swiss cheese and broil until melted and bubbly.
- Remove bay leaves from soup.
- Ladle soup into bowls and top with cheesy toast.
