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Sweet caramelized onions and savory beef broth topped with rich and gooey cheese. A delicious crock of French Onion Soup is perfect for a cozy winter supper or romantic Valentine’s Day dinner.
French Onion Soup – A Big Bowl Of “I Love You”
One of the very first meals I made after my husband and I were married (not long after dinosaurs stopped roaming the earth) was French Onion Soup.
Tackling this classic recipe of French cuisine was a bit intimidating for a twenty-year-old bride who was still finding her way around the kitchen. However, as a new and starry-eyed bride, I was anxious both to impress my new husband and to demonstrate my love.
Since the French are renowned in the love department, surprising him with a dinner of French Onion Soup seemed like the perfect way to accomplish my goals and get our married life off to a great start.
And guess what? It worked! Four decades later, we’re still crazy about each other!
Okay, okay. No matter how delicious it may be, the recipe for a successful marriage obviously involves much more than a crock of soup. That may be a post (or several posts) for another day.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for ways to demonstrate love to the people you care about, serving them a bowl of rich, savory, delicious French Onion Soup isn’t a bad way to start.
Though this definitely doesn’t qualify as one of those quick-to-cook meals we love, making French Onion Soup is probably easier than you might think.
And one hundred percent worth the effort.
It’s All About the Onions – And Patience
When it comes to making French Onion Soup, the only tricky part is the preparation of the onions. The rest of it is simmering and serving.
You need to slice the onions about one-eighth of an inch thick. Of course, you can do that with a knife, but I really love my Borner V-slicer for this (and so much else). This baby gets a regular workout in my kitchen!
Once the onions are sliced, it’s time to cook them. This is the most crucial step. While not difficult, it is time-consuming, because you want the onions to be fully and beautifully caramelized, and that takes an hour. So plan accordingly.
You’ll start by melting butter on the stove in a large, very heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Then you’ll add the sliced onions, a little salt and pepper, turn the heat to low, and put a lid on the pot for about 5 minutes to soften the onions just slightly.
After that, you’ll give the onions a stir, put the lid bad on the pots, and let them cook on low for about 15 minutes. Then you’ll repeat the two more times, stirring the onions every 15 minutes for an hour.
These photos will give you an idea of how the onions will look at each interval.
As you can see, after an hour, the onions will be a deep, beautiful brown color and fully caramelized. Caramelization brings out the mellow sweetness of the onions and gives them the depth of flavor that makes French Onion Soup so delicious.
So don’t skip this step! Let the onions cook for the full hour!
The Next Part Is a Lot Faster
Once the onions are cooked, the rest of the soup will come together fairly quickly.
After the onions are cooked, I like to add some fresh, finely minced herbs. The herbs are absolutely necessary but I do think they add complexity and bring out the best in the broth.
This is the point where you stir a bit of flour into the onions to help thicken the broth just a little. Then, you’ll add a bay leaf, beef broth, wine, and a little balsamic vinegar to the pot.
I like to use red wine, but white wine would work too. However, avoid “cooking wine”. It’s got extra salt and not much flavor. Any decent, drinkable table wine will do here. A bit of balsamic vinegar adds a touch of acidity without being too sharp. You could substitute sherry if you prefer.
After bringing the liquid to a boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Finishing and Serving
Traditionally, French Onion Soup is served in individual ovenproof crocks, topped with some thick break and a generous helping of cheese, and put under the broiler to melt.
I have these crocks and use them for all kinds of things – soup, casseroles, pot pies, etc. They go from oven to table easily, and the simple design makes them work with my other dishes.
Those couple of minutes under the broiler add a bit of color and keep the soup piping hot when serving. I just think it looks extra nice that way! But if you don’t have ovenproof crocks, you can also pile some cheese onto bread, toast it in the oven, and then place it on soup in a regular bowl.
As a finishing touch, be sure to sprinkle on some fresh herbs as a garnish. It makes a gorgeous dish even more appetizing.
A big crock of French Onion Soup served with a nice green salad is a delicious and satisfying dinner. You really don’t need anything more. However, you might want to have dessert, too.
If you’re serving this for Valentine’s Day and want to stick with the French theme, take a peek at my recipe for Cherry Clafoutis. It’s so good!
French Onion Soup is perfect for a romantic Valentine meal, there really is no wrong time to serve this rich, savory, and oh-so-satisfying soup. It really is love in a bowl! Give it a try soon.
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French Onion Soup – And an Onion Guide!
- Yield: Serves 4 as an entrée, 8 as a starter 1x
Ingredients
- 2 lbs yellow onion, peeled and sliced to about 1/8 inch thickness
- 2 T unsalted butter
- 1 T flour
- 2 tsp thyme, minced fine (plus whole leaves or stems extra for garnish)
- 1 tsp rosemary, minced fine
- 1 cup red wine (can sub white wine)
- 2 T balsamic vinegar (can sub sherry)
- 4 cups beef stock
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 tsp salt
- Pepper
- 4 oz gruyere or Swiss cheese
- Sliced French or sourdough bread
Instructions
- Place butter in the large, heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat to melt. Add onions and ½ tsp Kosher salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Lower the heat and place lid on pot. Allow onions to sweat, softening slightly, for about 10 minutes.
- Stir onions with the butter, place lid back on pot and continue to cook on low. Stir the onions every 10 to 15 minutes for an hour, until the onions are caramelized, very soft, and have turned a deep, golden-brown color.
- Stir fresh herbs and flour into the cooked onions, stir to combine and cook for about two minutes.
- Slowly pour wine into pot, stirring as you pour. Add balsamic vinegar and beer broth. Increase heat and bring soup to a boil, then lower heat and allow the soup to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- While soup is simmering, preheat the broiler. (Steps from here to end are for soup finished and served in ovenproof crocks. If serving in regular bowls, see post for instructions.)
- Place ovenproof crocks or ramekins onto a rimmed baking sheet. Ladle soup into crocks. Place a thick slice of French or sourdough bread onto each crock. Divide cheese equally among the crocks.
- Place baking sheet with prepared soup crocks in the oven, about 5-6 inches under the broiler, for about 2 minutes, until cheese is melted and beginning to brown. (Watch carefully to avoid scorching!)
- Remove soup from oven. Garnish each serving with a bit of fresh thyme and serve immediately.
