Good French onion soup should be made with little more than water, onions, bread, and cheese. Using chicken or beef stock in such a peasant dish not only betrays the soup’s economical roots but also muddles the soup’s pure onion flavor.
Total Time
4hr 30min
4.2
12 Ratings
Author: Alexandra's Kitchen
Servings:
6
Ingredients
•
1
tbsp
Butter
•
18
cups
Onions
•
to taste
Kosher Salt
•
to taste
Ground Black Pepper
•
6
slices
Country White Bread
•
1/3
cup
Sherry Wine
•
1
tbsp
Red Wine Vinegar
or White Wine Vinegar or White Balsamic Vinegar
(optional)
•
1
tbsp
Red Wine
(optional)
•
2
cups
Gruyère Cheese
, grated
or Comte Cheese
•
6
cups
Water
Cooking Instructions
1.
Prepare two large bowls — one for the scraps and one for the Onions (18 cups). A bench scraper is nice to have close by, too. Start by trimming off the ends of each onion, collecting scraps in one of the bowls as you go.
2.
Next, score the outside layer of each onion.
3.
Then use your knife to peel away the skin.
4.
Cut each onion in half.
5.
Slice the onions thinly making cuts perpendicular to the rings.
6.
Place a large pot (7 to 8 quarts) over medium heat and melt the Butter (1 tbsp). Add onions, and sprinkle generously with Kosher Salt (to taste). Cover, and cook until the onions have heated through and started to steam.
7.
Uncover, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally. I cooked mine for about 3 hours at low to medium-low heat. Season with several grinds of Ground Black Pepper (to taste).
8.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). Place the Country White Bread (6 slices) in the oven and let dry completely. You can leave the slices in the oven for a few hours, as the heat is not high enough to burn them.
9.
When the onions have completely cooked down, the water has cooked off, and the onions have turned amber, add Water (6 cups). Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low.
10.
Add the Sherry Wine (1/3 cup). Taste and season with Kosher Salt (to taste) and Ground Black Pepper (to taste) as needed. If the soup is too sweet, add the Red Wine Vinegar (1 tbsp). If you would like a little more depth, add a splash of Red Wine (1 tbsp).
11.
Preheat the broiler.
12.
Portion the soup into bowls, top with a slice of bread, cover with Gruyère Cheese (2 cups). Broil until cheese is melted and nicely browned. Serve immediately.
Author's Notes
Note: Plan ahead. Slicing the onions takes time, and cooking the onions takes time, too — 3 to 4 hours.
Nutrition Per Serving
CALORIES
378
FAT
14.7 g
PROTEIN
16.3 g
CARBS
43.9 g
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