French Onion Soup
Tom Ashworth Demo- Makes
- 24 servings
- Active
- 1 h 38 min
- Total
- 2 h 40 min
You’ll Need Heavy pot or Dutch oven (5 to 6 quarts (about 5 l)), Ovenproof soup bowls (12 ounces (350 ml) each) or ramekins or small gratin dishes, Rimmed baking sheet lined with foil
Method
Soup
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Melt in the pot over medium heat. Add , toss to coat them in butter and cover. Turn the heat down to medium-low and leave them to steep, untouched, for .
the onions have collapsed and released a lot of liquid[object Object]
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Uncover, raise the heat slightly and stir in . Cook, stirring every five minutes or so, for longer, until the onions are an even, deep golden brown. Turn the heat down if they colour too fast.
evenly deep golden brown, sweet and very softno pale or scorched patchesthe liquid has cooked away before any real browning begins[object Object]
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Add , if using, and scrape up any onion stuck to the pot. Cook until the liquid disappears.
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Add , and plenty of . Bring to a simmer, partly cover and simmer for . Taste for salt and fish out the bay leaf or thyme.
Cool and refrigerate the soup for up to 4 days.[object Object]
Toasts and Gratin
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While the soup simmers, heat the broiler, or heat the oven as hot as it will go if you have no broiler.
260 °C -
Unless is already stale, toast the slices lightly until firm. Rub each one lightly with the cut .
firm and dry, barely coloured -
Set the bowls on a foil-lined baking sheet and ladle in the hot soup. Fit a toast on top of each, trimming it if needed, and cover with .
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Slide the sheet under the broiler until the cheese is melted and browned at the edges. Serve straight away; the soup stays hot for a good .
260 °Cthe cheese bubbles and has deep brown spots, especially at the rim[object Object]
From Tom Ashworth
Nearly all the flavour here comes from the onions, so the method is about patience: a covered sweat to soften them, then up to an hour and a half of slow browning until they are evenly mahogany and sweet. Everything else is cheap and easy to find; a robust stock and real Gruyère or Comté make the difference.
Notes
- Buy an extra onion or two. Winter onions are often bruised inside, and you will want the full weight.
- Timing varies a lot between stoves. If the onions brown before 40 minutes are up, turn the heat down or move to a smaller burner. The longer they cook, the deeper the flavour, but stop when you like the taste.
- Stock: beef is classic; chicken works, and a mushroom stock makes an excellent vegetarian version.
- Herbs are optional: a bay leaf or a few sprigs of thyme.
- Bowls: about eight 12-ounce (350 ml) ovenproof crocks, or six larger 16-ounce bowls.
- Bread: slices left out overnight to go stale need no toasting.
Storage
The soup without bread and cheese keeps for 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Top only the portions you are serving.
Make Ahead
Make the soup up to the end of the simmer a few days ahead; toast, top and broil just before serving.
When to Start
Plan backwards from a time
Filed under Soup · Western Europe › France · Vegetables · Soup · French Onion Soup. Tags: #budget, #cheese, #winter.