Superior French Onion Soup
Patience and time are important factors in caramelizing the onions to obtain the incredible rich broth that is the essence of a well-made French onion soup.
Recipe Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
8 cups water
2 1/2 tablespoons beef base or bouillon granules
2 teaspoons chicken base or bouillon granules
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 stalk celery, halved
2 large bay leaves
4 sourdough bread slices, toasted
1 cup shredded shredded Swiss cheese or Gruyère
Cooking Directions:
- Melt butter in large, heavy cooking pot. Add the onions and slowly cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat until onions have turned deep golden in color. This should take 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Do not rush this process, cooking the onions faster may cause them to have a bitter flavor, rather than the yummy caramelized flavor only obtained through patience.
- Once the onions have reached the "perfect" color, add the water, beef and chicken bases, white wine, Worcestershire sauce, celery and bay leaves. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the celery and bay leaves.
- Preheat oven broiler. To serve soup. Ladle soup into oven-proof bowls. Top each bowl with a slice of toast and grated cheese. Broil until cheese melts and bubbles. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/4 of recipe): 365.3 calories; 53% calories from fat; 21.9g total fat; 61.0mg cholesterol; 608.8mg sodium; 238.5mg potassium; 25.5g carbohydrates; 2.0g fiber; 3.3g sugar; 23.5g net carbs; 12.7g protein.
Recipe and photograph by Hope Cantil; copyright © 1999; property of CooksRecipes.com. See Terms of Use.