Chef Pachucos French Onion Soup Recipes

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the oil, onions, salt, pepper, and sugar. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until onions are deep golden brown and caramelized, 45 to 55 minutes. In the beginning, you will only need to stir the onions only occasionally. As they start to brown midway through cooking, you will need to stir them frequently, scraping the fond (the brown particles) from the bottom of the pan. If the onions are browning too quickly, reduce the heat slightly or add a few tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan and continue cooking.
• Add the wine and raise the heat to high. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape any fond from the bottom of the pan, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated and the onions are jammy, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute.
• Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, covered, for about 30 minutes.
• While the soup simmers, preheat the oven to 400°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Arrange the baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until the bread is dry, crisp, and golden at edges, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
• When the soup is finished, remove the bay leaves and add the sherry; taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. If the soup needs a deeper flavor, try a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce. If it's not quite sweet enough, add ¼ teaspoon sugar.
• Adjust an oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Set individual broiler-safe crocks on a baking sheet and divide the hot soup among the crocks (be sure the soup is very hot as it won't warm up much in the oven). Top each crock with 1 or 2 baguette slices (do not overlap slices) and sprinkle evenly with Gruyère and then Parmigianno Reggiano. Slide the crocks into the oven and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly around edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Let the crocks cool for a few minutes before serving. (Alternatively, if using regular soup bowls: Top each toast slice with some cheese and return to broiler to melt, about 2 minutes more. Divide the soup among bowls and top each serving with two cheese toasts.)
• Make-Ahead Instructions: The soup can be made and refrigerated up to 3 days ahead (without toasts or cheese), or up to 3 months ahead and frozen. Toasts can be made (without the cheese) and kept sealed at room temperature for up to 3 days.

CHEF PACHUCO'S FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large stockpot (6 quarts or larger). Stir in sugar, herbs, and bay leaves. Cook onions over a medium-low heat until golden brown (1/2 hour to an hour), stirring often (so as not to burn).
• Stir in flour until well blended with the onions and pan juices. Add wine and beef broth. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 2 hours.
• Cut 1 inch thick slices of French baguette bread (depends on how many you are serving). Toast the bread at 325 degrees, until golden brown (about 10 minutes).
• Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls or crocks. Place one slice of toasted bread on top of the soup in each bowl. Place a piece of the smoked provolone cheese centered on top of each piece of bread. Place all bowls on a baking sheet for easier handling.
• Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden brown.

TUSCAN ONION SOUP (CARABACCIA)

Steps:

• Trim ends off onions; halve and peel. Cut onions into thin slices lengthwise along the grain.
• Heat olive oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and kosher salt. Cook and stir until starting to turn translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and sweet, about 1 hour.
• Add sage leaves, pepper, cinnamon, and almonds to the onions. Cook and stir until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a soup pot. Pour in red wine vinegar and broth. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Place Italian bread on the baking sheet. Drizzle some olive oil over the bread; sprinkle sliced sage and some Parmesan cheese on top.
• Toast in the preheated oven until browned, about 15 minutes.
• Ladle soup into serving bowls and top each with a piece of toast. Drizzle remaining olive oil over the toast and sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top. Dunk toast into the soup and let soak for a few minutes before serving.

CHEF PACHUCO'S CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200°.
• Place tortillas on baking sheet. When oven is preheated, place tortillas in oven for 15-20 minutes, flipping once, to dry out (you do not want moist tortillas in this case).
• When tortillas are dried out, cut into ¼ inch wide by 2 inch strips.
• Boil chicken breasts in the chicken broth until they turn white in color and float.
• Chop onion, tomatoes, and garlic. Set aside in bowl.
• Chop cilantro. Set aside in another bowl.
• Place poblano peppers under broiler or over the flame from a gas stove burner until the skin turns black in color.
• Place poblanos in a plastic bag (you can use one like those you get at the grocery store) for 10-15 minutes.
• When peppers are ready, take out of bag, run under cold water, and with hands (you may wish to use gloves), remove skin, seeds, and veins.
• Chop the poblanos, and add to bowl with onion, tomatoes, and garlic.
• In a skillet, heat enough oil to cover generously, the bottom of the skillet. Fry tortilla strips in the oil until golden brown (fry a little bit at a time; it is both easier to control, and gives more even browning).
• Drain tortilla strips on some paper toweling to remove excess grease.
• In the same oil, sauté onion, tomatoes, garlic, and poblanos until onion turns translucent.
• Chop or shred chicken (is a matter of preference), then add to skillet with vegetables. Simmer for 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Add tomato sauce and tomato paste, as well as all spices to the chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
• Add vegetables from skillet and about one handful of cilantro (set remaining cilantro aside to use as a garnish if you choose) to the broth.
• Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until cilantro turns black in color. Crush up approximately ¾ of the tortilla strips in a Ziploc bag until they are like bread crumbs, then add to pot.
• Simmer until tortilla strips dissolve, stirring occasionally. When tortilla strips are dissolved, you are finished and ready to plate.
• Serving suggestions are to shred some Monterey Jack cheese, and chop up some avocado, more onion and cilantro. Place these items along with some of the remaining tortilla strips on top of a piping hot bowl of soup.

AMERICAN FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large, oven-safe skillet on medium heat. Stir in onions until they are all coated in butter. Transfer skillet to the preheated oven and cook onions, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and well browned, about 1 hour.
• Transfer skillet to the stovetop; cook and stir onions over medium heat until they start to brown and stick to the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes. Pour sherry and vinegar into the pan, and bring to a boil while scraping browned bits of onion off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
• Place caramelized onions in a large soup pot. Pour in chicken broth, beef broth, and thyme. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam and fat that appear on top. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
• Generously brush French bread slices with melted butter. Place on a baking sheet and broil in the preheated oven until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes.
• Ladle soup into heat-proof bowls, top each bowl with a piece of toasted bread, sprinkle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of Cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese.
• Broil bowls of soup under the broiler until cheese is golden and bubbly, 5 to 6 minutes.