French Onion Soup Traditional Recipes

AUTHENTIC FRENCH ONION SOUP COURTESY OF JULIA CHILD

Steps:

• Place heavy bottom stock pot or dutch over over medium-low heat.
• Add 1 Tbs cooking oil, 2Tbs butter to pot.
• Add sliced onions and stir until they are evenly coated with the oil.
• Cover and cook for about 20 minutes until they are very tender and translucent.
• To brown or caramelize the onions turn heat under pot to medium or medium high heat.
• Add 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt and continue to cook uncovered, stirring frequently until the onions have browned and reduced significantly.
• Once caramelized, reduce heat to medium-low and add 3 Tbs flour to the onions.
• Brown the flour for about 2-3 minutes trying not to scorch it. (If the flour does not form a thick paste, you can add a bit more butter here).
• Stir in about 1 cup of warm stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to get up all of the cooked-on bits.
• Add the rest of the stock, wine to the soup.
• Simmer for 30 minutes.
• To make the "croutes" (toasted bread), heat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Drizzle each side of the bread slices with a bit of olive oil and place on baking sheet.
• Cook the croutes for 15 minutes in oven on each side (30 minutes total).
• Check the soup for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.
• Transfer to a casserole dish.
• At this point you can add the 2-3 Tbs cognac and grate the 1/2 raw onion into the soup.
• Add a few ounces of the swiss cheese directly into the soup and stir.
• Place the toasted bread in a single layer on top of the soup.
• Sprinkle the rest of the cheese in a thick layer on top of the bread making sure to cover the edges of the toast to prevent burning.
• Drizzle with a little oil or melted butter.
• Place in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.
• Turn on broiler and brown cheese well.
• Let cool for a few minutes.
• Bon Apetit!

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.

CLASSIC FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the butter together with the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat, then add the white and red onions, leeks, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and salt and pepper to taste, and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until all the onions are caramelized, about 30 minutes.
• Add the sherry and cook until reduced by half, 10 to 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Add the beef stock, bring to a simmer and cook 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as desired.
• Preheat the broiler. Add the baguette toasts to each soup bowl and ladle soup over the top (they will rise to the top). Top each toast with the cheese and broil until the cheese browns, about 30 seconds.

THE BEST FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a very large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onions, bay leaves, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and light golden-brown, about 1 hour. (The onions will begin to stick to the bottom of the pan and turn brown after about 30 minutes; just keep scraping them up and stirring them into the rest of the onions. If they are browning to quickly, lower the heat.)
• Add the wine to the pot, bring to a simmer and cook until it has almost completely evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add the beef broth and 1 cup of water, bring to a simmer and cook until the flavors come together and the soup is rich, about 45 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Keep the soup warm on a low burner or cool completely and refrigerate to reheat later. (The soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
• Preheat the broiler. Place four soup crocks on a rimmed baking sheet and fill them about 3/4 of the way with hot soup. Float a slice of baguette on top of each and cover with 1/2 cup Gruyere. Broil until the Gruyere is golden brown (don't be alarmed if some soup bubbles out), 2 to 3 minutes.

CLASSIC FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, and cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown and caramelized, about 30-40 minutes.* Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the stockpot. Stir in beef stock, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 15-20 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Stir in white wine vinegar; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Preheat oven to broil. Place baguette slices onto a baking sheet. Place into oven and broil until golden brown on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side; set aside. Divide soup into ramekins or ovenproof bowls. Place onto a baking sheet. Top with baguette slices to cover the surface of the soup completely; sprinkle with cheeses. Place into oven and broil until golden brown and cheeses have melted; about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the slices with the Gruyere and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Ladle the soup in bowls and float several of the Gruyere croutons on top.
• Alternative method: Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and top with cheese. Put the bowls into the oven to toast the bread and melt the cheese.

CLASSIC FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil and butter over medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir until softened, 10-13 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Add minced garlic; cook 2 minutes longer., Stir in wine. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add broth, pepper and salt; return to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. , Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet; brush both sides with remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Bake until toasted, 3-5 minutes on each side. Rub toasts with halved garlic. , To serve, place twelve 8-oz. broiler-safe bowls or ramekins on baking sheets; place 2 toasts in each. Ladle with soup; top with cheese. Broil 4 in. from heat until cheese is melted.

RICH AND SIMPLE FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter with olive oil in an 8 quart stock pot on medium heat. Add onions and continually stir until tender and translucent. Do not brown the onions.
• Add beef broth, sherry and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven broiler.
• Ladle soup into oven safe serving bowls and place one slice of bread on top of each (bread may be broken into pieces if you prefer). Layer each slice of bread with a slice of provolone, 1/2 slice diced Swiss and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Place bowls on cookie sheet and broil in the preheated oven until cheese bubbles and browns slightly.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large heavy-based pan. Add the onions and fry with the lid on for 10 mins until soft.
• Sprinkle in the sugar and cook for 20 mins more, stirring frequently, until caramelised. The onions should be really golden, full of flavour and soft when pinched between your fingers. Take care towards the end to ensure that they don't burn.
• Add the garlic cloves for the final few minutes of the onions' cooking time, then sprinkle in the plain flour and stir well.
• Increase the heat and keep stirring as you gradually add the wine, followed by the beef stock. Cover and simmer for 15-20 mins.
• To serve, turn on the grill, and toast the bread. Ladle the soup into heatproof bowls.
• Put a slice or two of toast on top of the bowls of soup, and pile on the gruyère. Grill until melted. Alternatively, you can cook the toasts under the grill, then add them to the soup to serve.

FRENCH ONION SOUP I

Steps:

• Melt butter or margarine in a 4 quart saucepan. Stir in sugar. Cook onions over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Stir in flour until well blended with the onions and pan juices. Add water, wine, and beef broth; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover soup, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Cut four 1 inch thick slices of bread from the loaf. Toast the bread slices at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) just until browned, about 10 minutes. Reserve the remaining bread to serve with the soup.
• Ladle soup into four 12 ounce, oven-safe bowls. Place 1 slice toasted bread on top of the soup in each bowl. Fold Swiss cheese slices, and fit onto toasted bread slices. Place soup bowls on a cookie sheet for easier handling.
• Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 10 minutes, or just until cheese is melted

EASY FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Place onions and butter in saucepan.
• Sauté on medium heat until onions are tender.
• Add garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes (don't let garlic burn).
• Add beef broth, consomme, and Woschershire sauce.
• Bring to a boil for 1 minute.
• Take ovenproof bowls (I use over-sized coffee mugs) and place 0.125 cup of cheese in bottom of each bowl.
• Fill bowl with soup leaving room at the top.
• Place toasted French bread on top.
• Top with 0.125 cup Swiss cheese.
• Place under broiler until cheese is bubbly.
• Serve immediately.
• Caution--bowls will be hot!

MICHAEL RULMAN'S TRADITIONAL FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Place a 7 1/2-quart enameled cast-iron pot over medium heat; melt butter. Add onions and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt; cover, and cook until onions have heated through and started to steam. Uncover and reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally, until amber and cooked down, about 3 hours. Season with pepper.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200 degrees.
• Place bread slices on a baking sheet and transfer to oven. Let dry completely, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Add 6 cups water to pot with onions; increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Immediately reduce heat to low. Add sherry; season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of vinegar, if desired, to cut sweetness. For more depth of flavor add a splash of red wine, if desired.
• Preheat broiler. Divide soup evenly among 4 to 6 ovenproof bowls; top with toasted bread. Divide cheese evenly among bowls. Transfer bowls to broiler; broil until cheese is melted and browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

FRENCH ONION SOUP (TRADITIONAL)

Steps:

• For the Soup:.
• Cut of tops and bottoms of the onions, then cut the onions lengthwise in half.
• Remove the peels and tough outer layers. Cut a V wedge in each one to remove the core.
• Lay an onion half cut side down on a cutting board with the root end towards you. Note that there are lines on the outside of the onion. Cutting on the lines (with the grain) rather than against them will help the onions soften.
• Melt the butter in a large heavy stockpot over a medium heat.
• Add the onions and 1 tablespoon salt, and reduce the heat to low.
• Cook stirring every 15 minutes and regulating the heat to keep the mixture bubbling gently, for about 1 hour, or until the onions have wilted and released a lot of liquid.
• Continue to stir the onions every 15 minutes being sure to scrape the bottom and corners of the pot, for about 3 hours or until the onions are caramelized throughout.
• Sift in the flour and cook over a medium-high heat, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the beef stock, bring to a simmer, and simmer for about 1 hour.
• Season to taste with salt, pepper.
• For the Croutons:.
• Preheat the broiler/grill.
• Cut 12 3/8 inch thick slices from the baguette (reserve the remainder for another use) and place on a baking sheet.
• Brush the bread lightly on both sides with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.
• Place under the broiler/grill and toast the first side until golden brown then turn and brown the second side.
• Set aside and leave the broiler on.
• To Complete:.
• Place six flameproof soup bowls, with about 1 ½ cups capacity on a baking sheet to catch any spills. Add the hot soup to the bowls and lay the croutons on top.
• Cover with Gruyere.
• Place under the grill for a few minutes until the cheese bubbles, browns and forms a thick crust.
• Eat carefully the soup will be very hot.
• Cooks Note: One of the most unpleasant tasks associated with French Onion soup is chopping the mounds of onions required. I've found that if I wear my sunglasses, pushed as far up my nose as possible, the tears never really come. When sliced, onions produce a gas that mixes with your natural tears creating an acid very similar to sulfuric acid. By wearing the sunglasses so close to your eyes it doesn't allow the gas to get inches Works like a charm!

FRENCH ONION SOUP IV

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium high heat, saute the onions in the butter or margarine for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Add the consomme, broth, water and wine. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In individual oven-proof bowls, break up Swiss cheese slices and place one slice in the bottom of each bowl. Place one slice of bread on each slice of cheese. Ladle in the soup, place another slice of bread on top and cover with more Swiss cheese. Put bowls in the oven and allow cheese to melt on top.

FRENCH ONION SOUP RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium-low heat, heat olive oil and add butter. Once the butter is melted, stir the onions and coat with oil and butter.
• Cover and cook for 20 minutes, checking occasionally.
• Turn up the heat to medium-high. Add ½ tsp salt and sugar. Stir and keep cooking until onions are brown and caramelized. (the bottom of the pan will develop some browning, it's very important!)
• Stir in flour one tablespoon at a time and cook for about 30 seconds.
• Preheat Oven To 325˚F (160˚C).
• Add 1 cup (235 ml) of the beef broth. Use a whisk to scrape up (deglaze) the browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan.
• Add the remaining five cups of beef stock, wine, sage and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes.
• In the meantime, cut the french bread or baguette into ½ inch (10 mm) thick pieces. Brush with oil on both sides and bake at 325˚F (160˚C) for 30 minutes, flipping halfway. Once they are done, increase oven temperature to 350˚F (175˚C).
• Add optional ingredients.
• In an oven safe bowl, pour the onion soup, filling about ¾ of the way full. Top with a piece of baked french bread, and generously sprinkle swiss and parmesan on top.
• Bake for two to three minutes or until the cheese has melted completely and become slightly golden.
• Enjoy!

EASY AND AMAZING FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Heat vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions; cook, stirring frequently, until well browned, about 20 minutes. Add garlic; stir constantly for 1 minute. Pour in beef broth, chicken broth, and pale ale. Stir black pepper and bay leaves into the soup.
• Bring soup to a simmer. Cover and simmer until flavors combine, about 30 minutes.
• Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler on low. Spread French bread slices on a baking sheet.
• Broil French bread slices until very lightly toasted, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Divide mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese evenly over bread.
• Broil bread until cheeses are bubbly and browned, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Ladle soup into serving bowls and top each bowl with a slice of French bread.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• In a large covered saucepan, cook onions and garlic in butter over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes or until tender and golden, stirring occasionally. Add water, bouillon and Worcestershire sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. , Ladle hot soup into six ovenproof bowls. Top each with a piece of French bread. Cut each slice of cheese in half and place over the bread. Broil until cheese melts. Serve immediately.