Golden Brown 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.

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.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Trim the ends off each onion then halve lengthwise. Remove peel and finely slice into half-moon shapes. Set electric skillet to 300 degrees and add butter. Once butter has melted add a layer of onions and sprinkle with a little salt. Repeat layering onions and salt until all onions are in the skillet. Do not try stirring until onions have sweated down for 15 to 20 minutes. After that, stir occasionally until onions are dark mahogany and reduced to approximately 2 cups. This should take 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not worry about burning.
• Add enough wine to cover the onions and turn heat to high, reducing the wine to a syrup consistency. Add consomme, chicken broth, apple cider and bouquet garni. Reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
• Place oven rack in top 1/3 of oven and heat broiler.
• Cut country bread in rounds large enough to fit mouth of oven safe soup crocks. Place the slices on a baking sheet and place under broiler for 1 minute.
• Season soup mixture with salt, pepper and cognac. Remove bouquet garni and ladle soup into crocks leaving one inch to the lip. Place bread round, toasted side down, on top of soup and top with grated cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

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.

GOLDEN BROWN FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy pot. When foaming add onions and salt. Fry for 30-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to burn or they will become bitter. Let onions turn a deep, rich brown.
• Remove from heat and stir in flour. Return to heat stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes.
• Pour in liquids. Simmer for 30 minutes.
• Pour into crocks, top with thick slice of French bread and then Swiss cheese. Broil until bubbly.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Set a 12-inch electric skillet to 250ºF, or set a 4-quart saucepan over low heat.
• Peel the onions. Halve the onions end to end, then slice into thin half-moons.
• Melt the butter in the skillet. Add the onions to the skillet in 3 layers, adding about 1 teaspoon of salt to the top of each addition. Let the onions sweat for 15 to 20 minutes without stirring; do not let the onions sizzle or brown. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are dark mahogany and reduced to approximately 2 cups, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Add just enough wine to cover the onions (you might not use all the wine, and that's OK), then turn the heat to 375ºF (or high). Cook until the wine is reduced to a syrup consistency, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the beef consommé, chicken broth, and the bouquet garni. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, set an oven rack in the top third of the oven and set the broiler to high. Cut the bread into rounds that will fit into the tops of the crocks. (You can do this with the crocks by inverting them over the bread and pressing down, like a cookie cutter.) Place the bread slices on a half-sheet pan and broil until they just start to brown, about 1 minute.
• Season the soup with pepper and Cognac, if using. Place 8 oven-safe crocks on a half-sheet pan and ladle in the soup, leaving about 1 inch of space at the top. Place the toast rounds, toasted side down, on top of the soup and top with the cheese. Broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

GOLDEN ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Heat butter and oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and cook, covered, stirring occasionaly, until very tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Sprinkle with flour and cook for 2 minutes; stir in vinegar.
• Add wine and simmer for 3 minutes. Add thyme, broth, and 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Spoon soup into bowls and sprinkle with cheese and aditional thyme, if desired.
• TIPS & TECHNIQUES.
• MAKE-AHEAD TIP: Freeze the soup (without cheese) for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat, covered, in a saucepan over medium heat. Top with chese and additional thyme before serving, if desired.

GOLDEN ONION SOUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add onions; cook and stir until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually add broth and milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; cook and stir for 1 minute., Reduce heat. Add cheese; heat just until cheese is melted (do not boil).