Lunch / Dinner
French Onion Soup
You can’t rush a good French onion soup, but it doesn’t have to take all day either. This recipe prioritizes flavor as well as efficiency. Besides the cheesy topping — which everyone knows is the best part — the most important thing about French onion soup is that the onions are slowly caramelized. Sweating them over a lower flame for a longer period brings out their sweetness.
Ingredients
SWEAT:
DEGLAZE:
ADD:
Onion Options
Sweet onions, like Vidalia, Walla Walla, or Maui, make for a relatively sweet soup. If you prefer bolder flavors, you’ll love the mixture of yellow, white, and red onions used in this recipe. They’re easier to find year-round, anyway.
Instructions
Sweat onions and garlic in oil in a large pot over medium heat, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover pot, increase heat to medium-high and cook onions until caramelized, stirring frequently, 20 minutes.
Deglaze pot with wine and sherry; increase heat to high and simmer until liquids evaporate, stirring often. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute.
Add chicken and beef broths and thyme; simmer soup 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper, and discard thyme sprig.
Preheat broiler to high with rack 6–8 inches from element.
Divide soup among 4 ovensafe bowls, top each with baguette slices and cheeses. Place bowls on a baking sheet and broil until cheese is golden, 3–4 minutes.
Caramelizing the onion requires a bit of patience to ensure they don't burn. Go slowly so they'll be sweet and tender.
Float enough baguette slices on each bowl of soup so the cheese has a large platform to rest on.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 432
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 35%
Sodium 482mg 20%
Carbs 31g 10%
Fiber 3g 12%
Protein 21g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.