French Onion Soup
A rich and delicious caramelized onion soup topped with melted Gruyere cheese on French bread!
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 3 oz white wine
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 8 cups beef stock, unsalted or low sodium
- 1 bay leaf
- bouquet garni of 5 sprigs of thyme, 1 sprig oregano, and two sprigs of parsley see notes for dried alternative
- 3 oz brandy
- french bread, lightly toasted
- 8 oz gruyere cheese
- 2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed for garnish
- additional salt to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large soup pot or large dutch oven over medium heat then add the onions. Cook the onions for approximately 5 min over medium to medium-high heat then add the sugar. Stir occasionally. Continue to cook the onions until they begin to caramelize to a deep golden brown. You do not need all onions to brown, but a good mix of caramelized onions and less cooked onions is ideal.
- Once onions are caramelized, add garlic, salt and pepper and stir. Let cook for 1 minute.
- Add wine to deglaze the pan and continue to cook for 2 minutes to cook out the alcohol. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release the browned bits (fond).
- Add beef stock, tomato paste, bouquet garni (see notes), bay leaf and brandy. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer, partially cover the pot with a lid and continue to simmer for 30-40 minutes.
- While soup is simmering, thinly slice or grate the cheese, and cut slices of crusty bread that will cover the top of the bowl. Toast bread lightly - this prevents the bread from getting too soggy once placed on top of the soup.
- Once ready, taste the soup and add additional salt to taste as needed. Then ladle soup into oven-safe bowls and cover with bread. Sprinkle cheese on top of bread, as much as you prefer. Place soup bowls in an oven safe tray or dish and place them on the middle rack to broil for 2-5 minutes until cheese has melted completely and begins to brown.
- Remove soup bowls from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Top with fresh thyme leaves for garnish.
Notes
- For the bouquet garni you can use fresh or dried herbs. For fresh herbs, use 5 sprigs of thyme, 1 sprig oregano, and two sprigs of parsley. For dried herbs, use 1 teaspoon of each herb. If using fresh herbs, wrap all the herbs in a cheesecloth with the bay leaf and tie it with kitchen twine.
Nutrition
Serving: 16OzCalories: 678kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 35gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 2652mgPotassium: 1234mgFiber: 4gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 977IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 681mgIron: 4mg
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