My best girlfriend came to visit in January and insisted on cooking several meals whilst here, including this lovely comforting soup. Below is her recipe, slightly modified from Julia Child’s.
The key to French Onion soup is the slow cooking of the onions in butter and oil, followed by a long, slow simmering in stock. This helps them to develop the rich flavor this soup is known for.
6-8 servings
Ingredients:
I head garlic, peeled and minced
2-3 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 yellow onions. thinly sliced
1 white onion, thinly sliced
-this makes around 5 cups of onion
OR: 5 cups thinly sliced yellow onions for a simpler flavour
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons flour
2 quarts beef stock, boiling
1/2 cup dry white wine ( I use vermouth)
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons cognac – OPTIONAL ( I didn’t like it but my husband did!)
4-6 rounds of hard-toasted French bread (a good way to use up stale bread!)
1-2 cups grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1) Cook the onions slowly in the butter and oil in a covered saucepan for 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to medium and stir in the salt and sugar. The sugar will help the onions to brown. Cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions have turned a deep golden brown.
2) Sprinkle in the flour and stir over heat for 3 minutes. Off heat, blend in the stock. Add the wine and season to taste. Simmer partially covered for another 30-40 minutes or more, skimming if needed. Correct seasonings.
3) Just before serving, stir in the cognac. Place rounds of bread in soup bowls or a tureen and pour soup on top. Sprinkle with grated cheese and brown under a hot broiler until golden and bubbly. Serve immediately.