Autumn / No. 14 / Caramelizing onions
French Onion Soup
Slowly caramelized onions simmered in rich stock with thyme and a splash of wine, topped with toasted bread and melted Gruyère under the broiler.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 50 min
- Total
- 2 hr 10 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
Photo: French onion soup (10613208176) by Ruth Hartnup from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
French onion soup is a lesson in patience disguised as a bistro classic. Three pounds of sliced onions cook down slowly in butter until they collapse into a sweet, deep-brown jam. Simmered with stock, thyme and a splash of wine, then crowned with toasted bread and bubbling Gruyère, they become one of the most satisfying bowls of the year.
There is no shortcut that tastes the same. Recipes that promise caramelized onions in ten minutes are describing browned onions, which are good but different. Plan on about an hour at the stove, stirring every few minutes, and let the onions tell you when they are ready.
Method
- 1
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and salt and stir to coat. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and have released their liquid.
- 2
Uncover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Whenever a brown film builds up on the bottom, add 2 tablespoons water and scrape it up. The onions are ready when they are deep golden-brown and jammy.
- 3
Add the wine and cook, scraping the pot, until it has almost evaporated.
- 4
Add the stock, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 30 minutes. Remove the herbs, stir in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
- 5
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400°F. Brush the baguette slices with olive oil and toast on a sheet pan for 8 to 10 minutes, until dry and golden.
- 6
Set the broiler to high. Arrange six oven-safe bowls on a rimmed baking sheet and ladle in the hot soup. Float a toast on each and pile the Gruyère and Parmesan over the top, letting some fall over the edges.
- 7
Broil for 2 to 4 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is melted, bubbling and browned in spots. Let stand a few minutes before serving; the bowls are very hot.
Cook's notes
- A mandoline or the slicing disk of a food processor makes quick work of the onions.
- Good stock is essential here; if using store-bought, choose a low-sodium one and simmer it with a parmesan rind for extra depth.
- No oven-safe bowls? Melt the cheese on the toasts under the broiler and float them on the soup.
Keeping
Without the topping, the soup keeps for 4 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. The caramelized onions alone freeze well in small portions.
Cooking times and temperatures are guides; ovens, stoves and ingredients vary. This recipe is for home cooking and is not dietary or medical advice. Check labels for allergens.
