There are a few things on Earth that are just simple and perfect, and right up there on the list is French Onion Soup. As a snack, an appetizer, hell, even a meal, this soup is hot and delicious and always appropriate.
I've been playing around with a bunch of recipes these last few years, and the soup was always good but still missing the mark. I think I have finally nailed it with this version. It is sweet without being too sweet; salty without being too salty. The onions are plentiful and the broth is enough. We used some sliced Gruyere and croutons to top it off and we agreed, it was great.
I used Vidalia onions on this batch, but any sweet, white onion will do well. You need about 6 cups, sliced thin, so this was about 3 large onions for me. They start off in a big pile, but sauté down nicely. They need to cook until soft and beginning to look translucent; I always cook them even longer because I like them when they are starting to caramelize. The natural sugar from this slow cook process adds just enough sweetness to the soup, and that is perfect.
Once the onions are good, a little salt and pepper and flour are added and creates a bit of a thickening roux. Dry sherry is next; the alcohol will burn off but the sherry taste remains and adds a bit of complexity to the final soup. At this point, the beef broth and thyme sprigs go in the soup pot... then the French Onion Soup trifecta is added.
If these items are not in your culinary arsenal - they need to be! Beef base is a thick beef paste that is added to almost all beef meals around here. I'm not sure exactly what's going on in that container, but it looks, smells and tastes like super concentrated beef consommé, no bouillon. It amps up the beef flavor without creating volume. The G Washington's Rich Brown Seasoning is a box of 8 individual foil packets that have a beefy brown seasoning inside. They also make a Golden flavor for poultry and it takes center stage in my gravies. The Gravy Master is another browning and caramelizing sauce that adds color, richness and complexity to dishes. These three together are just what the doctor ordered in this soup, and so I used them all.
The soup simmers for about a half hour and then it's ready for finishing under the broiler.
First big ladles full of soup are added to your soup crocks. Then handfuls of croutons are floated on the soup. Finally, a few slices of Gruyere cheese is added on top and the whole dish is placed under the broiler for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and beginning to turn golden brown.
The soup is piping hot and the cheese is super melty when it's done and nothing could be finer!
Some folks like Worcestershire sauce or Dijon mustard in their French Onion soup and to that I say, "Go for it!" Choose Swiss cheese over Gruyere if you like. What matters here is that the onions are soft, there is a good broth to onion to cheese and bread ratio and that it all pleases your taste buds!
This recipe made four servings and would be easy to double and freeze for later. (I would just freeze the soup and save the croutons and cheese addition for when you thaw /reheat it.)
So if you are looking for a delicious meal - try this French Onion Soup. You won't be sorry!
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