Classic Wines

French Onion Soup Recipe

This is a classic recipe for French Onion Soup. I got it from my On Cooking textbook and made a few changes from how I've seen chefs treat the soup. It yields approximately four quarts of soup. You'll need:

Patience. The onions will have to cook slowly - think of them relaxing at the beach (or your pot) and then coming back with a full blown, really, really dark tan. Let the onions relax in the heat, so that all of its flavors come to life.

A large soup pot and a stirring device

Soup crocks (if you're broiling)

A sheet tray would come in handy for placing the soups into the oven or the broiler (you could place multiple soup crocks on the tray and avoid spills and burns)

Clarified butter, or ghee (for this recipe, you need 8 oz. of clarified butter, so place two sticks of butter in a small pot on low heat, let the butter melt, and when the milk solids come to the surface, skim them off. We remove the milk solids because they burn)

Croutons, take a day-old baguette, cut it into small cubes, and toss them into some hot clarified butter or oil. While the onions are working, toast them until they are a pretty, gold color. Season your croutons lightly (salt and pepper work fine, but you can get a creative, too), remove them from the pan, let them cool, and try not to snack on them too much while the onion soup is still cooking.

For vegans, use a blend of oils - olive and canola work well, but try adding a little bit of a flavorful oil, too. Sesame oil and peanut oil can add a little nuttiness, which could make the overall flavor of the soup more interesting - but only use a little of these oils as they have a strong, dominant flavor that could overpower your dish! You'll need 8 fl. oz. of your oil blend and 8 qt., or two gallons, of veggie stock.

10 lb. Yellow onions, sliced thin
8 fl. oz. Clarified butter
8 fl. oz. Red wine (optional)
4 qt. Bovine stock (beef or veal)
4 qt. Feathered stock (chicken or duck)
2 TBSP Fresh thyme
Salt and pepper (To Taste)
8 fl. oz. Sherry
Homemade croutons (As needed)
Gruyere, or other cheese choices, grated As needed

1. Sauté the onions in the butter over low heat - avoid the sizzling sound of an excited, hot pan. Slowly caramelize the onions without burning (it could take an hour or more).


2. Deglaze a pan with half of the wine and 8 oz. of the bovine stock. Cook until it's almost dry, and repeat the process, until your onions are a very dark, even brown. Do all this under low heat.


3. Add the remaining stocks and thyme.


4. Bring to a simmer and cook 20 minutes to develop flavors and set your oven on broil. Adjust seasonings and add the sherry.


5. Serve in warm bowls, and top each portion with the croutons and a generous serving of cheese(s). Place them in the oven, or in a broiler if you have one, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.


6. Enjoy!