The “trick” to making a flavorful soup is to use sweet onions. I swear by them. Whether it’s a Vidalia from Georgia or a Maui Sweet, caramelizing a premium onion will make your soup taste that much better. When I’ve got beef stock made I like to use my own, but using Better Than Bouillon (pictured above) will still yield a much more flavorful soup base than using a canned or boxed broth. Traditionally the French used croutons, but I’m a big fan of a slab of Texas toast (which tastes even better if you slather it in garlic before toasting it). The only thing that would make this soup better is having crocks–all I have is bowls so I’m not able to get that cheese-dripping-off-everything look that a restaurant version will have.
French Onion Soup
–2 lbs. sweet onions, thinly sliced into rounds and separated into rings
–1/2 stick of butter, divided
–4 cups condensed beef broth
–1 1/2 TBSP Worcestershire
–salt and pepper to taste
–8 slices french bread or Texas toast, toasted
–Parmesan or Gruyere cheese, either 4 oz. grated or 6 thin slices
Add the beef broth, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper to the pot. Bring to a roiling boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes before scooping soup into bowls.
For this version, I topped each soup bowl with a piece of toasted garlic-smeared Texas toast before covering the open surface (toast, soup and all) will grated Parmesan cheese. Just pop a tray of trussed up soup bowls into the oven and broil for a few minutes until the cheese melts and browns slightly.
Dammit Jim, I’m a cook, not a doctor…
Time: 55 minutes
Serves: 6
Calories: 377 per serving
