American French Onion Soup Recipes

JULIA CHILD'S FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Place a heavy-bottom stockpot or dutch oven on a stove over medium-low heat. Add cooking oil and butter. Saute onions until evenly coated with oil and butter.
• Cover the pot and let it sit until onions are soft and translucent, about 20 minutes. For caramelized onions, turn the heat to medium or medium-high. Stir in sugar and salt and cook uncovered, stirring often until onions are browned and reduced.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in the flour. Stir for 2-3 minutes, or until the flour and butter form a thick paste. If paste not achieved, add more butter.
• Mix in 1 cup of warm beef stock. Scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching. Stir in the remaining stock and wine. Let the soup simmer for 30 minutes.
• For the croutons or toasted bread, preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Drizzle bread with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake the bread for 15 minutes at 325 degrees F. Flip the slices over and bake for another 15 minutes.
• Once the soup has simmered, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour the soup into a casserole dish. Stir in cognac, the 1/2 raw onion (grated), and a few ounces of Swiss cheese.
• Top the soup with toasted bread in a single layer. Top the bread with the remaining Swiss and Parmesan cheese. Be sure all the edges of bread are covered to avoid burning. Drizzle with oil or melted butter.
• Bake the casserole at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Turn on the broiler and brown the cheeses.
• Let the soup cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!

AMERICAN FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large, oven-safe skillet on medium heat. Stir in onions until they are all coated in butter. Transfer skillet to the preheated oven and cook onions, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and well browned, about 1 hour.
• Transfer skillet to the stovetop; cook and stir onions over medium heat until they start to brown and stick to the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes. Pour sherry and vinegar into the pan, and bring to a boil while scraping browned bits of onion off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
• Place caramelized onions in a large soup pot. Pour in chicken broth, beef broth, and thyme. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam and fat that appear on top. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
• Generously brush French bread slices with melted butter. Place on a baking sheet and broil in the preheated oven until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes.
• Ladle soup into heat-proof bowls, top each bowl with a piece of toasted bread, sprinkle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of Cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese.
• Broil bowls of soup under the broiler until cheese is golden and bubbly, 5 to 6 minutes.