FRENCH ONION SOUP: THE COOK'S ILLUSTRATED WAY
I used to caramelize the onions on the stove top, but now I use this fantastic method. Finally, a way to make genuine French Onion Soup without all of the stirring. While it still takes quite some time, the onions are roasted in the oven. Sweet onions, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, will make this recipe overly sweet, so use Yellow or Red, or a combo of both. Use broiler-safe crocks and keep the rim of the bowls 4 to 5 inches from the broiler to obtain a proper melting of the cheeses. Cooks Illustrated chefs prefer using Swanson Certified Organic Free Range Chicken Broth and Pacific Beef Broth, tho others will do fine as well. There is actually more flavor and depth in chicken broth than in beef and that is why they combine it with the beef broth. Much of the cooking time is passive...and the aroma makes the kitchen smell divine! For the best flavor, make the soup a day or 2 in advance, it also freezes well in 2 gallon freezer bags. Prep time includes the soup and the croutons. Cooking time is approximate, please use your judgment. I make this every Christmas Eve along with appetizers and those that missed Christmas Eve INSIST on having a bowl on Christmas morning! LOL It truly is the best French Onion Soup I have ever tasted. For those special occasions, try this one. Hope you enjoy!
Provided by Scoutie
Time 5h35m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- For the soup:.
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400°. Generously spray inside of heavy-bottomed large (at least 7-quart) Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place butter in pot and add onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, covered, 1 hour (onions will be moist and slightly reduced in volume).
- Remove pot from oven and stir onions, scraping bottom and sides of pot. Return pot to oven with lid slightly ajar and continue to cook until onions are very soft and golden brown, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours longer, stirring onions and scraping bottom and sides of pot after 1 hour.
- Carefully remove pot from oven and place over medium-high heat.
- Using oven mitts to handle pot, cook onions, stirring frequently and scraping bottom and sides of pot, until liquid evaporates and onions brown, 15 to 20 minutes, reducing heat to medium if onions are browning too quickly.
- Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until pot bottom is coated with dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary. (Scrape any fond that collects on spoon back into onions.)
- Stir in 1/4 cup water, scraping pot bottom to loosen crust, and cook until water evaporates and pot bottom has formed another dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Repeat process of deglazing 2 or 3 more times, until onions are very dark brown.
- Stir in wine and balsamic vinegar, stirring frequently, until wine evaporates, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in broths, 2 cups water, the thyme, bay leaf and parsley (tied with twine or wrapped in cheese cloth for easy removal from pot) and 1/2 teaspoon salt, scraping up any final bits of browned crust on bottom and sides of pot.
- Increase heat to high and bring to simmer.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Remove and discard herbs, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- For the croutons: While soup simmers, arrange baguette slices in single layer on baking sheet and bake in 400-degree oven until bread is dry, crisp, and golden at edges, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
- To serve: Adjust oven rack 4 to 6 inches from broiler and heat broiler.
- Set heat-safe soup bowls or crocks on rimmed baking sheet and fill each with about 1 1/2 cups soup.
- Top each bowl with two toasted baguette slices (try not to overlap) and divide Swiss cheese slices, laying them in a single layer, if possible, on bread.
- Sprinkle each serving with about 2 tablespoons grated Asiago cheese and broil until well browned and bubbly, 7 to 10 minutes.
- If using regular soup bowls, broil the toasts and the cheese only and then place the toasts on top of the soup.
- Cool 5 minutes and serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 727, Fat 16.1, SaturatedFat 8.7, Cholesterol 34.9, Sodium 1272.2, Carbohydrate 114.2, Fiber 6.7, Sugar 11.7, Protein 31.6
FRENCH ONION SOUP FROM COOK'S (COOKS) THE NEW BEST RECIPES
A pretty easy version I found was doubly rewarding by using homemade broths/stocks, which isn't necessary, but I opted for them. Apparently, Cook's Illustrated has TWO versions of French Onion Soup and I didn't see this one posted. We really enjoyed this; it's one of my favorite soups, but when I order it out, I MUST have the cheese topping BURNT. Not brown, not even very dark brown.... BLACK. Invariably the chef gets nervous and lets it go out spotty medium brown and, because of the production I make when ordering, the waiter/ress knows it's not dark enough, so they apologize and bring it back to the kitchen before I even say anything. *lol* This is one of the messiest soups to eat because of the strinnnnngy stretchy cheese, but if it's burnt to a crispy, it's SO worth looking like an imbecile for! From: The New Best Recipes and America's Test Kitchens
Provided by Sandi From CA
Categories Onions
Time 1h30m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Melt the butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the slice onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stir to coat the onions thoroughly with butter.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are reduced and syrupy and the inside of the pot is coated with a very deep brown crust, 30 to 35 minutes. Adjust heat to ensure that onions and crust is browning, not burning.
- Stir in the chicken and beef broths, red wine, parsley, thyme and bay leaf, scraping the pot bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, to blend the flavors.
- Remove and discard the herbs (parsley, thyme and bay leaf). Stir in the balsamic vinegar and
- Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position. Heat the broiler and optionally toast baguette slices. Remove and set aside.
- Set oven-safe crocks or bowls on a baking sheet.
- Fill each dish with soup, about 1 1/2 cups. Top each bowl with 2 baguette slices and cover with a single layer of the provolone or Swiss cheese. Sprinkle with about 2 Tbsp of the asiago.
- Broil until well browned and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
- Cool for 5 minutes and serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 326.5, Fat 7.6, SaturatedFat 3.4, Cholesterol 10.2, Sodium 536.3, Carbohydrate 51.7, Fiber 3.6, Sugar 4.5, Protein 12.3
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