Uncle Bills French Onion Soup Recipes

UNCLE BILL'S TOMATO AND ONION SOUP

Steps:

• In a large cooking pot over medium-high heat, melt 1/2 the butter and add olive oil.
• Add onions and cook until softened and lightly golden brown, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add carrots, celery, garlic, sugar, paprika, chili powder and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in tomatoes (including liquid), tomato paste, broth, water, chicken soup base, sweet red pepper, green pepper, basil and remaining butter; bring to boil.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• In a blender, puree soup in batches until smooth and return to cooking pot.
• Reheat until soup is hot.
• When serving soup, sprinkle some croutons and chopped fresh parsley.
• Refrigerate any unused portions.
• NOTE: Deleting the Chicken Soup Base will reduce the sodium content in the soup.

UNCLE BILL'S FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• In a large cooking pot, add water, celery tops, bay leaves, salt and soup bones.
• Bing to boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 4 hours.
• Remove bones and meat, celery tops and bay leaves and discard.
• Transfer stock to a large bowl, refrigerate until cooled and fat sets.
• Skim all fat off and discard.
• Set soup stock aside.
• Slice onions thin.
• In a large frying pan add butter and sliced onions and saute' until light brown, about 15 minutes, stirring often, but DO NOT BURN.
• In a large cooking pot, add stock (measure stock so that you have 12 cups) and if necessary, make up the difference with water.
• Add sautee'd onions, consomme soup, beef broth, sugar, granulated garlic powder, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Adjust spices to taste.
• TO SERVE.
• Pour soup into oven-proof soup bowls leaving enough room in bowl to add 1 tablespoon of beer.
• Rub each piece of toasted French Bread with garlic.
• Place 1 piece of toasted French bread on top of soup.
• Sprinkle top of toast liberally with grated Gruyere cheese and Mozzarella cheese.
• Place bowls of soup on a metal tray or cookie sheet.
• Place under broiler (about 3 inches below elements) and broil until cheese melts and puffs up, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

UNCLE BILL'S CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• In a large heavy bottom cooking pot, heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat.
• Add onions, leeks, carrots celery and garlic and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes or until vegetables are slightly softened but not browned.
• Add chicken broth, water, bay leaf, thyme and rosemary.
• Bring to boil.
• Cut chicken into bite size pieces and add to soup along with the diced mushrooms.
• Add noodles and bring soup to boil.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
• Remove bay leaf and discard.
• Stir in parsley, salt and pepper.
• Adjust seasonings to taste.
• Serve soup hot.
• Refrigerate any unused portions.
• NOTE: Homemade Chicken or Turkey Stock is so much better than purchased broth.

UNCLE BILL'S BROCCOLI SOUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter.
• Add onions, carrots, garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally.
• In a medium size cooking pot, add water and chicken soup base and bring to boil.
• Add precooked onion/carrot/garlic to soup.
• Add broccoli florets, reserving (6- 8 pieces) of broccoli florets to be added near the end of cooking.
• Reduce heat and simmer covered, until broccoli is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• In a blender or food processor, puree' soup in batches and return to cooking pot.
• Stir in half and half cream and remaining broccoli florets.
• In a cup, mix together flour and 1/4 cup water to form a thin liquid.
• Bring soup to boil; add flour mixture to thicken soup as desired, stirring constantly.
• Add soy sauce, black pepper and stir well.
• Garnish with chopped parsley when serving.
• You can also use some carrot curls for garnish.
• Serve soup hot or cold.

UNCLE BILL'S FRENCH DIP AND ROAST BEEF SANDWICH

Steps:

• Process dry onion soup mix in a coffee grinder until fine.
• In a one quart microwave safe casserole dish or glass measure, add water, instant beef bouillon and dry onion soup mix.
• Microwave on HIGH (full power) for 4 to 5 minutes until mixture has fully dissolved, stirring at least once.
• Remove, cover and set aside to keep hot.
• If you are using your own cooked roast beef, use an adjustable mandoline set on very thin, slice the amount of meat as required. You may also use a very sharp knife to slice the meat very thin.
• If you desire the meat warm, place the thinly sliced meat on a micro-safe plate, cover with a paper towel and microwave on MEDIUM-HIGH for 1 to 2 minutes or until meat is just warm.
• Cut buns partialy through lengthwise, leaving a hinge.
• Butter each piece and spread some horseradish over each half.
• Layer warmed sliced beef into buns; about 1/4 pound for each bun.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Close sandwich bun and place on individual plates and cut sandwich in half.
• Pour beef broth mixture into individual small bowls.
• Dip sandwich into beef broth mixture and enjoy.

UNCLE BILL'S FRENCH MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse both mushrooms in cold water and immediately pat dry with paper towels.
• Cut mushrooms into quarters and then slice thinly, 1/8 inch thick.
• In a large heavy bottom soup pot, melt butter on medium heat.
• Add mushrooms and saute for 5 to 6 minutes or until liquid from the mushrooms has mostly evaporated.
• Sprinkle flour over mushrooms and cook for 1 minute, stirring often.
• Gradually stir in chicken broth, water and chicken soup base and bring to boil, about 5 minutes, stirring often so the bottom does not burn.
• Add thyme, bay leaf and green onions.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Remove bay leaf and discard.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks and whipping cream.
• Slowly add 1 cup of hot broth mixture from the soup pot to the egg/cream mixture, whisking constantly until incorporated. This prevents the egg yolks from cooking.
• Return mixture to the soup pot, adding slowly and whisking all the time while adding.
• Heat over low heat until hot, about 5 minutes.
• Add white pepper to taste.
• Serve soup sprinkled with minced parsley.