November 2, 2020

Unpretentious Cooking: French Onion Soup

Mix red and yellow onions for layered flavors

By Justin Burke
The moment the temperature drops low enough for a frost, I immediately want French onion soup. The warm broth, caramelized onions, and toasted, cheesy bread gets my mind ready for colder months ahead. This recipe stays true to the classic. I am a firm believer not all recipes need to be reinvented and modernized –– they last for a reason. I mix onions, two red and two yellow, to layer the onion flavors of the soup, and add a splash of balsamic vinegar to help the onions stand out. If you have a dairy allergy, like I do, you can use vegan cheese instead and still get the same cheesy broth flavors in the soup. The soup takes about an hour to make, but if you want to plan ahead, make the soup a few nights before and refrigerate. When ready to eat, warm the soup back up and follow the last step of the recipe. The flavors will have melded for a bolder and rich flavor.

French Onion Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients
½ cup unsalted butter
4 onions, peeled and sliced (2 red, 2 yellow)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
2 fresh thyme sprigs
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup dry red wine
Splash of balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 quarts low-sodium beef broth
1 baguette, sliced
½ pound Gruyere, grated

Directions

Using a large, heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes.
Add wine and balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with flour and stir. Lower heat to medium-low, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Add beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and top with a generous amount of cheese. Put the bowls into the oven and broil to toast the bread and melt the cheese until bubbly and slightly golden brown, about 2 to 5 minutes.