French Onion Soup
September 13th, 2007
This is a soup that I often forget about until I see it on a restaurant menu. One my mother never made and I didn’t know even existed until well into my adulthood.
Made with hearty-tasting beef broth and loads of sweet onions, this soup is a delight to serve. Pour it over crusty French Bread and top with cheese — you have yourself a tasty light meal or an appetizing pre-dinner soup.
I didn’t have a recipe for French Onion soup, I meant to search for one and then got in a rush and just threw it together. Now I’m glad I did because it turned out exactly the way I imagined it. It was rich-tasting, full of onions, with a hint of Worcestershire sauce.
(For the wrinkly noses in our family, I also made Creamy Tomato Soup and served it with Grilled Cheese sandwiches.) One of my children said, “It smells really good, Mom, but it looks like the onions are really slimy.” Indeed, the onions were really slimy and if that turns your kids off, I say don’t bother fighting with them. Give them the Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup or whatever.
So here we have it, French Onion Soup, enough for 6 servings.
French Onion Soup
2 large yellow onions - Vidalia or other sweet onions if possible
4 - 6 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour
3 cans beef broth
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
French Bread
butter
cheese - Swiss or Provolone
First off, you have to slice the onions. Traditionally, they should be sliced thin and kept in rings. For ease of eating, I sliced thin and then cut the rings into quarters. In a large stock pot, place 4 Tablespoons of butter and the onions. Place over medium heat and cook.
And cook.
And cook. They should turn soft and you may have to add more butter so they don’t stick and burn. When they begin to turn golden brown, you can lower the heat.
Open the cans of beef broth and have them ready. Add the flour to your buttery onions and stir. They will become pasty and thick, this is when you add a little broth. Keep adding broth, a little at a time, and stirring well with each addition.
Finally, add the seasonings - Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. When this is done, turn the heat down as low as it will go.
Prepare the bread - Slice a loaf of French Bread and lightly butter each side of every slice. Place in the oven at 350 and toast. You can top the bread with cheese and toast until melted, or you can leave the toast as-is.
Finally, to serve this soup properly, place a piece of toast in your bowl, pour the soup over it, and top with shredded cheese (unless you decided to put cheese on the bread.)
Bon Appetit!
Entry Filed under: Beef, Old-Fashioned Foods, Recipes, Soup, meatless