French Onion Soup
It’s a hug in a bowl and a snap to make. It also got me out of my feels
Hi! I decided I’m going to start being super consistent with when I post on Substack and I’m liking this 6 pm on a Thursday time. If you’re reading this, I hope you’ve been having an amazing week and staying warm! I live in L.A so it’s not freezing by any means but it still gets chilly here, especially at night! If you’re like me, cozy comforting foods are what you’re craving. But you’re also most likely pretty busy and don’t want to spend hours cooking a meal during the week. This is where French Onion Soup comes in. Besides making sure to keep an eye on the yellow onions as they release their sugars and caramelize, there is very little effort when it comes to making French Onion Soup and the ingredients are pretty interchangeable ( except for the onions of course!).
OK so I may get yelled at by French people for what I’m about to say: You can use whatever cheese your heart desires to make French Onion Soup. Sure, Gruyère a nutty Alpine cheese from Switzerland is the classic move but yesterday I had some slices of Tillamook extra sharp cheddar cheese laying about and used those instead of running to the grocery store and it came out FABULOUS. Just make sure it’s a cheese that melts well since all that cheesy goodness is one of the best parts of French Onion soup. Amirite?
I was having a bit of an emotionally rough day yesterday, but as soon as I smelled and heard the yellow onions frying in butter, I was instantly comforted. And once I tucked into my steaming bowl of French Onion Soup with a glass of French Pinot Noir and a hunk of a very buttered baguette , I was in my happy place again.
I have a feeling it would be helpful to suggest some ingredient alternatives to you so I’ve gone ahead and done that because I know not everyone has Brandy within arms reach or bay leaves for that matter? But TBH this is the BEST French onion soup I’ve ever had, and I think a big reason is because of the Brandy. I don’t know, it just gives it that Je ne sais quoi ya know? BTW if you want your French onion soup to have that cheesy bubbly goodness, you’ll need an oven proof soup bowl Like this cute set I bought !
Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings:
3 lbs of yellow onions thinly sliced( around 4 large onions)
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp of a natural oil such as avo or grape seed
3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 cup of brandy ( no brandy? Use white wine, red wine, rose, vermouth )
2 sprigs of thyme ( feel free to use dried thyme or omit!)
1 bay leaf
4 cups of beef stock
1/2 tsp of Worcestershire ( or you can use soy sauce)
1 cup of shredded Gruyère, Swiss, cheddar
4 small baguette slices
Directions:
1.) In a large Dutch oven or stock pot add butter and oil on medium high heat. Once butter starts to brown a bit, add the sliced onions and stir every 5 min for 15 min. Once a fond develops ( the brow bits that stick to the pot) )Add 1/4 cup of Brandy and scrape up the brown bits ( if they’re burnt, leave em alone!). Lower the heat to medium Allow the onions continue to caramelize for another 20-30 min. Add garlic cloves and continue cooking for 5 min.
2.)Add your beef stock, rest of the brandy, bay leaves, thyme, Worcestershire, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer for 20 min.
4.)Ladle your soup into bowls and top each bowl with a baguette slice and grated cheese. Broil until the cheese gets nice and brown about 5 min. Serve with a cozy glass of your favorite red. Pinot Noir works well here.