The Ultimate French Onion Soup
Rich, burgundy onion soup with perfectly caramelized onions, fresh thyme springs, crusty baguette topped with cheese. Golden and bubbly - a classy soup loved by everyone. Who could ever resist?
Onion soup is one of my favorite soups to make during fall for a big party and seasonal holiday celebrations. I tweaked and improved the original recipe to create a masterpiece that is simple to make in a slow cooker or on the stove. I can rest you assure that once you make this soup you will never go back to your old recipe. Yes, you need to use six different vegetables from allium family including three types of onions, shallots, leeks and garlic. Be sure to cook onions slowly so they have time to caramelize.
BURGUNDY ONION SOUP WITH SCALLIONS & GRUYERE CROUTONS
SERVES 10-12
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Gruyere Cheese, Grated
PREPARATIONS
• If you are planning to use a slow cooker, you can use a smaller frying pan to carmelize onions, leeks, and shallots in a few batches. Deglaze after the last batch and add the juices to the slow cooker. Add thyme, red wine, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, Brown Sugar, Butter, and the beef stock to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours. If you decide to carmelize onions earlier, you can store them in a slow cooker pot with the juices from deglazing in refrigerated. Add 1 hour of cooking time to warm up a cold pot. Adjust seasoning by adding salt, and pepper.
While the soup is simmering, preheat oven to broil. If you do not have a broiler, use the oven heated to 450 F.
Toss the bread coins with remaining oil and place flat on a sheet pan. Toss green scallions with gruyere, and top each coin with the mixture. Bake on a rack in the middle of the oven for 3 minutes. Transfer closer to the broiler to lightly brown the tops. The cheese should be bubbly.
SERVING
Ladle the soup into bowls and top with croutons.
WINE PAIRING
Les Portes De Bordeaux, Bordeaux 2018 Classic Beaujolais (cru level) or another well-made Gamay wine is a good call. The bright cherry/ raspberry/strawberry fruit picks up on the onion's sweetness while the soft granitic element of the terroir works beautifully with the soup's rustic nature. Gamay's inherent acidity cuts beautifully against the richness of this dish. If you can't access good Cru Beaujolais, an Italian Dolcetto or a more rustic Pinot Noir would suffice.