Question: So why is it when one wants to make soup it’s 70F degrees and sunny out? I mean I’m not complaining or anything but, California you’re really out doing yourself with this too good to be true winter time “weather”.
Lately I’ve been swamped with a million and five things to do and my site has unfortunately, taken a backseat. I promise to share the news and cause of my stress soon. Actually, I’ve been stressed over the fact that I haven’t written that post yet. Stress over stress go figure//story of my life.
I freaking love French onion soup and never really discovered it until college. I never ate it growing up because one of my family members can’t eat onions. LAME. This stuff is a warm hug in a bowl, like really, what could be better then savory soup with a big cheesey crouton on top.
Do tell. I’ll wait.
Here, I’ll take it one step further, a crock pot French onion soup recipe that cooks all day, and fills your house with an aroma that will take you straight from the front door when you walk in the house after work to the kitchen. Not impressed yet?
Fine, by the way, you’re really hard to please.
RED WINE.
There happy? Yep, I said it. Red wine is the crucial life-changing ingredient to make this soup truly irresistible.
My French friend, Xavier (pronounced zaw-vee-yay) confirmed that French onion soup is from France. Some of you may say well duh, its French onion soup. But! There are many dishes that we American’s think are native of a respective country but a trip to that nation would highlight this lack of correct information. For example, chicken Parmesan, is an American created dish…you won’t find it in Italy.
Freaking Awesome French Onion Soup
Serves 6
|Gather
For the Soup:
2 Quarts Beef Broth
4 Large White Onions, Sliced
4 Tbsp butter
¾ C Red Wine
2 cloves garlic minced
¼ tsp. thyme
2 bay leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste
For the Crouton:
1 Loaf Sourdough or other artisan bread, sliced
8 oz. Gruyere Cheese, Shredded*
*Chefs Tip: Do not shred with a microplaner use a cheese grader. The cheese has a high moisture content and the microplane shreds the cheese too fine, a cheese grader works much better.
|Create
For the Soup:
Slice onions and mince garlic and brown in a large frying pan with butter until onions are soft. Add bay leaves and red wine. Bring to a boil and then simmer to reduce the wine. Once the wine has mostly evaporated remove the bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the beef broth into the crock pot and add onions and thyme. Combine and cook for 6 hours.
For the Crouton:
Preheat broiler, for my oven I did it on the medium setting. Slice bread, then toast it on oven racks for a few minutes to get bread crispy. Shred cheese. Ladle soup into bowls and place toasted bread on top and sprinkle with cheese then place soup bowls on a baking sheet and melt cheese under broiler 2-5 minutes then remove and serve.
|Enjoy
As with most soup recipes it’s delicious the day it’s made but spectacular the next day. So make enough for leftovers.
delicieux!