This is an easy recipe, it just takes a while to cook. It takes 30 to 40 minutes to caramelize the onions. This recipe is for 2 as a meal, 4 as an appetizer. See below if you are feeding crowd.
Ingredients:
- 4 Medium onions, cut in half and sliced
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon light oil
- 1 Garlic, chopped
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1/2 Teaspoon onion powder (more if needed)
- 1 Sprig of thyme (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
- 1 Teaspoon sugar
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- 1/2 Cup red wine
- 1 Quart beef stock
- S&P to taste
- 4 Slices French baguette, sliced in 1 inch slices
- 1 Cup grated cheese: Provolone, Cheddar, Mozzarella, Parmesan or preferably a mixture of any/all the above.
Directions:
Melt the butter in a heavy bottom soup pot. Add the sliced onions, garlic, thyme and bay. Stir until all the onions are coated with the oil and butter. Add the sugar and cook on medium heat. Cook without stirring for about 5 minutes until the onions on the bottom brown just a little. Then stir and wait another 5 minutes and stir again. Continue this process until all the onions are caramelized They should end up dark brown and just a fraction of their original amount.
During the process, if they stick to the pan too much, deglaze with just a splash of the wine and continue cooking. Once caramelized, discard the bay and add the wine. Cook until it’s evaporated. Lower the heat and add the flour and cook for about 5 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
Stir in the stock and raise the heat a little and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the salt, pepper and onion powder. Cook for 5 minutes to meld flavors. Taste and add more salt, pepper and onion powder if needed. At this point you can hold this soup indefinitely on warm, or even refrigerate for later use.
When ready to eat, preheat your broiler. Butter both sides of the baguettes and arrange them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Broil until browned then flip them over and repeat. Remove and top with the cheese mixture. (Any cheese that melts well will do.) Pop back under the broiler to melt the cheese. This will only take a minute or two. Serve the soup in crocks with a cheesy baguette on top.
If you are feeding a crowd… Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cup Butter
- 2½ Pounds onions cut in half and sliced
- 1 Teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 Bay leaves
- 2 Teaspoons onion powder
- About a teaspoon of salt and pepper
- 1 Cup red wine
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 2-3 Quarts beef stock
- 6-8 Slices of French bread plus cheese to cover
- Olive oil to drizzle
Note: Serving the entire cheese melted baguette on top of the soup is very appealing to the eye… but it’s not very easy to eat. Once the cheese is melted it is much easier to cut up the baguette into bite sized pieces and put them on top of the soup.
