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French onion soup is one of my favorites to make in the winter. It’s easy enough to make although it does take a bit of time and requires some particular ingredients. Here are the ingredients: 2-3 large onions, thinly sliced into half or quarter moons 3-4 tablespoons butter 2-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour ½ cup white wine 2-3 qt beef broth Salt, black pepper to taste Slices of baguette or any artisanal bread 2-3 oz gruyère cheese, grated
The key to this soup is the quality of the four main ingredients: onions, beef broth, bread, and cheese. For the onions, I prefer Vidalia - it’s mild and sweet. I make my beef broth from scratch, but any good one will do, as well. It must be delicious by itself. For the bread, I like to use either baguette or my homemade sourdough, but any artisanal bread will be fine - just no sandwich bread, it won’t survive the submersion in the broth. Finally, gruyère is the cheese to use because it is not stringy and is sweet, complementing the onions really well. You can use Swiss, of course, like restaurants do to save on cost, but it won’t be as good. The method is simple: cook onions in butter in a heavy casserole for a very long time (25-30 minutes), then add flour and cooking for a minute. Gradually add wine while stirring to dissolve the flour, and then add broth. Season with salt and pepper and simmer, covered, for 30 to 40 min. In the meantime, slice the bread and toast in the oven (3-4 min per side on 400F). Have enough bread to cover the surface of your casserole or individual oven-proof bowls. Grate the cheese. Increase the oven to 450F. Lay toasted bread on top of the broth in the casserole and cover with grated cheese. Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and starting to brown, about 5 min. Let cool off for a few minutes before serving, to allow all the flavors to set. Et voila! Bon appétit!
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