French Onion Soup with Gruyère Croutons - Seasonal Recipe

French Onion Soup with Gruyère Croutons

🌍 Seasonal, Winter Difficulty: ●●●○○

French onion soup appears in Paris cookbooks as early as the 18th century; it was considered a restorative for market workers in Les Halles and is the canonical example of French la cuisine pauvre — poverty cooking elevated by technique.

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg (1.1kg (2.5 lbs)) yellow onions (about 6 large), thinly sliced
• 60g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 250ml (1 cup) dry white wine or dry vermouth
• 1.5 litres (6 cups) beef stock (homemade or good quality)
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and black pepper
• 6–8 thick slices baguette or country bread
• 200g (7 oz) Gruyère, grated
• 60g (2 oz) Comté or Emmental, grated

Method

1. Melting — Melt butter and oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add onions and salt; toss well.
2. Cooking — Cook uncovered, stirring every 10–15 minutes, for 60–90 minutes. Patience is critical — real caramelisation takes time. The onions should become very dark golden-brown and reduced to a fraction of their original volume.
3. Adding — Add garlic and sugar in the last 10 minutes; stir well.
4. Adding — Add wine; scrape up any dark bits; let reduce by half.
5. Adding — Add stock, thyme, and bay leaf. Simmer 20–30 minutes. Season generously.
6. Preheating — Preheat oven grill/broiler. Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls on a baking sheet. Float croutons on top; pile with mixed cheeses.
7. Grilling — Grill until cheese is bubbling and spotted dark brown, 3–5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Tags: ) yellow onions, unsalted butter, olive oil, sugar, garlic · Source: Brittani's Almanac