Classic French Onion Soup

Name: Classic French Onion Soup
Yield: serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter; 6 onions, preferably Vidalia, sliced; 2 leeks, white and pale green parts, well washed (see page 232), halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced into half-moons; 1 shallot, chopped; Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup dry sherry; 6 cups beef stock (page 227) or low-fat, reduced-sodium beef broth; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme; 1 baguette, sliced diagonally 1/2 inch thick; 3 cups grated Gruyère cheese (about 12 ounces); Snipped fresh chives, for garnish

December 9, 2011

Mama loves this soup. What’s not to love? It’s a hearty bowl of sweet, brown, caramelized onions in a rich beef broth, enriched with a dose of sherry and topped with deliciously nutty, golden brown, melted Gruyère cheese. Why does Gruyère taste so good? Aged, low-moisture cheeses such as Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano have a stronger protein structure than younger, softer cheeses like fontina or fresh mozzarella, and require higher temperatures to melt. The higher heat, combined with less moisture, causes the protein to actually break down, bringing out their nutty flavor.

Recipe information

Yield
serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

6 onions, preferably Vidalia, sliced

2 leeks, white and pale green parts, well washed (see page 232), halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced into half-moons

1 shallot, chopped

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dry sherry

6 cups beef stock (page 227) or low-fat, reduced-sodium beef broth

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 baguette, sliced diagonally 1/2 inch thick

3 cups grated Gruyère cheese (about 12 ounces)

Snipped fresh chives, for garnish

Preparation

Step 1
To caramelize the onions, in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions, leeks, and shallot. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with sugar, and cook, stirring as needed to keep the onions from sticking, until the onions are melting and soft, golden brown, and beginning to caramelize, 30 to 45 minutes.
Step 2
To prepare the soup, sprinkle the flour over the onions, and stir to coat. Add the sherry, stock, and thyme and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to low, and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
Step 3
Preheat the broiler. To serve, ladle hot soup into 6 ovenproof bowls. Arrange the bowls on a baking sheet. Place 1 or 2 slices of baguette over each bowl of soup. Top each bowl with 1/2 cup grated cheese so it covers the baguette slices. Broil until the cheese is melted and crusty brown around the edges. (Watch carefully so the bread doesn’t burn.) Garnish with the chives. Serve immediately.
sherry
Step 4
Sherry is a fortified wine from the town of Jerez de la Frontera, in the Andalusia region of Spain. Sherries can range in flavor from sweet to dry, and are served either at room temperature or chilled. Sherry is an excellent apéritif and adds a lively punch in cooking, where it is typically added as a finish for soups.

Cover of Bon Appetit, Yall by Virginia Willis featuring a serving of corn souffle.

From Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories From Three Generations of Southern Cooking, © 2008 by Virginia Willis. Reprinted by permission of Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book from Amazon or Abe Books.

TagsSoup Soup/Stew French European Onion Root Vegetable Vegetable Gruyère Cheese Dairy Beef Meat Main Starter Dinner Nut Free Simmer Cookbooks

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

sherry

Step 4

Recipe notes