French Onion Soup

Tip: French Onion Soup

This is an easy recipe. The hardest part of it is slicing the onions thinly enough. But when it's all done and you're ready to sit down and eat it, you're so glad you took the time to do it right. It's hearty, and delicious.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 large onions, very thinly sliced, (the slices do not have to be whole slices, just very thin)
• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 40 oz. beef broth (can be canned* or homemade)
• 1 Tbsp. dark sesame oil
• 1-2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2-3 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese (Low fat or Low Moisture is OK)
• 10-12 slices dry-toasted French bread (cut slightly smaller than tops of bowls)

*If condensed canned broth is used, be sure to count the water added as part of that 40 oz. Homemade is always best.

Directions:

Put Butter and olive oil in 6 qt Dutch oven. Heat. Add onions all at once.

Cook onions until they are nice and golden brown. Stir them to make sure they are not burning or sticking to pot. Add the beef broth, sesame oil and soy sauce.

Bring just to a boil and simmer on low for 30-40 minutes. Taste to correct seasoning.

Use a ladle and fill oven-proof soup bowls to 3/4 full. Top each soup bowl with toast cut to fit just slightly smaller than top of soup bowl, and sprinkle on cheese.

Some cheese might fall down into the soup. That's fine.

Use oven broiler to broil bowls of soup until cheese is all melted and running over the sides of bowl. Watch carefully so as not to burn.

Be careful when serving as it'll be pretty hot.

Place bowls on a salad or dinner plate that's been set up with more toast and maybe a bit of pretty garnish like a radish rose and a celery stick or 2.

Note: I set bowls in a biscuit pan which holds 3 bowls at the time. This way, I'm not having to handle each bowl individually in and out of the oven.

Servings:	10-12
Time:	30 Minutes Preparation Time 60 Minutes Cooking Time

Source: My friend Etta in Knoxville, TN who made the best food of all.

By Pookarina from Boca Raton, FL

Feedback:

RE: French Onion Soup

This is like the most authentic French Onion Soup. There are several different cheeses that fit really good in onion soup, but my favorite is a wonderful stringy mozzerella with a bit of one of the sharper cheeses. You have hit the nail on the head with this recipe. I will add a sprinkle of parmesan to mine simply because that's what I have now. :-)

Thanks Pookarina. (05/21/2010)

By StarWarsCollector

Recipe: French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. oil or margarine
• 1 1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
• 6 cups beef broth
• pepper
• 6 slices mozzarella cheese
• 6 slices French bread, toasted

Directions:

Saute' onions in oil until transparent and thoroughly cooked. Add broth and black pepper. Simmer 30 minutes. Divide into 6 ovenproof casseroles or bowls. Top each with a slice of toasted French bread; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Place in oven or under broiler until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts.

By Robin from Washington, IA

Recipe: French Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 4 cups (or more) thinly sliced yellow onions
• 6 Tbsp. butter
• 2 cans beef consomme' (10oz. each)
• 2 cans chicken broth (10oz. each)
• 1 heaping tsp. chicken broth base
• salt and cracked pepper
• 6 slices dry toasted French bread
• Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

Cook onions in butter, covered, for 15 minutes. Add both broths and seasonings. Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve in individual oven proof bowls. Top each serving with very dry toasted French bread, generously sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Run under the broiler for 2 minutes (or until bubbly and turning brown).

By Robin from Washington, IA

Recipe: French Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 lb. onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 2 cans liquid bouillon or vegetable broth, reg. size
• 2 cans water

Directions

Melt butter and oil over moderate heat. Stir in the onions and salt; cook uncovered over low heat, stirring occasionally until the onions are a rich golden brown; about 20-30 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and sitr in the bouillon and water. Return to low heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30-40 minutes, occasionally skimming off any fat. Season as desired.

By Robin from Washington, Ia

Recipe: French Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. peeled onions
• 3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
• 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 1 Tbsp. Spanish paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 qt. beef bouillon (from cubes or canned)
• caramel coloring (or can use Kitchen Bouquet)

Directions

Cut onions in halves and slice with the grain about 1/8 inch thick. Melt butter and add sliced onions; saute slowly for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Add paprika, pepper, bay leaves, and flour. Mix well, keeping flame low. Stir while cooking for 5 minutes. Gradually add the hot beef bouillon while stirring, preferably with a wooden spoon. simmer soup, covered, for at least 30 minutes. If a rich brown color is desired, add caramel coloring. Taste soup and season with salt.

Serving suggestion: Heat soup and fill in ovenproof casserole or individual ovenproof soup crock with 8 oz. of soup. Top with thin slices of French bread and cover each serving with about 1 1/2 oz. of grated Swiss cheese. Place under broiler and melt cheese until golden brown.

By Robin from Washington, IA

Recipe: French Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 4 large onions, thickly sliced
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 cups beef broth
• salt and pepper, to taste

Croutons

• 8 slices (1 inch thick) French bread
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

For soup, melt butter over medium heat in 6 qt. Dutch oven. Add onions and sugar; cook, stirring frequently, 15-18 minutes or until tender and golden. Stir in flour and 1/2 tsp. salt Gradually stir in broth. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes.

For croutons, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place bread in baking pan; bake 5 minutes or until lightly toasted. Turn slices over; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5-8 minutes longer or until cheese is lightly browned and melted. Ladle soup into bowls and top each with crouton.

By Robin from Washington, IA

Recipe: French Onion Soup

Oh, so good!

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (regular olive oil works too)
• 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine (I use butter)
• 6 medium onions, thinly sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, picked and chopped (or poultry seasoning)
• 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 6 cups beef stock
• 4 thick slices crusty bread, toasted
• 2-1/2 cups shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Directions

Heat a deep pot over medium to medium high heat. Work next to the stove to slice onions. Add oil and butter to the pot. Add onions to the pot as you slice them. When all the onions are in the pot, season with salt and pepper and 1 tsp. fresh thyme or the poultry seasoning. Cook onions 15 to 18 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender, sweet and caramel colored. Add bay leaf and sherry to the pot and deglaze the pan drippings. Add 6 cups stock and cover pot to bring soup up to a quick boil.

Arrange 4 small, deep soup bowls or crocks on a cookie sheet. Preheat broiler to high. Once soup reaches a boil, ladle it into bowls. Float toasted crusty bread on soup and cover each bowl with a mound of cheese. Sprinkle remaining fresh thyme or sprinkle a bit of poultry seasoning on cheese and place cookie sheet with soup bowls on it under the hot broiler until cheese melts and bubbles.

Note: This soup is great as a French Dip too.

By Connie from Oden, Arkansas