RECIPES

FRENCH ONION SOUP

SERVES: 5 | PREP TIME: 30 MIN | COOK TIME: 3½ HRS | TOTAL TIME: 4 HRS

We’re going to use a little chef’s cheat code here to fortify your soup. Instead of making your own beef stock, which takes an entire day, we’re going to take store-bought beef stock and quadruple the flavor with mirepoix, bouillon, wine, Worcestershire, and salt. After deeply caramelizing our onions, we can add our fortified beef stock, reduce a little more and the base of your soup is done.

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Ingredients:

  • 4 red onions, divided
  • 2 white onions
  • 2 yellow onions
  • 4 shallots
  • 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing
  • 1½ tablespoons kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed
  • ¼ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
  • ¾ cups Worcestershire sauce, divided, plus more as needed
  • 3 cups dry red wine, divided
  • 3 large carrots, halved and then cut into half moons
  • 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon beef bouillon base, plus more as needed
  • 12 cups beef stock
  • ½ baguette
  • 8 cups grated Gruyère cheese
  • 1 cup thinly sliced fresh chives, for garnish

Instructions: Start by thinly slicing all your onions. You need a mandoline or a sharp knife for this. Method for slicing: cut the root and tip off your onion, then cut in half, crosswise through the middle. Peel, then slice by following the natural lines in the onion. Reserve 2 of the sliced red onions.

Put 6 tablespoons of the butter and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add your sliced onions (minus the reserved red). Season with ½ tablespoon each of salt and pepper. You are going to caramelize these over low heat for 2 to 3 hours, so this will require some patience; remember to stir at least every 5 to 7 minutes or your onions might burn. After they’ve picked up some color and are starting to create a fond on the bottom of the pan, add ¼ cup of the Worcestershire sauce and 1 cup of the wine to deglaze. Keep caramelizing until they’ve turned a deep brown color throughout and are very gooey.

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil. Stir in your carrots, celery, the reserved sliced red onions, the remaining 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of the beef bouillon base. Sweat your mirepoix, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes, then add the remaining 1 cup of Worcestershire sauce and 2 cups of wine. Deglaze the pan, stirring frequently, and cook the wine completely off. Once it's cooked off, add your beef stock. Let this reduce by 30 percent or so, then strain the liquid and add the fortified beef stock to your caramelized onions.

Let reduce by another 10 percent, tasting as you go and adjusting levels of Worcestershire sauce, bouillon, salt, and pepper as needed.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Cut your baguette into crostini-size slices. Brush with olive oil and bake until golden brown and crunchy, about 20 minutes.

Fill a crock or ovenproof bowl with your soup, add a big handful of Gruyère cheese, 2 crostini slices, and another handful of Gruyère cheese on top. Repeat with remaining bowls. Place the bowls on a sheet pan and then under the broiler until the cheese is caramelized, deeply golden brown, and bubbling.

Garnish with your sliced chives and serve piping hot.

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