This is not exactly a traditional French onion soup as I didn't use beef broth. We aren't huge fans of beef broth, there is just something about the flavor, so, I decided to go with chicken stock instead. Also, we have a freezer full of homemade chicken stock. We thought the end result was just as good as any version we've had made with beef broth. The other main change I made to the original recipe was to add some malt vinegar. I think just a little bit of it helped cut through some of the sweetness of the slow cooked onions.
Topped with toasted bread & melted cheese it's a little bit of heaven in a bowl.
French Onion Soup for Two
(adapted from The Big Book of Soups and Stews
)1 T butter
1 lb, white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t white sugar
3 c chicken stock or broth
1 1/2 t worcestershire sauce
1 t malt vinegar
2 T red wine (a good excuse to open a bottle to drink with dinner)
1 bay leaf
pinch of dried thyme
salt & fresh pepper to taste
petite baguette, cut into 1/2 - 3/4 inch slices
grated gruyere
In a heavy soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic & stir well. Turn heat to low, cover & let cook for 15 minutes. Remove the lid, stir in sugar. Continue to cook uncovered on low, stirring from time to time, until the onions are very tender & light brown, about an 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
Add the stock, worcestershire, vinegar, wine, bay leaf, thyme, salt & pepper. Bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 20 minutes.
You can prepare the cheese bread for the top two ways.
This version works well if you don't want to out your soup bowls in the broiler. Put the sliced bread on a baking sheet & broiled one side until crisp. Then we turned the slices over topped with the cheese & returned to the broiler until bubbly. Place the cheese bread on top of the soup.
Or you can put the soup in ovenproof bowls, top with bread slices & cheese. Put the whole thing in the broiler until the cheese is bubbly.
Makes 2 servings
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10 comments:
oh yes, you know i'm a lover of french onion soup - just a fabulous meal to be had with the lowly onion!!!
Mouthwatering! Funny you say that about beef vs. chicken stock. My husband used to work at Au Bon Pain HQ in Boston-he was a database engineer for them. Their test kitchens were downstairs, so the chefs always gave them samples to taste test. They almost always used chicken stock in soups-they told him it had the best flavor for soups, stews, etc.
a classic and always delicious! thanks for sharing, glad you had a happy love day :-D
-meg
@ http://www.clutzycooking.blogspot.com
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I'm a huge lover of French onion soup and I think the change-up you made by adding chicken stock instead of the beef is a wonderful idea. The addition of the wine certainly doesn't hurt either :)
Funny, T was thinking of making this soup the other day but no one else in my house will eat it. So this is the perfect size for me with some leftovers for lunch the next day!
yes yes yes please! this is one of my favorite soups. i'm just in it for the bread and the browned cheese. lol
Thanks for the delectable looking recipe. Human imagination knows no bounds!
Looks delicious! I keep meaning to make french onion soup, but keep saying I have to wait until I make some beef stock, but why not use a different stock? This looks great!
Onion soup might be my all time favorite, I know I always order it at Panera's and I bet yours is way better. I should attempt it again in my kitchen. Maybe this recipe will give me the boost!
It's one of Paul's favourites too! I just get so bored slicing the onions.
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