I love Fall! There's something magical about the changing of the leaves, the crisp air, and 'sweater weather' temps. Don't get me wrong, I love me some sunshine, but raise your hand if you've ever felt personally victimized by the unbearable sweaty palms that are 'NYC humidity'?! But I digress. It's officially soup season. And not just any soup. I give you the epitome of comfort meets class - French. Onion. Soup. Become the host(ess) with the most(ess) at your next dinner shindig, or invite literally no one and enjoy bowl after bowl after bowl (it's called self-care).
Ingredients
Serves: 4-6
Soup: 3 lbs sweet onions, thinly sliced 3-4 garlic cloves, minced 3 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp butter 1 tsp sugar 2 tbsp flour 1/2 cup crisp/dry white wine (such as sauv blanc) 8 cups (62 oz) low-sodium beef broth 1 bouillon cube: beef (my go-to brand is 'Knorr') 8-10 sprigs fresh thyme 2-3 bay leaves 2 tbsp brandy (optional) 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce salt and fresh ground pepper to taste Croutons and such (per serving): 2 1-inch slices baguette 1/2 garlic clove 1/4 tbsp olive oil 1/4 cup gruyerre cheese, shredded creme fraiche and fresh chives for topping
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large pot on medium-high. Add your behemoth of onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Make a well in the middle of the pot and add the butter, allowing it to melt. Stir in garlic, sugar, salt + pepper to taste, and sauté an additional 15 minutes, stirring more frequently. Add flour and sauté 2-3 more minutes until you're left with a caramelized, oniony roux.
Add the wine to deglaze the pot - stir for about a minute, scraping all the tasty brown bits from the bottom of the pot (the liquid will thicken). Add beef broth, bouillon cube, thyme and bay leaves. Season with salt + pepper (we're seasoning every layer) and bring to a light boil. Once the broth starts to bubble steadily, put the lid on (tip: don't cover fully, so steam can escape), reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Your broth will have reduced noticeably at this point. Add brandy and worcestershire sauce (season with an additional pinch of salt/pepper if needed - this is your final seasoning stage). Turn down the heat to low and simmer for a final 20 minutes.
In the meantime, preheat your oven to 450° Fahrenheit. Cut garlic clove(s) in half, slice your baguette into 1-inch slices, and rub all over with the garlic (think crostini). Now cut the individual slices into quarters, toss with olive oil and spread out on a sheet tray lined with foil or parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes until crisp and lightly brown.
Fill ramekins (or oven-safe bowls) with soup. Top with croutons and cheese and bake in the oven for another 5-7 minutes until the cheese reaches ooey-gooey melt status and the soup is bubbling around the edges.
Top with a dollop of creme fraiche and chopped chives and try not to burn the roof of your mouth as you (understandably) get right in there. Tip:
If you don't own oven-safe ramekins/bowls, fear not! Once crisp, group croutons together into individual serving bundles. Top with cheese and back in the oven they go until they become cheesy crouton clusters. Once ready, top soup with your cluster and EAT DAT SOUP.