French onion soup uses plenty of beef broth, but I don’t pour it into the pot once the onions start to soften. I give the onions about 30 minutes first.
Four sliced onions cook with garlic over medium-low heat until they become translucent and caramelized. Only after that do I start building the liquid around them with flour, wine, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar.
Give the Onions Time Before Adding Liquid
Start with one tablespoon of olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven.
Add four large thinly sliced onions and three minced garlic cloves. Yellow, white, or sweet onions can work here. Keep the heat at medium-low and stir often while the onions cook for about 30 minutes.
The recipe calls for waiting until the onions are caramelized before moving to the next step rather than adding broth while they are still at the start of cooking.
Flour Goes in Before the Wine
Once the onions have reached that point, sprinkle one tablespoon of flour over them.
Stir and cook for about one minute. Then pour in half a cup of red wine or sherry.
Use a spoon to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot as the wine goes in. The broth still hasn’t been added at this stage.
Beef Broth Comes After the Wine
Six cups of low-sodium beef broth go into the pot after deglazing.
Add one tablespoon each of Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar, followed by a bay leaf, four thyme sprigs, salt, and black pepper. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and let the soup simmer for at least 20 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf and thyme before serving.
Toast the Bread Before It Reaches the Soup
French onion soup needs its bread and cheese, but I don’t put a soft slice of baguette straight onto the broth.
Cut the baguette into slices about ½ inch thick and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for five to 10 minutes, until the bread turns golden and crisp.
Once toasted, one slice goes over each individual bowl of soup.
Gruyère Gets the Final Blast of Heat
Grated Gruyère goes over the toasted baguette, with the recipe calling for about two tablespoons per bowl or more if wanted.
Turn the oven to broil, set the oven-safe soup bowls on a baking sheet, and broil them for about five minutes. The bowls come out once the cheese has melted and started bubbling.
The broth may make up most of the bowl, but it isn’t where I start. Those first 30 minutes belong to the onions, and everything else gets added after they’ve had their time in the pot.
Do you give onions this much time before adding broth to French onion soup?
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