french onion soup - mw
I adore French onion soup. I've ordered it in many a restaurant only to be semi-disappointed in one way or another. So... I recently revamped my recipe to cook the onions in the oven (due to a video lesson I saw elsewhere). The beefy flavor is boosted by using condensed consommé. I've used a bit of Kentucky Bourbon to deglaze the pan and get all that rich flavor from the bottom of the pot, too. Hope you enjoy the soup like we do.
Blue Ribbon Recipe
Ooh... if you love French onion soup, you'll adore this recipe. It's divine! It has a velvety beef flavor with a sweet caramelized onion aroma. The ooey, gooey Swiss cheese and tender bites of French bread melt in your mouth. It's well balanced and rich in flavor. There are a few steps to this recipe, but it's worth it. The result is a flavorful and heavenly French onion soup.
Ingredients
- SOUP
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 large yellow onions
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons Makers Mark or Wild Turkey bourbon
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cans condensed beef consommé (10 3/4 oz)
- 4 cups beef broth (low fat, low sodium or homemade)
- 4 cups chicken broth (low fat, low sodium or homemade)
- 2-3 sprigs thyme
- - salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- TOPPING
- 8 slices French bread (cut about 1 inch thick)
- - butter
- 2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded
- 16 slices Jarlsberg cheese
How To Make french onion soup - mw
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Step 1SOUP: Pre-heat oven to 425°F.
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Step 2Peel and dice onions. I generally go for a medium-sized dice, but you can also use a rough chop. -
Step 3Heat a large oven-safe skillet on your stovetop (med-high). Pour in the olive oil and stir in the onions until coated in oil.
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Step 4Place skillet into the preheated oven. Cook onions in the oven for about an hour or so - stirring every 15-20 minutes - until onions are tender and starting to brown.
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Step 5Move skillet back onto the stovetop. Sprinkle onions with sugar. Continue cooking and stirring the onions over medium heat until they begin browning and sticking to the bottom (this takes about 5 - 10 minutes).
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Step 6Move skillet to a cold burner; pour in the bourbon and vinegar.
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Step 7Move skillet back to the hot burner and bring contents to a boil while using a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits from the bottom.
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Step 8Scrape onion mixture into a large soup pot (about 5-6 quarts).
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Step 9Stir in undiluted consommé along with the beef and chicken broths.
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Step 10Toss in thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil, skimming foam, as desired. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about an hour. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
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Step 11TOPPING: Move rack to 6 inches below broiler. Turn on broiler to heat. Place bread slices on a baking sheet.
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Step 12Toast both sides of bread slices to a golden brown.
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Step 13Lightly butter one side.
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Step 14Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls and place onto a sheet pan.
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Step 15Place a slice of toasted bread (buttered side up) in each bowl.
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Step 16Top bread with 1/4 cup shredded Swiss.
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Step 17Then top with 2 slices Jarlsberg.
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Step 18Re-arrange oven rack under the broiler, if needed, to accommodate the height of bowls. Broil the bowls of soup until cheeses are melted and bubbly - about 6 minutes.
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!
