French Onion Soup

Name: French Onion Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 5 lb Sweet Onion (5 pounds sweet onions, such as Vidalias, or a combination of sweet and red onions); 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter (3 tablespoons unsalted butter); 3 tsp Kosher Salt (3 teaspoons kosher salt); 16 fl oz White Wine (16 fluid ounces white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc); 24 fl oz Beef Broth (24 fluid ounces canned beef consomme (clarified beef broth) or good-quality beef broth); 16 fl oz Chicken Broth (16 fluid ounces chicken broth); 1 piece Bouquet Garni (1 bouquet garni, 2 sprigs each thyme and parsley and 2 bay leaves tied together with kitchen string); 1 piece Country-Style Bread (1 loaf country-style bread); 0 pieces Black Pepper (Freshly ground black pepper, to taste); 0 pieces Cognac (splash Cognac, optional) — optional; 4 oz Fontina Cheese (4 ounces Fontina or Gruyere cheese, grated)

Classic French onion soup featuring deeply caramelized sweet onions simmered with wine, beef and chicken broths, topped with toasted bread and melted cheese.

120 minFrench

Servings8

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Vegetarian
Pescatarian

Ingredients

For 8 servings

Sweet Onion5 lb · 5 pounds sweet onions, such as Vidalias, or a combination of sweet and red onions
Unsalted Butter3 tbsp · 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher Salt3 tsp · 3 teaspoons kosher salt
White Wine16 fl oz · 16 fluid ounces white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
Beef Broth24 fl oz · 24 fluid ounces canned beef consomme (clarified beef broth) or good-quality beef broth
Chicken Broth16 fl oz · 16 fluid ounces chicken broth
Bouquet Garni1 piece · 1 bouquet garni, 2 sprigs each thyme and parsley and 2 bay leaves tied together with kitchen string
Country-Style Bread1 piece · 1 loaf country-style bread
Black Pepper0 pieces · Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cognac0 pieces · splash Cognac, optional · optional
Fontina Cheese4 oz · 4 ounces Fontina or Gruyere cheese, grated

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Steps

1Set a 12-inch electric skillet to 250ºF, or set a 4-quart saucepan over low heat.
2Peel the onions. Halve the onions end to end, then slice into thin half-moons.
3Melt the butter in the skillet. Add the onions to the skillet in 3 layers, adding about 1 teaspoon of salt to the top of each addition. Let the onions sweat for 15 to 20 minutes without stirring; do not let the onions sizzle or brown. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are dark mahogany and reduced to approximately 2 cups, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
4Add just enough wine to cover the onions (you might not use all the wine, and that's OK), then turn the heat to 375ºF (or high). Cook until the wine is reduced to a syrup consistency, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the beef consommé, chicken broth, and the bouquet garni. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 more minutes.
5Meanwhile, set an oven rack in the top third of the oven and set the broiler to high. Cut the bread into rounds that will fit into the tops of the crocks. (You can do this with the crocks by inverting them over the bread and pressing down, like a cookie cutter.) Place the bread slices on a half-sheet pan and broil until they just start to brown, about 1 minute.
6Season the soup with pepper and Cognac, if using. Place 8 oven-safe crocks on a half-sheet pan and ladle in the soup, leaving about 1 inch of space at the top. Place the toast rounds, toasted side down, on top of the soup and top with the cheese. Broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden, 1 to 2 minutes.