French Onion Soup
From McGough's Recipes
| Prep | Cook | Total | Serves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Min | 1 Hour 20 Min | 1 Hour 40 Min | 4-6 |
INGREDIENTS
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 large yellow onions peeled, halved and thinly sliced (about 2 1/2 pounds | 1.25 kg)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (or 4 cloves garlic, minced)
- 1/4 cup flour (plain or all purpose)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or red wine*
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme roughly chopped
- 6 cups beef stock or broth
- 1 teaspoon beef bouillon powder
- 2 whole bay leaves (dried or fresh)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 batch cheesy garlic bread
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large pot over medium-low heat, heat olive oil and melt butter. Add the onions and stir well to evenly coat with oil and butter. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so, until the onions have softened.
- Increase heat to medium-high and add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir and continue cooking for a further 15 minutes or until onions are golden browned, soft and caramelized. (The bottom of the pan will also brown during the cooking process. This is where all of the flavour is).
- Stir in garlic and cook for one minute, then add in flour and cook for about 4 minutes to brown slightly. Add wine to deglaze the pan, and scrape up the browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. Add in the thyme and simmer wine for 2 minutes until reduced by half.
- Add beef stock, bouillon and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer, partially covered with a lid, for 30-40 minutes.
- While the soup is simmering, prepare 1 loaf of cheesy garlic bread, or individually portioned garlic breads.
- To serve, taste test and season with a little extra salt and pepper, to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with 1 or 2 slices of cheesy toast.
NOTES
- Wine is optional to deglaze the pan and add flavour to the soup. Use extra beef broth or stock as a substitute.
- If using wine, I recommend using good quality Pinot Gris/Grigio, Sauv Blanc or Chardonnay.
