There’s an undeniable romance to french onion soup. It’s silky and dark and rich. It’s also next to impossible not to cry during it’s creation. If you don’t already have a serious plan in place consider making this for your loved one this Valentines Day. The smell alone is enough to make anyone fall in love.

French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions in a rich, hearty broth topped with bubbling hot cheesy toast.

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Course Soup

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 4 lb onions any tu
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp vinegar any type (optional)
• 3 tsp salt
• pepper to taste
• 8 cups water
• 6 slices bread
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar grated

Additions

• beef or chicken stock instead of water
• red wine
• chili flakes
• fresh thyme

Instructions

 

• Chop each onion in half lengthwise, peel them, then cut them into half moon slices. These big slices are ideal since you're cooking the onions for so long and creating creamy ribbons of onion. Slice the garlic as well.
• Melt the butter in a large pot on medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and bay leaves. Cover the pot with a lid and leave it for 10 minutes. When you come back, the onions should have released a lot of moisture. Give them a stir. Pour in the vinegar and put the lid back on.
• Cook for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. When the onions at the bottom start to stick and turn dark, add a splash of water to unstick them. Don't worry, the onions aren't burning, just caramelizing. The water helps lift off the sticky, delicious, sweet part!
• Once the onions are very dark and about a quarter the volume they once were, add all the water and a bunch of salt and pepper. Cover the pot again, turn the heat down to low, and let it simmer for another hour. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
• Ladle the soup into bowls.
• Now it’s time to make cheese toast! If you want classic French onion soup— with the toast directly in the soup, which makes it a bit soggy—place a piece of bread on top of each bowl of soup, sprinkle with cheese, then heat the bowls under your oven’s broiler until the cheese is bubbly.
• If you don’t like soggy toast, just make the cheese toast on its own and serve it on the side to dunk.

Notes

Any onions will do here so one of those big bags that are often on sale are great. BUT if you have a variety kicking around try using a medley of onions. You can even use leeks or more garlic.

 

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