Tuesday, January 23, 2018

National Soup Month: French Onion

Soup soothes the soul.  This is one of my favs!
Photo by Emily Clack
I love my creamy butternut squash soup, Potage Cultivateur and my comforting baked potato soup.  Creamy butternut squash soup is pureed.  It is made by cooking the squash down in liquid until tender and then pureed until it thickens and binds into a soup.  Most soups start with a good home-made stock.  Ted's Bulletin has a great grilled cheese and tomato soup.  My friend Phil makes a great split-pea soup.  It is fun to add something crunchy to your soup like crispy bacon or croutons.  I always use my bright orange stockpot from Le Creuset.

Try this French Onion Soup.

Serves 4-6.

6 large yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
Olive oil
6 cups water
2 cups beef or chicken stock
1 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 sprig of Italian parsley
Salt and pepper
French baguette, sliced
Swiss Cheese for the top

In a large stockpot, sauté the onions in the olive oil on medium high heat until browned, but not burned, to remove all of the water.  Reduce heat to medium and deglaze with the white wine.  Let the wine reduce for about 10 minutes.  Then add stock and water to cover the onions.  Cover partially and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Discard the bay leaf and parsley.

To serve use individual oven-proof soup bowls and ladle the soup into the bowls.  Cover with slices of baguette and top with cheese.  Put broiler on high and cook until the cheese bubbles and is slightly brown.  Serve immediately, but be careful of the hot bowls. 

Soup is a great dish for inviting company over.  A hearty soup can feed a crowd or you could use the soup for your first course.  The best part is you can prepare it ahead of time so you have more time with your guests.  I love a good soup party.

What are your favorite soup recipes?

What is your favorite restaurant that serves soup?

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