French Onion Soup
A community recipe by duffs10Not tested or verified by Nigella.com
Introduction
In the current economy not very many people can afford to eat like HM the Queen, who herself is probably cutting back as well... I never realised that proper French Onion Soup had only 5 ingredients until I found this recipe from France. No wine, no herbs, no broth... real French Onion Soup is only onions cooked forever in butter. That's it. If you do it right it has all the flavour you would expect.
In the current economy not very many people can afford to eat like HM the Queen, who herself is probably cutting back as well... I never realised that proper French Onion Soup had only 5 ingredients until I found this recipe from France. No wine, no herbs, no broth... real French Onion Soup is only onions cooked forever in butter. That's it. If you do it right it has all the flavour you would expect.
Ingredients
Serves: 4
- 1 kilogram onions (small ones)
- 50 grams unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons flour
- 12 slices baguette (toasted)
- 200 grams Gruyere cheese (grated)
- 2⅕ pounds onions (small ones)
- 1¾ ounces unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons flour
- 12 slices baguette (toasted)
- 7 ounces Gruyere cheese (grated)
Method
French Onion Soup is a community recipe submitted by duffs10 and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.
- Peel and slice the onions. If you use the small, powerful ones they'll make you cry. Tip: peel them under running water.
- In a stainless steel pot, heat the butter until it melts and add the onions. No salt, no pepper, nothing else. Put a lid on and let them sweat at medium low for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You do not want them to burn or the soup is ruined.
- Meanwhile put 1.5-2l of water in another pot and slowly bring it to the boil.
- After the first 10 minutes, take the lid off and continue cooking the onions until they are brown and caramelised. Stir often to caramelise them evenly and make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to keep anything from burning.
- After about 20 minutes they should be dark brown, caramelised and about 20% of their original volume. Add the flour and stir quickly to keep it from sticking. After minute or so, add a ladle or 2 of the boiling water and continue stirring. Once integrated add the rest of the water. Simmer the soup until it has reduced by about 1/4. Taste it and add salt and pepper to adjust the seasoning.
- Distribute the soup into 4 oven-proof bowls. Float 3 slices of toasted baguette on top of each bowl and divide the cheese evenly. Melt the cheese under the grill until bubbly. Serve right away.
- Peel and slice the onions. If you use the small, powerful ones they'll make you cry. Tip: peel them under running water.
- In a stainless steel pot, heat the butter until it melts and add the onions. No salt, no pepper, nothing else. Put a lid on and let them sweat at medium low for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You do not want them to burn or the soup is ruined.
- Meanwhile put 1.5-2l of water in another pot and slowly bring it to the boil.
- After the first 10 minutes, take the lid off and continue cooking the onions until they are brown and caramelised. Stir often to caramelise them evenly and make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to keep anything from burning.
- After about 20 minutes they should be dark brown, caramelised and about 20% of their original volume. Add the flour and stir quickly to keep it from sticking. After minute or so, add a ladle or 2 of the boiling water and continue stirring. Once integrated add the rest of the water. Simmer the soup until it has reduced by about 1/4. Taste it and add salt and pepper to adjust the seasoning.
- Distribute the soup into 4 oven-proof bowls. Float 3 slices of toasted baguette on top of each bowl and divide the cheese evenly. Melt the cheese under the grill until bubbly. Serve right away.
Tell us what you think
Thank you {% member.data['first-name'] %}.
Explore more recipesYour comment has been submitted.
What 2 Others have said
-
Posted by MrsRA on 28th June 2013
-
Posted by LunaBoi on 26th February 2013
Show more commentsMade this today! I replaced about half of the butter with olive oil & used a whole grain baguette. When I went to the supermarket there were only large brown onions available & I know how to caramelise onions well, but it was a bit too sweet & not quite as strong as the French onion soups I've tried & loved. I fixed this with a dash of white vinegar to counteract the sweetness, 2 stock cubes, a dash of Worcestershire sauce & salt & pepper. Worked out just right! If you don't have the cheese suggested or want to cut costs even more, the powdered kind of Parmesan cheese still goes golden under the grill & works well with this recipe plus is lower fat I assume. My husband came up with that one, and I was surprised at how nice it turned out! Onions are good for you & this is a real dollar stretcher & light meal on it's own... Enjoy!
Just made this tonight, and it was delicious! Next time I believe I will try with vidalia onions though for some extra flavour. Still it was very yummy, satisfying, and filling. Thanks for the recipe!