French Onion Soup — Ooh La La
On a recent trip to Philadelphia, I looked out my window from the 24th floor of the Doubletree Hotel in the heart of downtown Philly and was met with raindrops dripping down the windowpane and gray clouds overhead. All that meant to me was a forecast for some really good comforting soup, and I found it at McGiffin’s Olde Ale House, which just happened to be right around the corner from my hotel.
The restaurant opened in 1860, which, in the grand scheme of things, wasn’t not too terribly long after the Declaration of Independence was signed right around the corner at what is now Independence Hall. Pretty cool, right? How many restaurants can claim that?
Back to the soup, though. One look at the menu and I put it down. My decision was simple: French onion soup. There’s just something about that hearty soup chock full of tender onions, bread soaked in savory beef stock and its gooey cheesey topping that screams comfort on a cold rainy day.
When I got back to my home in Daisy, Tenn., I set to work making my own for the first time. It’s one of my favorite soups and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to make it.
If you have beef stock, all the better. I just happened to have saved a bone from my Christmas roast, so out it came from the freezer and into a pot of water to make my stock. If you must, use a good store-bought stock. Other than that, the recipe I found on the Food Network is pretty straightforward. Put on your goggles, cut a bunch of onions, open a good bottle of red wine, pour yourself a glass and save some for the soup.
French Onion Soup
4 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon thyme
1 cup red wine
3 heaping tablespoons flour
2 quarts beef broth
1 baguette
1/2 pound grated Gruyere
Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn’t burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
When you’re ready to eat, preheat the broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the slices with the Gruyere and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Ladle the soup in bowls and float several of the Gruyere croutons on top.
Alternative method: Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and top with cheese. Put the bowls into the oven to toast the bread and melt the cheese.
