French Onion Soup
How to Make Traditional Classic French Onion Soup
The French are a nation of traditional cooks and once they have a good recipe, they see no need to update or change it simply for the sake of change. Classic French onion soup is a great example of how a relatively basic yet perfectly balanced traditional dish has stood the test of time and is just as popular today as it ever was.
The trick to making the best French onion soup is to begin with a good broth. Beef broth, also known as beef stock, is usually used in easy recipes for French onion soup and you can make beef broth from leftover bones when you have a roast. It is also important to caramelize the onions properly when making the best onion soup recipe. You have to allow them at least half an hour of slow cooking over a high heat to bring out the natural sugars. This makes the onions extra sweet and juicy.
The following easy French onion soup uses the traditional steps and techniques for the very best results. If you have some pottery onion, soup bowls or traditional French onion crocks for soup, this recipe is nice served in them. If not, you can use another kind of serving bowl.
The Best Easy French Onion Soup Recipe
Ingredients -
6 large yellow or red onions, thinly sliced
½ cup dry vermouth, dry white wine or dry sherry
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
8 cups of beef stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups grated Gruyere cheese
8 slices French bread, toasted
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Sauté the onions in the olive oil in a big, heavy bottomed pan, over a medium high heat. Cook them for at least half an hour, until they are well browned but not burnt.
Add the sugar about 10 minutes after you start the process to help with the caramelizing.
Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the vermouth, wine or sherry, the dried thyme and the bay leaf you add the broth when you add the vermouth.
Cover the pan partially and let the French onion soup simmer for half an hour, to allow the flavors to blend.
Season with salt and pepper and discard the bay leaf.
Ladle the soup into ovenproof soup bowls and top each one with a piece of toasted French bread.
Sprinkle the gruyere cheese on top of the bread and broil for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F or until the cheese is bubbling and melted.
Serve immediately.
(Serves 8)
Photo Description:
This easy French onion soup recipe is best served in French onion soup bowls. These bowls are deep and keep every drop of the soup warm until you have finished. This rich brown colored French onion soup recipe is topped with a layer of bread and creamy Gruyere cheese for an authentic finish. There are lots of easy recipes for French onion soup and you can alter the soup ingredients or topping ingredients but this photo shows how a classic traditional French onion soup recipe should look. Perhaps you have enjoyed this delicacy before in a restaurant but it is easy to make your own French onion soup at home too.
French Onion Soup Video
This helpful cooking video tells you everything you need to know about making easy French onion soup. Sometimes, when learning how to make a new recipe, it is helpful to watch a video and see how a pro does it. You can see from this onion soup recipe video how to caramelize onions perfectly and what they should look like when they are done. You can also see how easy French soup is to put together and how beautiful it looks when it is ready to serve. This video is simple enough for beginners to follow and each step of making delicious and authentic French onion soup is expertly explained.
Reasons to Use French Onion Soup Bowls for Your Onion Soup Recipes
If you are going to make a classic French onion soup recipe, serving it in the right onion soup bowls is the perfect way to present the soup. Whether you are making an easy French onion soup recipe for the family or for dinner guests, a matching set of French onion soup bowls will keep your soup hot.
Using wide bowls means your onion soups cool down too fast and they tend to spill soup over the sides when you carry or move them. Pottery or earthenware French onion soup bowls are more stable and they are shaped to keep your soup hot. A lot of them have vented hollow handles, which cool down quickly while the main bowl stays warm.
Having a set of onion soup crocks mean that you can serve your French onion soup in sophisticated matching bowls. Pottery onion soup bowls are oven proof so you can broil the cheese until it is bubbly and delicious before serving your easy French onion soup recipe to your delighted guests. Many of these soup crocks have lids too so you can keep your homemade French onion soup recipe hot until your guests are ready to eat. Many French onion soup crock bowls are microwave and dishwasher safe as well.
Types of French Onion Soup Bowls
You can get various styles of onion soup bowls. Many are glazed a rich brown color to match the soup but you can get white soup bowls, patterned soup bowls and other kinds too. Some French onion soup crocks come with lids and most have either two small handles or one longer one so you can move the bowl easily.
Depending how many people you are going to serve, you can get a set of four onion soup crock bowls, a set of six or a set of eight. You might want to get two sets anyway, in case some get broken.
Using a matching set of French onion soup bowls means you can eat restaurant style at home and eating from nice bowls means, you can enjoy your homemade onion soup recipes even more.
French onion soup bowls are suitable for serving other kinds of soup too. If you want to serve a chunky minestrone soup, a warming chicken noodle soup, or another favorite soup recipe, you can use your French onion soup crocks instead of wide bowls. If you like to eat soup, you will get plenty of use out of a set of French onion soup bowls, making them a great investment.
French Onion Soup Bowls with Handles
French onion soup bowls either have ear type handles or a long handle. Using a long handled onion soup bowl means you can get it in and out of the oven easily. A traditional onion soup bowl set is usually a matching set of deep bowls with narrow tops, so your soup stays hot and you can cover the top with French onion soup cheese and toasted bread. An onion soup crock can be any color but dark, glazed brown soup crocks are common, as are white ones. Some soups are good in serving tureens, though not traditional French onion soup, as this is broiled in individual soup crocks. Buying an onion soup bowl set is a great idea, so you can serve your French onion soup recipe in style.