French Onion Soup
America Test Kitchen Beef Broth Onion Soup
In some ways, all French onion soup recipes are almost alike, since the recipe itself is a classic and traditional one. However, some French onion soup recipe are better than others are and if you have ever eaten a truly mouthwatering onion soup in a restaurant and a mediocre one someplace else, you will know this to be true.
The following recipe for French onion soup is similar to the America Test Kitchen beef broth onion soup recipe. A juicy base of chicken broth, beef broth, and red wine accompanies delicious, strong flavored red onions, parsley, and thyme. The topping consists of melted cheese topped French bread slices, which contrast wonderfully with the soup itself.
You can use beef broth instead of chicken and beef broth, if you want to, and also use a different kind of onion if you prefer. White onions are a lot softer in flavor and yellow onions are strong without the eye watering piquancy of red onions. However, the flavor does mellow a lot when they caramelize.
Beef Broth Soup - American Test Kitchen Style
Ingredients -
5 red onions, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh parsley
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ¾ cups beef broth
6 cups chicken broth
¼ cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 French baguette, cut into ¾ inch slices
4 ½ oz Swiss cheese, sliced
3 oz grated Asiago cheese
Preparation:
Melt the butter in a bit pot over a medium high heat and add the onions and ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir well and cook, stirring often, until the onions are syrupy and soft and the bottom of the pot is coated in a dark brown crust.
Stir in the broth, parsley, and thyme, red wine and bay leaf, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen the burnt bits.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook it for 20 minutes.
Discard the herbs.
Stir in the vinegar, adjust the salt, and pepper if necessary.
Set the oven rack in the upper middle position and preheat the broiler.
Put serving bowls on a baking sheet and put 1 ½ cups of soup in each one.
Put a layer of baguette slices on top of each bowl of soup and then the cheese slices and Asiago.
Broil until bubbly and golden brown.
(Serves 8)
How Cooking Shows Can Be Inspirational
If you are not sure what to make for dinner tonight, perhaps you will find cooking shows like America's Test Kitchen, Masterchef and Hell's Kitchen give you inspiration and ideas. Watching the way a dish is prepared on video, rather than reading a recipe in a book, means that delicious recipes such as America Test Kitchen beef broth are much simpler to make and will come out even better. Cooking shows can give you some really great ideas about new and exciting dishes to make for the family.
How to Use Recipes on Cooking Shows
With cooking show recipes, like America Test Kitchen beef broth, you can either tape the program and watch it later (using the pause button) as you recreate the dish or base a new recipe on the recipe you have seen. You can also get lots of cooking tips from cookery shows and watching the right way to mix something or the correct way to slice or peel an ingredient can be really helpful. Cooking shows are fun to watch, and can be a mine of information for keen home cooks.
Making a Cookery Show Recipe your Own
If you have been inspired by America Test Kitchen beef broth or another recipe, you can make it your own by switching a few of the ingredients. Perhaps you want to use a different herb in the recipe or a different vegetable. Beef broth is very difficult to mess up, unless you over season it, so be brave and try some new flavors to make this delicious dish your own.