French Onion Soup - and How to Caramelize Onions

My favorite French Onion Soup came to mind recently when I read Caramelized Onions: The Controversy Continues at The Splendid Table. If you're a technique geek like me, you'll enjoy the article and/or podcast.

I can't always take the time to thoroughly caramelize the onions for a special version of my Vegetable Beef Soup, but it is a must for classic French onion soup. If you don't have the time, don't even make it.

Ever since my mother and I watched Julia Child make it on television when I was a child, I had intended to make it. Every time I had it in a French restaurant, I had intended to make it. Finally, five years ago I did. 

Naturally, I started with Julia's version in Mastering the Art of French Cooking - Volume One. And, just as naturally, I couldn't help making a few additions and subtractions as well as streamlining the directions.

The photo above shows a serving of soup in the Le Creuset enameled cast iron mini cocotte.

There's nothing difficult about it. It just takes a little patience and some good broth or stock. If you don't want to take at least 45 minutes to properly caramelize the onions, don't make this soup.

There was a time when I would have said, if you don't want to make homemade beef stock, don't make this soup. But there are some really good lower sodium organic beef stocks and broths on the market now. 

Good, flavorful, not-too-salty broth or stock, along with the properly caramelized onions, is key to this soup. There are plenty of recipes out there shortcutting the cooking of the onions. Don't you believe them!

If your eyes are as sensitive to onions as mine are, you need to get these fabulous onion goggles -- they have changed my life! And they're kind of cute, too. Unfortunately, no one was around to take a picture of me modeling them!

We have many weeks of Soup Weather ahead - tell me about your favorite soups. (And next time you're in the mood for a dip, use this same technique for homemade French Onion Dip.)

French Onion Soup - Soupe a l'Oignon Gratinee

Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

(Makes about 7 cups / about 6 servings)

1 1/2 pounds (24 ounces/680 grams) yellow onions, quartered and thinly (about 1/8 inch or so) sliced

2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams) unsalted butter

1 tablespoon (0.5 fluid ounce/15 ml) extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces/59 ml) dry sherry

1 quart (about 1 litre) very good beef broth or stock
1 quart (about 1 litre) water

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

3 tablespoons (1.5 fluid ounces/44 ml) brandy, optional

6 rounds of hard-toasted French bread

1 1/4 cups (5 ounces/142 grams) grated gruyere or Swiss cheese

6 tablespoons grated Parmesan

1 In heavy-bottomed large pot (a 4-quart is fine, but I used my Le Creuset 5.5-Quart French Oven), cook the onions in butter and oil over low heat, covered, for 15 minutes. No need to watch them, just set the timer and walk away.

2 Stir in the salt and sugar (helps with browning). Cook, uncovered, over moderate heat (onions should be sizzling), stirring occasionally,* for about 45 minutes, or until onions are well caramelized, evenly golden brown. It might even take an hour or more, depending on the onions, your pan, your stove.

* I checked the onions every 5 minutes but did not stir them until they were sticking to the pan a bit. You need to let the onions stick a little to brown, then stir and scrape the pan. Just do not let it burn, or it's all over! You can add up to a tablespoon of additional olive oil, if needed.

3 During the last 15 minutes of cooking the onions, bring the stock and water to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan.

4 When the onions are thoroughly caramelized, turn the heat down to low. Sprinkle flour over the caramelized onions. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the sherry, and cook for 1 minute.

5 Off heat, stir the boiling liquid (gradually at first) into the onions. Stir in the thyme, marjoram and black pepper (and the brandy, if you're using it). Simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning (at this point, I added another 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper). May be made ahead to this point, cooled and then refrigerated until ready to use. While soup is simmering, cut slices of French bread to fit your broiler-proof* soup bowls and toast them on a baking sheet in the oven until they are hard as well as toasted.

6 About 10 minutes before serving, preheat broiler. Bring the soup to a boil, then ladle into broiler-proof soup bowls. Place toast rounds on top, and spread cheeses over each. Place on a large, foil-lined baking sheet and put under the broiler for about 2 minutes to melt cheese and brown the tops.

* If your bowls are not broiler-proof, just broil the cheese-topped toasts and float them on top of the soup. I used slices of my Sourdough Sandwich Bread because you want to use a sturdy bread. After toasting the bread, I cut out 3.5-inch rounds with a cookie cutter, placed them on a foil-covered baking sheet, topped each with a tablespoon of grated Parmesan and about 3 tablespoons of coarsely shredded Swiss. Pop them under the broiler until cheese is bubbling and browning (in this case that was about 4 1/2 minutes), then float them on the bowls of soup.

Note: If you're a Julia Child fan, you might enjoy reading my Vegetable Quiche post about one of my conversations with her.

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