French Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 4 lb Sweet onions (Vidalia, or a combination of sweet onions and red onions)
• 7 tbsp Unsalted butter
• 1 tsp Fine sea salt (Additional salt to taste as needed)
• Black pepper (To taste)
• 0.75 cup Apple cider (Not apple cider vinegar)
• 2 tbsp All-purpose flour
• 2 cans Beef consommé (10.5 ounces each)
• 4 cups Chicken stock
• 2 Dried bay leaves
• 3 sprigs Fresh thyme (Plus additional fresh thyme for garnish if desired)
• 3 sprigs Fresh parsley
• 1 loaf Country-style bread (Or French bread; sliced and cut to fit the bowls if using oven-safe bowls)
• 1 cup Gruyère cheese (Freshly shredded; use about 2–3 tablespoons per bowl or piece of bread)

Steps

1. 1

   Melt the butter in a large heavy cast-iron pot, 5.5 quarts or larger, over medium heat.

2. 2

   Add the onions and stir to coat them in the melted butter. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the onions are softened and semi-transparent.

3. 3

   Add 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt and increase the heat to medium-high.

4. 4

   Cook the onions for another 20–30 minutes, stirring more regularly, until they are deep golden and sweet.

5. 5

   Add the apple cider and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, or until the cider has mostly evaporated into the onions.

6. 6

   Sprinkle the flour over the onions and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

7. 7

   Add the chicken stock, both cans of beef consommé, thyme, bay leaves, and parsley. Stir to combine.

8. 8

   Bring the soup to a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer for 20–25 minutes.

9. 9

   Taste the soup and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Remove and discard the thyme, bay leaves, and parsley.

10. 10

    For oven-safe bowls: Place the oven rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the broiler to high. Cut bread slices to fit on top of the bowls, arrange them on a lined sheet pan, and broil one side for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until toasted and lightly golden. Remove the bread from the oven.

11. 11

    Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls or crocks, leaving about 1 inch of space at the top. Place the bowls on the same sheet pan.

12. 12

    Place the bread on top of the bowls with the toasted side facing down, then top each piece with about 2–3 tablespoons of shredded Gruyère.

13. 13

    Broil the bowls, watching very closely, for about 1–2 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven, garnish with fresh thyme if desired, and serve immediately.

14. 14

    For the no-oven-safe-bowl method: Place the oven rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the broiler to high. Arrange bread slices on a sheet pan and broil one side for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until toasted and lightly golden. Remove the bread from the oven.

15. 15

    Sprinkle about 2–3 tablespoons of shredded Gruyère onto each piece of bread. Return the bread to the broiler and broil, watching very closely, for about 1–2 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

16. 16

    Ladle the soup into bowls, leaving about 1 inch of space at the top. Use a metal spatula to transfer the cheesy bread onto the soup bowls. Garnish with fresh thyme if desired and serve immediately.

Notes

Store the soup without the cheesy croutons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–5 days. Freeze completely cooled soup without the croutons for up to 3 months; defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop, adding extra stock as needed. Make the cheesy croutons fresh.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• soup
• French
• vegetarian-friendly with suitable stock
• broiled
• comfort food