"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." ~George Bernard Shaw

"Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time." ~Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn


Tuesday, April 06, 2021

2021 A to Z Challenge and Wordless Wednesday!!!! April 6, 2021

2021 A to Z Challenge  
F is for French Onion Soup!


Hopefully some year we will get back to France!
Now.... onto the recipe!!!
French Onion Soup
PREP TIME 10 mins
COOK TIME 70 mins
TOTAL TIME 80 mins
SERVINGS 4 to 6 servings
Much of the success of this soup depends on the stock that you are using, and stock varies tremendously in its taste. Depending on your stock, you may need to bump up the flavor with some beef bouillon (we recommend "Better than Bouillon brand"). Taste the soup before putting it in the oven, and if it needs more seasoning, don't be afraid to add more!
Ingredients
6 large red or yellow onions (about 3 pounds), peeled and thinly sliced root to stem (about 10 cups of sliced onions total)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon of sugar
Salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups of beef stock, chicken stock, or a combination of the two (traditionally the soup is made with beef stock)
1/2 cup of dry vermouth or dry white wine
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon (loose) of fresh thyme (can also use a few sprigs of fresh thyme) OR 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
8 slices French bread or baguette cut 1-inch thick
1 1/2 cups of grated Swiss Gruyere and a sprinkling of Parmesan
Caramelize the onions: In a 5 to 6 quart thick-bottomed pot, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. 
Add the onions and toss to coat with the olive oil.
Cook the onions, stirring often, until they have softened,
 about 15 to 20 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium high. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the butter and cook, stirring often, until the onions start to brown, about 15 more minutes.
Then sprinkle with sugar (to help with the caramelization) and 1 teaspoon of salt and continue to cook until the onions are well browned, about 10 to 15 more minutes.
Add the minced garlic and cook for a minute more.
Deglaze the pot with vermouth: Add the vermouth to the pot and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom and sides of the pot, deglazing the pot as you go.
Add stock and seasonings: Add the stock, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot and lower the heat to maintain a low simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes.
Season to taste with more salt and add freshly ground black pepper. Discard the bay leaves. Add brandy if using.
Toast French bread slices: While the soup is simmering, line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil and preheat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the upper third of the oven.
Brush both sides of the French bread or baguette slices lightly with olive oil (you'll end up using about a tablespoon and a half of olive oil for this).Put in the oven and toast until lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven.
Turn the toasts over and sprinkle with the grated Gruyere cheese and Parmesan. Return to oven when it's close to serving time and bake until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned. 
Serve: To serve, ladle soup into a bowl and transfer one cheesy toast onto the top of each bowl of soup.
Alternatively, you can use individual oven-proof bowls or one large casserole dish. Ladle the soup into the bowls or casserole dish. Cover with the toast and sprinkle with cheese. Put into the broiler for 10 minutes at 350° F, or until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned.
Bon Appetit!!!

19 comments:

  1. nice to meet you. great post!

    Would you like to follow each other? If the answer is yes, please follow me on my blog & I'll follow you back. thank you.

    http://www.rosetinz.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would love to follow you, however your blog is not secure. It needs to be https://www.rosetinz.com
      When I tried to add the s onto http it did not work. Sorry!

      Delete
  2. The soup looks and sounds delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  3. oh, I have not eaten this soup in ages. Maybe it is time. :=

    ReplyDelete
  4. I do like a good French onion soup.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I lurrrrv French Onion Soup I might even try that recipe at some point :-)

    Have a slurrrptastic safe week Kathe 👍😷😷😷

    ReplyDelete
  6. French onion soup is one of mom and gramma's favorites!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I so love onion soup and I would like to have it one more time before the warm weather hits. Yummy! Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Janet,

    I never was a French Onion soup fan but I wouldn't mind trying it again after many years of not having it. Perhaps my taste has changed like it has on other foods.

    Incidentally I dropped you an email this morning explaining a little about gravatar. Let me know if you need any help!

    Stop by when you get a chance to check out my Looney Tunes Foghorn Leghorn art sketch on Curious as a Cathy. ;) Happy A2Zing!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow! That's a lot of ingredients, but the results look amazing. Have a blessed Wednesday.

    ReplyDelete
  10. My granddaughters favorite of all soups. Yummy.

    Thank you for joining the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.

    Have a fabulous Wordless Wednesday. Big hug to you both and lots of scritches to Miss Lucy. ♥♥♥

    ReplyDelete
  11. French Onion Soup - yay! I just love this stuff, and I usually despise onions, but not when they are prepared like this.

    ReplyDelete
  12. French onion soup smells good, but it's not for me. I don't like onions. I like the smell, and use them in cooking for the taste, if big pieces I can take out! Or chili, where it cooks into nothing.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I added this to Pinterest. I can't wait to make it when we have our own onions this fall.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank you for the recipe even for me it's very complicated! :) I never tried such a soup. Maybe it's time...
    Happy WW and thank you for the linking!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I agree with Lisa it smells so good and is so pretty served with cheese. I would use it as a dip for crusty bread
    Hugs Cecilia

    ReplyDelete
  16. Awww, such a yummy, yummy classic!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Mercy, but that takes some doing! Since i am vegetarian, i will let my family that like this order it at a restaurant instead.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I make a lot of French Onion soup. Our recipes are very similar. And your Egg Drop yesterady is terrific! I am so enjoying your A-Z! Thanks for visiting and thanks for the recipes and we hope you have a marvellously happy day!

    ReplyDelete

I love comments and will attempt to reply to each one. However, lately I have been getting "Unknown" comments that are linked to some sort of web page. I will never open this sort of comment and will immediately mark as spam. I am not interested in opening something that could be detrimental to my blog security etc. Never have enjoyed hackers! Thanks!