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French Onion Soup

It hasn't been until the last couple of years that I’ve come to appreciate French Onion Soup. Either too salty, too acidic, or not enough onions. The list was long. After lots of renditions, I think I’ve finally found a balance between the onion reduction and using chicken and beef broth balance that makes it all come together

Kitchen Items Needed

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Dutch Oven
$345 at Amazon
Wooden Spoons
$20 at Amazon

Recipe

  • ½ cup

    unsalted butter , cut into 1/2" pieces

  • 6

    large yellow onions , 6 large yellow onions, sliced 1/4" thick

  • 2 sprigs

    fresh thyme

  • 1 tsp.

    Kosher salt

  • 1 tsp.

    black pepper , freshly ground

  • 2 tsp.

    balsamic vinegar

  • 2 Tbsp.

    all-purpose flour

  • 1 qt.

    chicken stock

  • 1 qt.

    beef stock

  • 1

    baguette , cut into 1" pieces

  • 2 cups

    gruyère cheese , shredded
    Step 1

  • Heat a large Dutch Oven over medium heat.

    • Step 2

  • Add the butter and melt until it begins to sizzle.

    • Step 3

  • Add the onions, thyme, salt and butter.

    • Step 4

  • Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion are translucent and have cooked down to around half their original volume, approx. 20 minutes.

    • Step 5

  • Uncover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the onions begin to stick to the bottom of the pan, approx. 30 minutes.

    • Step 6

  • Making sure to use a wooden spoon to scrape up browning bits and adding splashes of water to deglaze the pan and continue to cook until the onions are jammy and a deep brown, approx. 40 minutes.

    • Step 7

  • Preheat your oven to 400°.

    • Step 8

  • Stir in the balsamic vinegar into the onion mixture. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stirring often, cook until the balsamic vinegar has been absorbed into the onions, approximately 5 minutes.

    • Step 9

  • Remove the thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the all-purpose flour, continue to cook, stirring constantly, approximately 7 minutes.

    • Step 10

  • Adding a splash of water at a time, to deglaze the last of the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

    • Step 11

  • Stir in the chicken and beef stocks and bring to a rumbling simmer, over medium-high heat.

    • Step 12

  • Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally to allow the flavors to meld, approximately 10 minutes.

    • Step 13

  • Remove pan from the heat. Divide the soup into 6 ovenproof bowls and place them on a rimmed sheet pan.

    • Step 14

  • Top each bowl with a baguette slice and 1/3 cup of the cheese. Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted.

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