The Best French Onion Soup

Cooking Time: 1 1/2 -2 hrs    Servings: 4-6

Products needed:

  • Traditional 18 Year Balsamic Vinegar
  • Butter-All Natural Infused Olive Oil

Ingredients:

  • 3 red onions
  • 2 white or yellow onions
  • 1/3 cup Olive Scene Butter Olive Oil
  • ¼ cup dry red wine
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons sugar
  • 2 cans low salt chicken broth (14 oz. cans)
  • 2 cans low salt beef broth (14 oz. cans)
  • bay leaf
  • sea salt and ground pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Scene 18yr Traditional Balsamic Vinegar
  • gruyere and/or parmesan and/or asiago cheese 
  • (chards or coarsely grated)
  • sourdough baguette
  • Olive Scene medium Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
  • chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:

  1. Slice onions into thin or medium thick slices. Medium is best and so much easier! Medium slices also give a much fuller taste.
  2. In a large stick-free skillet, over medium heat, cook onions in the Butter Olive Oil.
  3. After onions cook a bit and become limp, sprinkle them with sugar and stir well.
  4. Caramelize onions thoroughly until most of them are a rich brown color.
  5. They need constant attention at this stage.
  6. Continue turning them over and over, allowing about 45-60 minutes. Tip: Caramelize, caramelize and then caramelize some more! (this is where that nice glass of wine comes in as you stand there caramelizing).
  7. Remove any onions that have burned (you really shouldn’t have any or very few burnt ones if you have been turning them over and over).
  8. After onions are done, add a can of beef broth to the skillet and stir well to get all of the caramelized flavor mixed in. DO NOT DRAIN OFF SKILLET, and pour everything into a stock pot.
  9. Stir in the rest of the broths, wine, and bay leaf.
  10. Bring to a SLOW boil.
  11. Add fresh ground pepper to taste.
  12. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes.
  13. Add the balsamic vinegar and adjust the seasoning with sea salt and pepper.
  14. Let the soup cool down and then heat it up again prior to serving.
  15. If soup is too thick for your taste, just add more beef broth.
  16. Cut a baguette into 1 inch thick slices for large croutons.
  17. Lightly brush with Picual Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and place on a cookie sheet.
  18. Toast well in oven.
  19. Serve: Ladle warmed soup into bowls, add one or two croutons in a single layer.
  20. Sprinkle on cheese to taste, stick under the broiler to melt the cheese and crisp out the crouton. If your bowls won’t take the broiler, sprinkle cheese on the croutons on the cookie