Description
What is more comforting than the best French Onion Soup simmering in your kitchen for dinner. It takes a couple of hours of hand-off time but is so worth it.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 yellow onions, sliced into 1/4” slices
- 2 Vidalia onions (sweet onions), sliced into 1/4” slices
- 1 red onion, sliced into 1/4” slices
- 1 large shallot, sliced into 1/4” slices
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted if cooking onions in the slow cooker
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 cup dry white wine, or 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon brown sugar and 1/2 cup warm water.
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 6 cups beef bone broth
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, stem removed
- 1/2 baguette, cut into 3/4” slices
- 1 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
- 1 cup provolone cheese, shredded (or Swiss cheese)
Instructions
- Peel and slice onions and shallots.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the olive oil. Stir in the onions and shallots and using tongs, toss to coat with oil.
- Saute onions until translucent and then reduce heat to low and simmer until golden brown and caramelized, about 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally to keep the onion edges from browning before the onions have caramelized.
- If cooking in a slow cooker, melt the butter and stir in the olive oil. Toss the onions to coat and cook on low for 10-12 hours.
- When the onions have cooked, (in a slow cooker), transfer the onions, any liquid in the slow cooker, and 1 tablespoon addition butter to a large saucepan and heat over medium heat to cook off the liquid and melt the butter.
- Add the wine or substitute to the saucepan to deglaze the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil until the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the minced garlic, tomato paste and cocoa powder and stir to combine with the onion slices.
- Stir in the beef bone broth and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Stir well and add the bay leaf. Simmer for 45 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf, and discard. Taste and season with kosher salt and pepper.
- While the soup is simmering, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Slice the baguette and shred the cheese.
- On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices and sprinkle the combination of cheeses over each slice of bread.
- Add the pan to the oven and cook until the cheese is bubbly and bread is toasted, about 6 -8 minutes.
- Remove the baking pan from the oven when the cheese is bubbly.
- Ladle to onion soup into bowls. Sprinkle the fresh thyme on the soup and top each bowl with a sprinkle of shredded cheese and then carefully place a cheesy baguette toast on top. Serve immediately.