Bonnies French Onion Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a very large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onions, bay leaves, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and light golden-brown, about 1 hour. (The onions will begin to stick to the bottom of the pan and turn brown after about 30 minutes; just keep scraping them up and stirring them into the rest of the onions. If they are browning to quickly, lower the heat.)
• Add the wine to the pot, bring to a simmer and cook until it has almost completely evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add the beef broth and 1 cup of water, bring to a simmer and cook until the flavors come together and the soup is rich, about 45 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Keep the soup warm on a low burner or cool completely and refrigerate to reheat later. (The soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
• Preheat the broiler. Place four soup crocks on a rimmed baking sheet and fill them about 3/4 of the way with hot soup. Float a slice of baguette on top of each and cover with 1/2 cup Gruyere. Broil until the Gruyere is golden brown (don't be alarmed if some soup bubbles out), 2 to 3 minutes.

Steps:

• Trim the ends off each onion then halve lengthwise. Remove peel and finely slice into half-moon shapes. Set electric skillet to 300 degrees and add butter. Once butter has melted add a layer of onions and sprinkle with a little salt. Repeat layering onions and salt until all onions are in the skillet. Do not try stirring until onions have sweated down for 15 to 20 minutes. After that, stir occasionally until onions are dark mahogany and reduced to approximately 2 cups. This should take 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not worry about burning.
• Add enough wine to cover the onions and turn heat to high, reducing the wine to a syrup consistency. Add consomme, chicken broth, apple cider and bouquet garni. Reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
• Place oven rack in top 1/3 of oven and heat broiler.
• Cut country bread in rounds large enough to fit mouth of oven safe soup crocks. Place the slices on a baking sheet and place under broiler for 1 minute.
• Season soup mixture with salt, pepper and cognac. Remove bouquet garni and ladle soup into crocks leaving one inch to the lip. Place bread round, toasted side down, on top of soup and top with grated cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

Steps:

• Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large heavy-based pan. Add the onions and fry with the lid on for 10 mins until soft.
• Sprinkle in the sugar and cook for 20 mins more, stirring frequently, until caramelised. The onions should be really golden, full of flavour and soft when pinched between your fingers. Take care towards the end to ensure that they don't burn.
• Add the garlic cloves for the final few minutes of the onions' cooking time, then sprinkle in the plain flour and stir well.
• Increase the heat and keep stirring as you gradually add the wine, followed by the beef stock. Cover and simmer for 15-20 mins.
• To serve, turn on the grill, and toast the bread. Ladle the soup into heatproof bowls.
• Put a slice or two of toast on top of the bowls of soup, and pile on the gruyère. Grill until melted. Alternatively, you can cook the toasts under the grill, then add them to the soup to serve.

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Cook and stir onions, garlic, salt, black pepper, and thyme until onions are soft and brown, about 30 minutes. Pour in red wine and sherry; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until you can no longer smell alcohol cooking off, about 15 more minutes.
• Sprinkle onion mixture with flour and stir until coated; cook for 10 minutes. Pour in broth, stir to blend in flour, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) while soup is simmering. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
• Toast the baguette slices in the preheated oven until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes, turning the bread over halfway through cooking. Remove toast and set aside.
• Set an oven rack about 8 inches from the heat source and turn on the oven's broiler.
• Ladle soup into 6 oven-proof crocks, filling them about 3/4 full. Place 1 or 2 bread slices into the bowls and top each with a slice of Swiss cheese and a slice of provolone. Carefully place filled crocks onto a sturdy baking sheet.
• Broil soup until the cheese is browned and bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes.

Steps:

• COOK'S TIP: During the month, I save all my leftover vegetables and put them in sandwich bags, and store in a ziplock bag. When the bag is full, I make my soup. This is also handy for when you need only 1/2 cup of corn, or tomatoes, then you have it already on hand without opening another can.
• THAW the broth and beef in the fridge the day before you make the soup. If it doesn't thaw totally, put it in the slow cooker anyway and turn it to low. Add onion, garlic, and bay leaf, and all of your frozen leftover vegetables to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low about 3 hours. Add the elbow macaroni about 30 to 45 minutes before the soup is done. If you like more broth in your soup, add some now. When the macaroni is tender, serve the soup.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir and cook onions in butter until golden brown, 15 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute. Pour in the beer and beef broth and season with mustard, thyme, black pepper and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Remove bay leaf from soup and ladle soup into a large casserole or individual ovenproof bowls, leaving about 1 inch of room at the top of the dish or dishes. Float slices of toasted bread on the soup and pile generously with Gruyere.
• Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.

Steps:

• Melt butter with oil in large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add onions, garlic and sugar and cook until lightly-coloured, stirring occasionally, about 6-7 minutes.
• Add wine and bring to a boil.
• Cook 5 minutes.
• Add stock and bring to simmer.
• Simmer uncovered for 1 ½ hours.
• Season to taste.
• (can be prepared 1 day ahead) Preheat broiler.
• Ladle soup into 6 ovenproof bowls.
• Top with 2 slices of toasted bread each, sprinkle with 1/3 cup Swiss cheese each, sprinkle with ½ tsp Parmesan cheese each.
• Broil until cheese melts.
• Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Over medium heat sauté the onion in butter until soft and translucent and caramel colour. Make this in 3 batches.
• Place onions in slow cooker.
• Deglaze cooking skillet with some of the beef stock;this is the secret to that taste.
• Add to slow cooker along with the remaining beef broth (your own homemade or powdered mixed with boiling water).
• Add Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaf.
• Cover; cook on High for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
• Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf.
• Divide soup into appropriate containers.
• Seal and freeze.
• When ready to enjoy your French Onion Soup.
• Remove from freezer and place in a microwave dish with 2 tbsp sherry; heat for 5 minutes.
• Add Parmesan cheese to your onion soup bowl. Place one slice of toasted bread over the cheese. Fill bowl with soup.
• Top with shredded Gruyère cheese.
• Place under broiler to melt your cheese.
• Tip: When adding your ingredients to the slow cooker make sure they are all hot.
• Use the processor to slice your onions. I once read 'If I use my food processor just to make onion soup it will be worth the cost".
• Bon Appettit!