The following is a less-fatty version of Julia Child's French Onion Soup recipe. I was craving French Onion Soup a few days ago, and I found this recipe to be scrumptious! The original recipe calls for an extended simmering of the soup. This did intensify the flavors, but I also had some "on the fly," and it was pretty darn good, too.
Hope you enjoy it.
1/2 tbls olive oil
1/2 tbls butter
4 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp sugar
3 tbls flour
32 oz low-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup burgundy (or other dry red wine)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf
Optional spices: basil, sage, thyme
4 1-inch thick slices whole-grain French bread
4 slices Swiss cheese (or cheese of your choice)
2 tsp Parmesan cheese
Heat olive oil and butter in stockpot over medium heat. When butter has melted and oil is shimmery, add onion. Stir; cook 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Uncover and increase heat to medium-low. Add sugar and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are fully cooked, browned, and caramelized, about 20-30 minutes. Sprinkle with flour; stir and cook 3 minutes more. Add wine and stir. Gradually add broth, blending well. Bring soup to a boil. Add bay leaf and pepper (and any other desired herbs/spices), and reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes (10 minutes if in a hurry!).
While soup simmers, make croutons:
Preheat oven to 325˚. Place bread slices on rack or baking sheet. Bake 25-35 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time. Croutons should be golden brown. Make sure that they are baked through and very dry. You can turn off the oven and leave them in longer to crisp them thoroughly.
When ready to serve, preheat broiler on a low broil setting. Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls. Float a crouton in each bowl of soup. Top each crouton with a slice of Swiss cheese and 1/2 tsp Parmesan cheese. Place bowls on sturdy baking sheet, and broil for 1-3 minutes, until cheese is bubbling and golden brown. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Remove soup bowls carefully and allow to cool slightly before serving.
