- Fraiche Living - https://fraicheliving.com -

French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup

If you look up ‘comfort food’ in a dictionary, I’m pretty sure that you will see a picture of French Onion Soup. Is there a better dish to serve on a cozy fall day? I think not.

While spending a weekend at our family cottage I was bound and determined to serve up my best possible version of this dish. Using Jamie Oliver as an inspiration, I came up with this recipe. I must say, I’m pretty thrilled and so was the crew.

Onions are one of those vegetables that don’t get a lot of love. But they’re actually packed with disease-fighting antioxidants (may help fight cancer and diabetes) and are a good source of vitamin C and B6, iron, folate, and potassium.  Not bad for a humble onion!

If you’re like me and jumping on the soup train for fall I’d also recommend trying my Hearty Lentil Soup [1], Italian Peasant Soup [2], Potato Broccoli Soup [3], or Roasted Tomato Pepper Soup [4]. Apparently I really do have a ‘thing’ for soup… as you can tell if you search ‘soup’ on the blog!

If you want to make this vegan simply leave out the cheese – it’s not totally the same of course (you can try dairy free cheese – the CHAO brand has been a hit with us). Use low sodium stock to cut back on the sodium if needed.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

 

5 from 3 votes
Print [5]

French Onion Soup

This classic French Onion soup is like a warm hug on a cold day. It uses a few simple ingredients and comes together in an hour!

Course Dinner, Lunch, Soup
Cuisine French
Keyword French, Onion, soup
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 6
Author Fraîche Nutrition

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoons butter
  • 12 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (approximately 6 onions)
  • 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
  • 2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh thyme (or 6 sprigs tied together with twine)
  • 3/4 cup good quality red wine
  • 2 litres prepared beef stock
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • Parmesan Thyme Croutons (recipe below)
  • 1 1/2 cups grated gruyere cheese
  • 6 small sprigs fresh thyme for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a large heavy pot, heat oil and butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until they are fragrant and soft.  Add the thyme.
  2. Turn the heat down to low and continue to cook for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to turn light golden brown.
  3. Add the wine and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring.
  4. Add the beef stock and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
  5. Preheat the broiler setting on the oven.
  6. Place 6 heat-safe soup dishes on a cookie sheet and ladle in the soup. Place a handful of croutons on top of each dish and immediately top with a handful of the grated cheese and a sprig of thyme.  Broil the soup until the cheese starts to bubble and turn brown.  Serve immediately (with a salad to round out the meal)!

PARMESAN THYME CROUTONS  

5 from 3 votes
Print [6]

Parmesan Thyme Croutons

These croutons are the perfect addition to this French onion soup!

Servings 6
Author Fraîche Nutrition

Ingredients

  • 1 day-old baguette diced into 1/2″ squares
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 clove of garlic crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 3 tablespoon fresh grated parmesan

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Place the diced baguette in a large bowl.  Combine olive oil, thyme, rosemary, salt and garlic in a separate bowl and toss with the baguette until evenly coated.
  4. Spread the baguette evenly on the baking sheet and sprinkle the grated parmesan evenly over the croutons.  Toss them with your hands until the parmesan has coated the croutons.
  5. Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes, tossing occasionally to make sure that they are evenly browned. Cool before serving over the soup.