Name: French Onion Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 800 g onion; 60 g butter; 1 tablespoon plain flour; 150 ml white wine; 1200 ml beef broth; 2 sprigs thyme; 1 pc bay leaves; 4 pcs black pepper; salt; 8 slices baguette; 160 g emmental

Step by step process

Preparation

1
Peel the onions and cut them in half, then slice them into thin half-moons. Even slices let a proper French onion soup caramelize slowly and evenly.
2
Coarsely grate the cheese and cut the baguette into thicker slices so they do not become soggy while baking.

Soup

3
Melt the butter in a wide pot and add the onions. Cook over medium to low heat, stirring often, for 35 to 40 minutes until deeply golden.
4
Once the onions have softened and developed a caramel aroma, dust them with plain flour and stir for one minute so the flour does not remain raw.
5
Pour in the white wine, loosen all the browned bits from the bottom, and let the liquid simmer gently for about 3 minutes.
6
Add the beef stock, thyme, bay leaf, and whole peppercorns. Simmer over low heat for about 25 minutes so the flavors can meld.
7
Remove the herbs and spices at the end, then season the soup with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Baking and Serving

8
Briefly toast the baguette slices in the oven or in a dry pan so they turn lightly golden and keep their structure once the soup is poured over them.
9
Pour the hot broth into ovenproof bowls and place the toasted baguette on top. Generously cover with grated Emmental.
10
Place the bowls under a hot grill or in the oven and bake for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese melts and forms a golden crust.
11
Serve immediately while piping hot. The crisp baguette and melted cheese blend beautifully with the rich, intense broth.