Name: French Onion Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 200 g onion; 15 g butter; 0.25 tablespoon plain flour; 37.5 ml white wine; 300 ml beef broth; 0.5 sprigs thyme; 0.25 pcs bay leaves; 1 pc black pepper; salt; 2 slices baguette; 40 g emmental

Step by step process

Preparation

1
Peel the onions, cut them in half, and slice them into thin half-moons so they caramelize evenly and slowly.
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, add the onions, and cook over medium to low heat, stirring often, for about 35 to 40 minutes until golden.
TIP:
Caramelize the onions slowly over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally. It is not about searing them quickly, but about gradually evaporating the water and developing a sweet, rich flavor. If they start to darken too much, lower the heat and continue patiently.
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.
TIP:
First add the flour to the fat or browned base and briefly cook it so it doesn’t stay raw. Then gradually pour in the liquid while stirring continuously so the sauce thickens smoothly and without lumps.
5
Pour in the white wine, loosen all the browned bits from the bottom, and let the liquid simmer gently for about 3 minutes.
TIP:
After browning the base, pour in a little wine, stock, or water and use a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits from the bottom. They will give the sauce a fuller flavor. Then briefly reduce the liquid so the flavors meld and intensify.
6
Add the beef stock, thyme, bay leaf, and whole peppercorns, and simmer the soup over low heat for about 25 minutes so the flavors can meld.
7
Finally, remove the herbs and spices and 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 soup into ovenproof bowls, place the toasted baguette on top, and generously cover it 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 the soup is piping hot so the crisp baguette and melted cheese blend beautifully with the intense onion soup.