French Onion Soup
At this moment, I can hear Stuart reading a book softly to Georgia in our bed. It's almost her bedtime. She is bathed and fed and happy.
And for this brief moment, she will sit still enough to listen to a book.
You know two-year-olds. A calm moment spent sitting is a rarity. They'd much rather be out exploring the world. Hangin' with their friends on the slides. Squishin' ants in the kitchen for Mommy. Doing anything but sitting still.
That's why we spent our Saturday morning at a local kids fair, where she got to do this:
What fun!
But more on that later.
It rained all weekend here — and good, 'ol, fat, Alabama rain at that. Multiple times last night, I was woken up by the sheer noise of it all (well, that and the fact that my bladder is the size of an olive these days. Multiple bathroom trips are required during the wee hours of the night).
Regardless, it was the type of weekend where you want to eat soup. Not necessarily because it's cold and you need your soul warmed, but rather because it's dark and dreary and it just fits the moment.
Especially if you're having a Harry Potter movie marathon. *Ahem*. I'm just sayin'.
This French Onion Soup recipe is one of my favorite vegetarian soups. It's so nourishing and rich and savory. I could eat it every day.
I think you'll love it. And since it's fall, and we're all in the mood for soup, let's do this thing.
Now we're gettin' somewhere:
Side note: I didn't have any beef stock at the moment I made this, so instead of the beef stock, I added extra chicken stock and threw in two beef soup bones I had in the freezer while I sautéed the onions. The balance of beef and chicken is important, and I find that this soup made with all chicken stock or all beef stock isn't nearly as good as the two combined. Using the soup bones helped yield a wonderful beef-y flavor... so if you're in a pinch, this is a good route to go.
Voila! French Onion Soup!
I. Love. This. Soup. It's like I become possessed when I eat it... and I just can't stop. Especially when it's fall and rainy and I'm watching The Prisoner of Azkaban.
Would you believe that I made five ramekins? And ate three of them? Three, people. Stuart ate one. Georgia ate one. I ate three.
I (yep, you guessed it) have issues. And my issues involve melted cheese and caramelized onions.
Whether you have issues or not, I'd still encourage you to make this soup. Not only is it frugal, but it's also full of nourishing broth and downright delicious.
Booya.
Enjoy!
French Onion Soup
Ingredients:
5 purple onions (about 3 pounds)
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh
2 bay leaves
6 cups of chicken stock (homemade makes a big difference!)
2 cups of beef stock (ditto!)
1/8 cup high-quality balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
Crusty bread of choice (homemade baguette or soaked whole wheat bread both work great here)
3 tablespoons of grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese (per serving)
Instructions:
Peel and slice the onions in half. Then, cut into thin strips.
Melt the butter in a large soup pot. Add in the sliced onions and the thyme. For the next half hour, on medium heat, allow the onions to slowly soften. You will need to stir them and tend to them to make sure they don’t burn at all. If they become too sticky, add in a few more tablespoons of butter. The point here is to slowly allow them to darken and become sticky.
Once the onions are nice and sticky, add in the bay leaves, chicken stock, and beef stock. Stir and bring to a simmer. Then, drizzle in the balsamic vinegar.
Cover and allow the soup to simmer for twenty or so minutes. Now taste. Add salt and pepper to your liking.
Once the soup has simmered and is spiced to your liking, gently scoop a serving into an oven-safe dish(es).
Top each ramekin with a piece of crusty bread.
Lastly, top each serving with a few tablespoons of grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese.
Place all the ramekins on a baking sheet and put them into a 450-degree oven for about 5-10 minutes or until the bread is golden and the cheese has melted.
