French Onion Soup
- 6 large yellow onions
- 30 mL (2 Tbsp) butter (or olive oil)
- 30 mL (2 Tbsp) olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 7 mL (1½ tsp) salt, plus more to taste
- 1 baguette, cut into 1-cm (3/8-inch) slices
- 15 mL (1 Tbsp) fresh thyme (or 5 mL/1 tsp dried), plus sprigs for garnish
- 10 mL (2 tsp) flour
- 1.5 L (6 cups) beef stock or vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 mL (½ tsp) pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 mL (¼ tsp) sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 170 g (6 oz) Gruyère, Comté or Emmenthal cheese, sliced
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).
Slice the ends off the onions, cut in half lengthwise and peel. Cut into lengthwise slices about 0.6 cm (¼ inch) thick. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, toss with the salt, then cover for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, stir and cook for 45 minutes, stirring completely every 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low halfway through cooking.
Meanwhile, brush the bread (2 slices per person) with olive oil. Place on a sheet pan and bake slices 10 minutes per side, until crisp; set aside.
When onions look caramel in colour, add the thyme. Increase heat to medium and stir fairly constantly for 5 or more minutes, until deeply golden. Sprinkle the flour over the caramelized onions, stirring and toasting it for 1 minute. Add the stock, bay leaves and pepper. Stir, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
Add the vinegar. Taste. Adjust salt and pepper; if too salty, add a splash of water. Remove the bay leaves.
For serving in an oven-safe ramekin, set oven to broil (or increase heat to 246 C/475 F). Ladle the soup into a ramekin, up to 1.3 cm (½ inch) from the rim. Top the warm soup with 2 baguette slices slightly layered, keeping them afloat; cover with sliced cheese and place on a sheet pan. Repeat with the other ramekins, then place sheet pan in the hot oven, baking just until the cheese is golden and bubbling. If broiling, watch carefully. Garnish with a sprig of thyme; serve immediately.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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