Is there anything more comforting than a hot bowl of soup? Be it an Italian Seafood Soup, Mushroom Soup or this French onion soup with Garlic Croutons which involves a lot of caramelized onions and melted gruyere cheese. <3
Anyways hola people! How you doin? *Inserts Joey Tribbiani wriggly eyebrows* Ah, that famous line that encapsulates how we feel about him. I have been watching reruns of “friends”. At times, I just need some laughter in my life. Other times, I only need a bowl of soup. And when it comes to soup, what’s better than the one that comes with crunchy bread and a crusty cheese topping?
So, what is a French onion soup?
It’s a lightly flavored beef broth that’s simmered with lots of caramelized onions. I think quite a number of people find making French onion soup daunting but It is not.
Let’s do a breakdown.
- Caramelize the onions.
- Add beef broth.
- Season the soup.
- Top with garlic croutons.
- Top with cheese and broil till the cheese melts and turns golden.
Did I make it sound too easy? Aside from the time it takes to caramelize the onions, it couldn’t be easier. Caramelizing the onions can easily take 30 minutes but it is definitely worth it. The onions should be caramelized to a deep color as it releases its sugar which in return gives the soup more flavor and depth. It is also important to use a good broth for the soup. I used beef broth but if you are vegetarian, you can always switch to vegetable broth.
Most of the time, people would serve a whole slice of bread on top of the soup but I find it harder to eat that way, thus I prefer to serve it with chunks of croutons. Not just any croutons but garlic croutons. After which, I topped it with gruyere cheese which brings the soup all together. There is nothing that cheese can’t fix especially when it is all melty and golden. YUMZ!
This French Onion Soup with Garlic Croutons is delicious, satisfying, soothing and definitely an important recipe in your repertoire.
So how do you eat the soup?
Well, every spoonful should consist of all the components. So basically every bite is a mix of tender onions, warm soup, garlicky bread and melted cheese. Excuse me while I go and get a napkin to wipe my drool.
- 1 loaf of baguette, cut into cubes
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped, or 1 tsp dried parsley
- A fat pinch of salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 5cups beef broth (homemade or store-bought)
- 4 sweet yellow onions, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Grated Gruyere cheese for topping the soup
- In a small saucepan, combine butter, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Heat over medium heat until butter is melted.
- Turn off the heat and add in parsley. Keep aside until slightly cool.
- Cut your bread into ¾" cubes and place in a large bowl.
- Drizzle the melted butter all over the bread and toss well.
- Spread the bread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 375˚F for about 20 minutes till crunchy.
- Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
- In a pot/dutch oven, melt 3 tbsp of butter and cook the onions for about 15 minutes.
- Add salt and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until onions are deep brown and caramelized.
- Add thyme, bay leave and garlic and cook for a further 1 minute.
- Pour broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer till the soup is thickened. Add black pepper.
- Remove from heat and add remaining 1 tbsp of butter.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if required.
- Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls or ramekins.
- Add a handful of croutons.
- Top with a good serving of gruyere cheese.
- Broil for a few minutes in the oven till the cheese is golden.
Sponsors