Bistro Onion Soup Recipes

BISTRO ONION SOUP WITH LEEKS

Steps:

• Heat butter in a soup pot with a wide bottom over medium heat. Add bacon and sauté for 3 minutes or until bacon is cooked but not crisp. Add sliced onion, shallots and chili flakes and sauté for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until onions are golden.
• Add leeks and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes or until leeks are very soft. Add wine, bring to a boil and simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate any browned bits, until onions are just saucy, about 3 minutes.
• Add chicken stock, bring to a boil, then turn heat to medium-low and simmer until flavours have come together, about 8 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• While soup is simmering, make large croutons. Heat broiler or grill to high. Brush both sides of baguette slices with olive oil and broil or grill for 1 minute per side or until golden.
• When you are ready to serve the soup, preheat broiler to high, and top each crouton with 1 tablespoon (25 mL) of grated cheese. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet, and broil for 1 minute, watching carefully, or until cheese is melted and bubbling.
• Place soup in bowls, stir 1 tsp (5 mL) of brandy into each serving if desired, and top with a Gruyère baguette slice.

BISTRO ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Sauté the onions in butter in Dutch oven over medium heat stirring often for 15 to 20 minutes or until the onions are golden. stir in the flour cook for 1 minute.
• Add the water and the next 8 ingredients. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaves; ladle the soup into 4 oven-proof soup bowls.
• Place the bowls on a baking sheet. Add 2 bread slices to each bowl with 2 slices of cheese.
• Broil 5 1/2 inches from heat 4 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Serve at once.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the slices with the Gruyere and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Ladle the soup in bowls and float several of the Gruyere croutons on top.
• Alternative method: Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and top with cheese. Put the bowls into the oven to toast the bread and melt the cheese.

RESTAURANT-STYLE FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Cook and stir onions, garlic, salt, black pepper, and thyme until onions are soft and brown, about 30 minutes. Pour in red wine and sherry; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until you can no longer smell alcohol cooking off, about 15 more minutes.
• Sprinkle onion mixture with flour and stir until coated; cook for 10 minutes. Pour in broth, stir to blend in flour, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) while soup is simmering. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
• Toast the baguette slices in the preheated oven until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes, turning the bread over halfway through cooking. Remove toast and set aside.
• Set an oven rack about 8 inches from the heat source and turn on the oven's broiler.
• Ladle soup into 6 oven-proof crocks, filling them about 3/4 full. Place 1 or 2 bread slices into the bowls and top each with a slice of Swiss cheese and a slice of provolone. Carefully place filled crocks onto a sturdy baking sheet.
• Broil soup until the cheese is browned and bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes.