Bistro Style Onion Soup Recipes

PANERA BISTRO FRENCH ONION SOUP COPYCAT

Steps:

• Melt the butter over medium high heat, then add the chopped onion and sprinkle on the salt to help draw out the water from the onions. Cook and stir the onions occasionally for the first 10 minutes. Sprinkle on the sugar and continue cooking the onions on medium high for another 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn the heat down to medium low and cook for another 5 minutes, or until caramelized.
• Pour the sugar and water in a small heavy bottomed saucepan over medium high heat, then stir to dissolve the sugar. When bubbles start to form, reduce the heat to just above medium and watch for it to change color to a medium caramel, then remove it from the heat and slowly whisk in the vinegar. Be careful not to burn yourself, as the mixture is hotter than boiling water. Whisk in the tomato paste until smooth. Return to the heat and reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for one to two minutes to thicken the sauce. Pour it into a small bowl; the sauce will thicken to a molasses-like consistency as it cools.
• Increase the heat to medium high, then pour in ½ cup of sherry. Using a wooden turner, scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the brown bits off. This will give the soup more flavor.
• Sprinkle on 1/4 cup of flour and cook it for 2 minutes while constantly stirring. The roux will help thicken the soup.
• Pour in 1 to 2 cups of beef stock to deglaze the pan, so the bottom of the soup pot is clean and all that extra flavor is added to the soup.
• Pour in the rest of the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. Add the bay leaf, dried spices, and tomato gastrique. (If the tomato gastrique has hardened, microwave it for 20 seconds and stir.) Stir, cover, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for at least 20 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, taste and adjust spices, if necessary.
• Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice.
• Top each bowl with the croutons and grated Gruyère cheese. If desired, serve the soup in ovenproof bowls and put under the broiler for 2 minutes to melt the cheese. Make it let Panera Bread and serve this soup with chunk of Panera's French baguette, kettle chips, or apple slices.

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.

THE BEST FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a very large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onions, bay leaves, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and light golden-brown, about 1 hour. (The onions will begin to stick to the bottom of the pan and turn brown after about 30 minutes; just keep scraping them up and stirring them into the rest of the onions. If they are browning to quickly, lower the heat.)
• Add the wine to the pot, bring to a simmer and cook until it has almost completely evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add the beef broth and 1 cup of water, bring to a simmer and cook until the flavors come together and the soup is rich, about 45 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Keep the soup warm on a low burner or cool completely and refrigerate to reheat later. (The soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
• Preheat the broiler. Place four soup crocks on a rimmed baking sheet and fill them about 3/4 of the way with hot soup. Float a slice of baguette on top of each and cover with 1/2 cup Gruyere. Broil until the Gruyere is golden brown (don't be alarmed if some soup bubbles out), 2 to 3 minutes.

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.