Kathys Fox And Hounds French Onion Soup Recipes

KATHY'S FOX AND HOUNDS FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Peel and thinly slice the onions. Breaking the onion rings apart, put them in a large Dutch oven with the butter. Cover and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, for approximately 30 minutes, or until onions are translucent and tender. Mix the flour with 1/4 cup of the water and blend thoroughly, making sure there are no lumps, then add to the onions and stir gently. Add rest of ingredients and simmer on low heat for about 30 more minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Ladle soup into oven-proof bowls, over crusty French bread croutons and top with shredded Swiss (or Gruyere or blend of the two) cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately.
• To make the croutons: Slice French baguette into cubes about 1/2" thick and put on a cookie sheet, spreading evenly into no more than one layer. Bake in a 300 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until crusty, but not brown. Put several in the bottom of each soup bowl before filling with soup.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Peel and cut the onions into slices to measure 4 cups. In a 4-quart nonstick Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in onions to coat with butter. Cook uncovered 10 minutes, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook uncovered 35 to 40 minutes longer, stirring well every 5 minutes, until onions are deep golden brown (onions will shrink during cooking).
• Stir in broth, water, pepper, thyme and bay leaf. Heat to boiling over high heat. Once mixture is boiling, reduce heat just enough so mixture bubbles gently. Cover with lid; simmer 15 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the Gruyère cheese by rubbing it across the largest holes of a grater to measure 1 cup; set aside.
• You may need to move the oven rack so it is near the broiler. Set the oven control to broil. On a cookie sheet, place the bread slices. Broil with tops about 5 inches from heat 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Turn bread over; broil 1 to 2 minutes longer until golden brown. Place toasted bread in 4 ovenproof bowls or individual ceramic casseroles (do not use glass, which cannot withstand heat of broiler and may break).
• Remove bay leaf from soup. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with Gruyère cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place bowls in pan with shallow sides.
• Broil soup bowls with tops about 5 inches from heat 1 to 2 minutes or just until cheese is melted and golden brown. Watch carefully so cheese does not burn. Serve with additional French bread if desired.

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.