French Onion Soup

Adapted from The Joy of Cooking

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Prep Time 1 hr

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 1 hr 30 mins

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American, French

Servings 6 servings

Equipment

Dutch Oven or stockpot

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons neutral oil
8 small onions sliced thin (or 5-7 medium onions)
½ cup dark beer
3 tablespoons minced garlic
¼ teaspoon dried sage
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
4 cups vegetable or beef broth
2 teaspoons salt only if using unsalted broth or stock

Toppings

1 cup shredded cheese Swiss or Gruyere
6 slices of crusty bread

Instructions

Melt butter over medium heat. Add oil and onions and sauté.
After 10 min of cooking, add garlic to the onions and continue to sauté. The onions should be starting to caramelize.
After 20-25 minutes, add ¼ cup of dark beer to the onion mixture. Allow to cook down for an additional 10 minutes before adding the remaining spices and again deglazing the pan with another ¼ cup of beer.
After 40-60 minutes, onions will be sufficiently caramelized. Add broth and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and allow the soup to simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Once ready to serve, transfer the soup to a heatproof bowl. Top with croutons or a slice of your favorite crusty bread.
Sprinkle each bowl with a small handful of Swiss or Gruyere cheese.
Place bowls on a baking sheet and broil on “high” until the cheese has slightly caramelized. Serve immediately.

Notes

If making vegetarian French onion soup, utilize vegetable broth instead of beef broth. If making this recipe vegan, also substitute oil for the butter, and replace traditional cheese with a meltable vegan cheese substitute.

Keyword french onion, french onion soup, onion, soup, vegetarian