Mmmm. Friday has never looked- or tasted- so GOOD.
Hello my 'Happy Friday readers'! Are you ready for a loooong relaxing weekend? Are you looking forward to possible snow AGAIN, and in April?! Welllll.. I'm not, but luckily this soup will not only keep you warm and cozy, but it's the perfect soup to have cooking, while you're having a lazy day in, or tidying your apartment while the weather is still too chilly outside. NOTE: This recipe takes a little bit longer than others, so I always like to make it on the weekends when I have a day off, rather than a late night after work!
My obsession with French Onion soup started a few months back. I had a Friday off around the holidays, and Ryan and I decided to do some Christmas shopping since we were both off at the SAME TIME (literally never happens). It was cold/windy/rainy, so we took a break from the cold to warm up with some lunch at a near by restaurant. Long story short, we both ordered the French Onion soup with a side of Avocado toast, and OH MY GOD- this soup was delectable! It was creamy, cheesy, onion-y, actually Vegetarian (which is rare since this soup is usually made with Beef broth) and was exactly what we both needed. I was hooked, and so in love with this small bowl of soup. I NEEDED to make this at home. So, I did some experimenting and researching to replicate this tasty bowl of goodness.
I stumbled upon The Kitchn and found inspiration from their recipe, on this French Onion soup. After the first time I made it, I knew this was not only, almost EXACTLY like what I had at my lunch date, but even better! I think maybe because I got to control the ingredients and add-ins, and I knew it wasn't from a box mix or can, but also because it was made simply with love and thyme. See what I did there?
SOOO I encourage you to stay in your pj's this weekend, and whip up a big pot of this super tasty and cheesy French Onion soup. Like COME ON- check out that color pallet. *V I B R A N C E*
Enjoy! xx S.
I N G R E D I E N T S:
- 4-5 LARGE sweet onions, diced (or more!)
- 8 cups of vegetable broth
- 1/2 tsp of organic cane sugar
- 3 Tbs of Whole wheat flour
- 2 Tbs of unsalted butter
- Olive oil
- 1/2 cup White cooking wine (more or less to taste)
- Thyme, Rosemary, Red pepper- to taste
- Salt & Pepper
- Fresh sliced Sourdough bread, sliced & toasted (to top)
- Swiss cheese & fresh grated Parmesan cheese (to finish)
- Red onion, diced to top (optional- to your preference)
PREPARE: Dice onions and set aside. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter and a splash of olive oil. When hot, add the sweet onions and stir/mix well until all coated evenly. Cook for 2-3 minutes, and turn heat down to medium low. Cook and cover for 15 minutes- I like to stir just a few times during this stage! After 15 minutes, you will notice the onions have shrunk down A LOT at this point.
CARAMELIZIN': Next, Add sugar, a generous coating of salt & pepper, and stir well. Increase heat back to medium, and sprinkle in some thyme, rosemary, and red pepper flakes- all to your preference! NOW it is time for the onions to caramelize. This takes patience, and could take about 30 minutes, BUT I promise it is well worth it! You need to be stirring every few minutes to prevent onions from sticking/burning, and to make sure they are cooking evenly. I like to splash in a little white wine about 2 times during this process.
STILL COOKIN: After about 20 minutes of cooking/caramelizing, the onions may start to stick and get tougher to stir. If so, lower heat to medium low and stir more frequent. After a total of 30 minutes caramelizing, onions should be totally golden and ready to go! Now, add the flour and mix well until coated. Cook for another 2 minutes.
ALMOST DONE, YUM!: Add veggie broth & small splash of wine to onions, and MIX WELL. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on medium low for about 20 minutes. Add Salt & pepper to taste.
BAKING: Preheat oven to 350° degrees Fahrenheit. In a small oven-safe bowl, ladle in soup and top with a slice of toasted sour dough bread (PS, SO much better than regular white or wheat bread- trust me!). Top with a coating of Parmesan cheese and 1-2 slices of Swiss cheese. Cook for 25-3o minutes until cheese is melted goldenly perfect, and starts to bubble/crisp (but check on it occasionally to prevent burning!). If you want cheese to be EXTRA crunchy (like I do), broil for about 3 minutes at the end. Top with finely diced red onion, fresh pepper, grated parm, and VOILA! Your own perfect serving of French Onion soup.