French Onion Soup

Name: French Onion Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 4 SERVINGS
Cuisine: Francouzská kuchyně
Ingredients: 1 leek leaf; 1 bay leaf; 2 sprigs of thyme; 2 stalks of flat-leaf parsley; 1 kg peeled onions; 80 g butter; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 100 ml dry white wine; 1.2 l beef broth; salt; pepper; 8–12 slices of baguette (2 pcs per serving); 4–6 slices of Comté cheese (1 pc per serving) and 300 g grated Comté cheese (75 g per serving)

4 SERVINGS

Majstrštyk

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INGREDIENTS

1 leek leaf
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of thyme
2 stalks of flat-leaf parsley
1 kg peeled onions
80 g butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
100 ml dry white wine
1.2 l beef broth
salt
pepper
8–12 slices of baguette (2 pcs per serving)
4–6 slices of Comté cheese (1 pc per serving) and 300 g grated Comté cheese (75 g per serving)

INSTRUCTIONS

1
Preheat the oven to 190 °C.
2
Slice the baguette into 6 mm thick pieces and arrange them on a baking sheet. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 5 - 7 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
3
Prepare the bouquet garni – from the washed leek, cut off a 10 cm long green leaf section. Wrap the bay leaf, thyme, and parsley stalks in the leaf. Tie tightly with kitchen twine.
4
Cut the onions in half lengthwise and slice them into thin strips.
5
In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter, add the sliced onions, and slowly sauté them, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
6
Reduce the heat to one-third, cover the pot with a lid, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Then stir, cover again, and simmer for another 5 minutes.
7
Remove the lid and, stirring frequently, let the onions slowly brown. This will take approximately 20 - 25 minutes.
8
Add the flour and sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the bouquet garni, pour in the wine, and stir.
9
Let the wine completely evaporate. Pour in the broth, stir, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 coffee spoon of freshly ground pepper, and bring to a boil.
10
Reduce the heat to minimum and cook for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally from the bottom.
11
Remove the bouquet garni and season the soup with salt if needed.
12
Preheat the grill in the oven.
13
Pour the hot soup into ovenproof bowls.
14
Place 2 slices of toasted baguette into each bowl. Place a slice of cheese on top to cover their surface and generously sprinkle with grated cheese.
15
Place the bowls in the preheated oven and grill briefly until the cheese is golden brown.
16
Place the soup bowls on a saucer and serve hot.

Tip

It is important to cut the onions into uniform pieces. Otherwise, thinner pieces would start to burn and become bitter during sautéing, and larger pieces of onion would not brown in time. The onions must be carefully and slowly sautéed for the base. The entire process from adding the onions to their final browning takes approximately 45 minutes. This process cannot be rushed. Only then will a strong soup base be created. If you do not let the onions brown sufficiently, the soup will be bland. If the onions stick to the bottom of the pot during sautéing, simply remove the pot from the heat for a few minutes. The onions will release water, and the stuck bits can be scraped back into the base with a flat wooden spoon. If the stuck bits still cannot be scraped off, pour a little water (50–100 ml) into the pot during sautéing. The water will loosen the stuck bits. Simply scrape them into the base with a wooden spoon, completely evaporate the water, and continue slowly sautéing the onions. A bouquet garni is a bundle of spices or herbs that imparts flavor and aroma to the dish. It can then be easily removed without having to fish out individual ingredients from the soup. Before gratinating, you can add a tablespoon of dry sherry to each serving of soup. Instead of strong beef broth, you can use chicken broth or a mix of both.

Roman Vaněk

Tip: For an especially delicate flavor, you can finish the sauce with a drop of lemon juice. Homemade spaetzle or wide noodles, which perfectly soak up the creamy sauce, are an excellent side dish.