Recipes · Soups & stews
French Onion Soup Gratinée
AI-written · not yet kitchen-tested
The secret of onion soup is time: the onions are browned slowly for 30 to 40 minutes until they are sweet and dark. Topped with baguette and cheese and broiled, it becomes a full dinner.
French Onion Soup Gratinée
This recipe was written with AI assistance and has not yet been kitchen-tested. Check quantities and times as you cook, and follow safe core temperatures for meat, poultry, fish and eggs.
Ingredients
- 800 g (1.8 lb) onions
- 40 g (1.4 oz) butter
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 150 ml (5.1 fl oz) dry white wine alcohol only partly cooks off; for an alcohol-free version use broth with a squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 l (4 1/4 cup) beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 sprig thyme or 1 tsp dried
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 slice baguette each about 5/8 inch (1.5 cm) thick
- 150 g (1 1/4 cup) Gruyère or other Alpine cheese grated
Method
- Halve the onions and slice them into thin half-moons. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat and add the onions and the sugar.
- Cook the onions for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring often, until deep brown and soft. If the heat is too high, lower it and add a splash of water.
- Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir it in for 1 minute. Deglaze with the wine and let it cook down until almost nothing is left.
- Add the broth, bay leaf and thyme, bring to a boil and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven broiler to 425 °F (220 °C), top heat only. Toast the baguette slices briefly on both sides on a baking sheet.
- Ladle the soup into four ovenproof bowls, set a slice of baguette on each and sprinkle with the cheese. Broil for 5 to 7 minutes, until the cheese bubbles and turns golden brown.
Tip: If you are in a hurry, you can use more heat, but the onions then scorch easily and turn bitter instead of sweet.
Tip: The bowls get very hot under the broiler. Serve them on a cloth or on a small board.