REAL FRENCH ONION SOUP

Real French Onion Soup image

After many attempts via trial-and-error, this is my all-time favorite onion soup recipe.

Provided by CHEFTR

Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Soup Recipes Vegetable Soup Recipes Onion Soup Recipes French Onion Soup Recipes

Time 1h20m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
8 large red onions, halved and thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
4 (14.5 ounce) cans low-sodium beef broth
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh parsley
1 cup sherry wine
8 (1 inch thick) slices French bread
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

Steps:

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, and season with a little salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are nicely browned, about 20 minutes. This step can not be hurried, the end result will be a rich golden brown mass of onion. This is where all your flavor comes from and can take a little practice. The darker you can get the onion without burning, the better the flavor.
Slowly pour the beef broth into the soup, stirring to remove any bits of onion that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the sprigs of parsley and thyme to the soup. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. Do not boil. Pour the sherry into the soup, and simmer for 5 more minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. Remove the sprigs of parsley and thyme.
Preheat the oven's broiler. Place serving bowls onto a baking sheet. Ladle the soup into serving bowls, and float a slice of bread on top of each one. Sprinkle shredded Gruyere cheese over the top. Broil for 2 minutes, or until browned. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 364.7 calories, Carbohydrate 48 g, Cholesterol 18.2 mg, Fat 11 g, Fiber 3.9 g, Protein 16.6 g, SaturatedFat 4.3 g, Sodium 677.2 mg, Sugar 8.7 g