Friday, March 5, 2010

French Onion

French Onion soup is one of my favorite things to order at restaurant. I can be fully satisfied with a crock of French Onion and a house salad.

During the blizzard week we didn't have a lot to do besides eat, so we decided to make French Onion soup. This is one of the best things (in my opinion) that JCW cooks. The fresh thyme and gruyere make the soup.

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray, makes 5 bowls.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter 6 medium onions, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, picked and chopped or poultry seasoning
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
1/2 cup dry sherry
6 cups beef stock
4 thick slices crusty bread, toasted
2 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Directions
Heat a deep pot over medium to medium high heat. Work next to the stove to slice onions. Add oil and butter to the pot. Add onions to the pot as you slice them. When all the onions are in the pot, season with salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon fresh thyme. Cook onions 15 to 18 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender, sweet and caramel colored. Add bay leaf and sherry to the pot and deglaze the pan drippings. Add 6 cups stock and cover pot to bring soup up to a quick boil. Arrange 4 small, deep soup bowls or crocks on a cookie sheet. Preheat broiler to high. Once soup reaches a boil, ladle it into bowls. Float toasted crusty bread on soup and cover each bowl with a mound of cheese. Sprinkle remaining fresh thyme on cheese and place cookie sheet with soup bowls on it under hot broiler until cheese melts and bubbles.

We prepared the soup and prepped the bread before we headed out into the snow.

EAS & JCW

It was dusk by the time we headed home.

This was the perfect meal after coming in from the cold. Part of the fun of making this soup is getting to use our Lion’s Head Soup Bowls from Williams Sonoma...I think anything tastes better in them.

Special thanks to JCW for always trying to accommodate a picky eater. xx

11 comments:

Trish {Pink Preppy Lilly Lover} said...

You two are so darn cute. And now I sm majorly craving your French Onion soup - talk about DELISH!! I'm a total soup & salad girl too :) Happy weekend sweetie!

Shorely Chic said...

that looks so yummy, and not too difficult to make! Thanks so much for sharing, maybe trying it this weekend :)

ERB said...

JCW's french onion is one of the best things that ANYONE cooks!

Anonymous said...

Yum! That is one of my favorites too. I love French Onion soup & a salad! I might have to go out to lunch today! Have a great weekend. xox MBM

Kerry said...

That looks sooooo good! Thanks for the recipe, so perfect for a snowy day! Have a great weekend!

Seersucker Scrapper said...

That soup looks amazing!

Lindsay said...

Ooh I've been looking for a french onion soup recipe. This looks like a winner!

Main Line Sportsman said...

Love the post...I ahve always wanted to develop a french onion soup spoon that has a trigger operated scissor on the front to cut the melted cheese.

Unknown said...

Now I am positively Dying for some French Onion Soup! (and your bowls are the best)

Summer is a Verb said...

Also die for French Onion soup and yours looks scrumptious...XXOO

Caroline said...

OH YUM!!! I LOVE french onion soup! Its the best