French Onion Soup

I usually make a recipe for French Onion Soup using all beef broth and sweet yellow onions but when I saw this recipe in my favorite cookbook – The New Best Recipe From The Editors of Cooks Illustrated, I decided to give it a try. This cookbook never fails me so I knew it must be a really tasty recipe. This soup was fun to make, smelled amazing while it simmered, and tasted amazing. The broth has a nice depth of flavor and the onions melt in your mouth. The combination of Swiss and Asiago cheese on top of the baguette was perfect. My kids gobbled it up and asked for the leftovers for their lunch at school the next day. My husband and I both loved it.

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir to coat the melted butter evenly over the onions. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are caramelized and syrupy, about 50-60 minutes. Add the chicken broth, beef broth, and red wine, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf, make sure to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Simmer the soup for an hour. Discard the herbs and bay leaf. Add the balsamic vinegar and mix well. Taste the soup and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Adjust the an oven rack to upper-middle position. Preheat the oven to broil. Set heat-safe bowls or crocks on a baking sheet covered in tin foil for easy cleanup. Fill each bowl with soup. Top each bowl with 1-2 baguette slices and add a piece of Swiss cheese and a sprinkle of Asiago on top. Broil until well browned and bubbly, about 5-7 minutes. Cool for a few minutes then serve. Enjoy.

French Onion Soup

Yield: 8

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter
5 medium red onions, sliced thin
1/2 tsp salt
6 cups chicken broth
1 3/4 cups beef broth
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 sprig of fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Baguette, sliced
Swiss cheese, sliced
Asiago cheese, shredded

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir to coat the melted butter evenly over the onions. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are caramelized and syrupy, about 50-60 minutes. Add the chicken broth, beef broth, and red wine, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf, make sure to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Simmer the soup for an hour. Discard the herbs and bay leaf. Add the balsamic vinegar and mix well. Taste the soup and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Adjust the an oven rack to upper-middle position. Preheat the oven to broil. Set heat-safe bowls or crocks on a baking sheet covered in tin foil for easy cleanup. Fill each bowl with soup. Top each bowl with 1-2 baguette slices and add a piece of Swiss cheese and a sprinkle of Asiago on top. Broil until well browned and bubbly, about 5-7 minutes. Cool for a few minutes then serve. Enjoy.

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
Original recipe by The New Best Recipe From The Editors of Cooks Illustrated