With the current world pandemic and people being home perhaps with more time to cook, some onion soup might be a great option.
Onions and broth are BOTH super good for your immune system (see links above for details) and it is a cozy, soothing dish (with or without the cheese). And if you have been roasting some other meats, you may have bones to make some good broth, tips here and from Bon Appetit.
There are still lots of onions to sliced up and caramelize….perhaps into soup? And don’t those French know how to do it right!
Adapted from Moosewood Daily Specials
We love the warmth of French Onion Soup. We have definitely used red or yellow onions and enjoyed this simply delicious treat.
4 or 5 large onions, cut lengthwise into thin slices (about 8 cups)
4-5 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons oil – olive, poultry fat or lard
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 to 1 cup dry white wine (or whatever you have)
8 cups dark stock (any will do, but this is key to the tasty soup – goat, chicken, turkey, pork, beef or dark veggie)
salt & pepper to taste
Croutons or crisp bread
grated cheese (traditionalists use Gruyere, Swiss or Parmesan, but any will be nice)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
In two shallow, non reactive baking pans large enough to accommodate all of the onions in a single layer, combine the onions, garlic, salt, oil, bay leaves and thyme. Roast for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the onions have softened and lightly browned. Remove from the oven, add the wine to the baking pans and stir well with a wooden spoon to deglaze.
Transfer the roasted mixture to a soup pot. Add the stock, cover and bring to a boil; then lower the heat and gently simmer for 30 minutes. Find and discard the bay leaves; add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with croutons and grated cheese, and maybe some fresh scallions. [We can’t miss putting it in a crock and back into the oven to melt and brown the cheese a bit]