Chefs de France French Onion Soup

When I was in high school (and college) I took many French courses, and really gained a love for the language and culture. French Onion Soup (or soupe a l'oignon) was one of the first French recipes I was given by Madame (my beloved teacher). Though I have never had it at Disney World, I can imagine sitting in Chefs de France, gazing out the windows while watching the fireworks, eating this amazing soup.

Ingredients

¼ cup unsalted butter
6 large sweet onions (about 5 pounds), thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced (I use garlic salt)
½ cup brandy or good red wine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 cups beef broth, homemade or canned
2 slices (1/2-inch thick) French bread, toasted, per serving
⅔ cup coarsely grated Gruyere per serving (I prefer mozzarella, personally)
S&P to taste

Heat the butter in a soup pot until melted, then add the thinly sliced onions and cook for about 40 minutes, or until caramelized, making sure to stir frequently. Add the garlic and continue cooking for an extra minute. Take the soup pot off the heat and add brandy (I used white cooking wine). Continue cooking until almost dry. Add the flour and stir for about 3 minutes.

Onions with butter

After adding the wine

Then, add slowly stir in the broth (I used bouillon instead of broth. Rule of thumb, one bouillon cube needs one cup of water). Bring the soup to a boil, then lower to simmer and with a cover slightly to the side to let excess steam escape. Do this for about 20 minutes and add salt and pepper to taste.

After adding the broth

Bringing to a boil

The next step is optional. You can either pour soup into oven safe bowls and add cheese and bread and broil until cheese is bubbling. The version I was originally taught is to bake the bread until crunchy (think larger croutons), place it into the hot bowl of soup, and sprinkle cheese on top.

With the croutons

Hopefully you have enjoyed the soup, and will continue to enjoy our recipes with Krystal at www.magicaldismom.com