How to cook French onion soup? Classic cooking recipe

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Onion soup is the real pride of French chefs. Created many centuries ago, it has retained one very important ancient feature to this day. The fact is that even in the Middle Ages, soup was considered an ordinary piece of bread, filled with broth (meat or vegetable). This principle still underlies the method of preparing the famous French soup. How to cook this dish correctly and what should be taken into account to get the desired result?

Modern version

Today, onion soup is extremely popular in their homeland. It can be ordered at any time both in a small cafe and in a respectable restaurant. Capital chefs use the following ingredients to prepare this dish:

• 2 liters of broth (preferably beef);
• 1, 25 kilograms of onions;
• 17 grams of rapeseed oil;
• 3-4 grams of sugar;
• 500 milliliters drywine (red or white);
• s alt;
• 45 grams of butter;
• 1 bay leaf;
• 375 grams of grated hard Gruyère or Comte cheese;
• freshly ground pepper;
• 6 slices of fresh bread.

Soup is usually prepared according to the following technology:

1. Peel the onion heads and finely chop into rings.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan, and then add the rapeseed oil to it. It is better to use dishes with a thick bottom.
3. Pour onions into the container.
4. Add sugar, pepper and some s alt to it. Saute under the lid for half an hour, stirring occasionally. During this time, the onion should soften, acquire a pleasant golden hue and even slightly caramelize.
5. Pour wine into a saucepan and simmer over high heat for 10 minutes. Liquid should be reduced by half.
6. Add broth and throw in a bay leaf. Cook over medium heat covered for 45 minutes. The soup should darken.
7. At this time, you can fry fresh bread spread out on a baking sheet for 3 minutes in an oven heated to 200 degrees.
8. Pour the soup into bowls. Put a piece of cooked toast in each of them, sprinkle with grated cheese and put back in the oven for about 12 minutes.

This soup is served on the table in the same bowl in which it was cooked.

A bit of history

Despite its apparent simplicity, onion soup is considered an aristocratic dish. According to one legend, it was invented by Louis XV himself. Once on a hunt, refusing dinner, he decided to cook not quitea common dish of onions, oil and wine. It is still not known for certain whether the king did it himself or entrusted it to the court cook. Some French people still believe that the original soup is the best that Louis XV created during his entire reign. Nevertheless, the dish fell in love with the palace nobility, and over time it even became a must for the daily menu. But there are other opinions.

Some historians claim that the onion soup was invented by the workers of the Parisian markets. Not having large funds, they prepared such a stew from the cheapest type of vegetables. Perhaps that is the way it is. After all, it is in Paris that this soup is extremely popular. Today it can be ordered in any restaurant, cafe and even a bistro. However, some connoisseurs of culinary history claim that this soup was known much earlier. It was boiled during the fighting for the Roman soldiers as a preventive measure to prevent possible diseases. But, despite different opinions, all over the world this soup is still considered a real French dish.

What good is French soup

Doctors believe that onion soup is not only tasty, but also extremely he althy for humans. But for this you need to be able to cook it correctly. The main thing in this dish is the onion itself with its unique properties. And for this soup, any is suitable: white, green, red, Spanish, sweet, onion or shallot. As you know, onions contain many vitamins (A, C, E, K, D, PP and group B), iron, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sodium, selenium, zinc, and 12 essential amino acids. Thanks to such richcomposition of this product has unique properties:

• Bactericidal effect. In his presence, many disease-causing organisms die.
• Strengthening immunity (due to the high content of zinc).
• Onion helps the body to produce testosterone, which has a beneficial effect on the condition of the prostate gland in men.
• Reduces brittle nails and prevents hair loss.
• Strengthens the heart muscle and vessel walls.
• Prevents blood thinning and anemia.

This is just a fraction of what a regular bow can do. By the way, in a French soup, it retains all its unique properties.

DIY

To truly appreciate all the advantages of such a dish, it is better to try to cook the famous onion soup yourself. The recipe can be borrowed from any cookbook. Take, for example, the option for which you need:

• 800 grams of onion (sweet);
• 2 liters of any meat broth;
• 100 grams of cheese (hard);
• 90 grams of wheat flour;
• 50 grams of butter;
• 60 ml dry white wine;
• 4 grams of sugar;
• s alt;
• 35 grams of olive oil;
• black pepper;
• 8 pieces of baguette;
• 2 thyme sprigs (dry or fresh).

Cooking method:

1. Chop the onion into half rings.
2. Melt a piece of butter in a frying pan. Pour chopped onion into it andcook first over high heat. This will help the product quickly get rid of moisture. Then you need to reduce the fire and keep the onion under the lid for 15 minutes.
3. Add spices, garlic and sugar (for caramelization). In this form, the onion should languish for 40 minutes.
4. Introduce flour and mix the contents of the pan well.
5. Pour everything with broth and add wine. Simmer for about an hour.
6. Separately fry the baguette.
7. Pour the soup into a refractory portion dish. Top each with a slice of bread and sprinkle with cheese.
8. Place in the oven for 3-4 minutes.

The finished fragrant dish should cool slightly before serving.

A variant from a famous chef

At the Geraldine restaurant, French onion soup is prepared according to a special recipe. For such a dish, experts use:

• 0.8 kilograms of onions;
• 60 grams each of vegetable oil and Gruyere cheese;
• 5 grams of s alt;
• 1 gram nutmeg;
• 40 grams each of sugar and butter;
• 20 grams of wheat flour;
• 0.7 liters of chicken broth;
• 2 grams thyme;
• 100 grams French baguette.

The whole process consists of several successive steps:

1. Heat both types of butter in a saucepan, adding a little sugar.
2. Pour the peeled and chopped onion there. Fry over low heat for 40 minutes.
3. Pour in the wine and wait until it has partially evaporated.
4. Separately fry the flour untilgolden hue and add it after that to the bow.
5. Pour the contents with broth and cook for 35 minutes over low heat.
6. Spread baguette pieces on a baking sheet, sprinkle with cheese and bake in the oven for 5-6 minutes.

Restaurant visitors are offered this soup in a regular plate, and cheese toasts are served separately.

Soup with cognac

Some chefs believe that it is not necessary to add dry wine to the classic onion soup for flavor. It is quite possible to replace it with brandy or cognac. Such a bold decision is fully justified. To verify this, you can cook soup using the following recipe composition:

• 3 large onions;
• 35 grams of olive oil;
• 4 cups of broth;
• 1 pinch ground pepper;
• 4 grams of sugar;
• 5 grams of s alt;
• a quarter cup of cheddar cheese;
• 3 tablespoons of any cognac or brandy;
• bread.

In this case, a similar cooking method is used. Required:

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Then add finely chopped onion, ground pepper, s alt and, of course, sugar to it. Fry over medium heat until the main product softens and becomes transparent.
2. Make the flame minimal and simmer the contents of the pot for 70-75 minutes.
3. Add broth along with cognac and bring the mass to a boil.
4. Remove the pot from the heat and pour the soup into pots.
5. Put a piece of bread in each, sprinkle with cheese and put in the ovenfor 5 minutes.

The finished dish must be sprinkled with fresh chopped herbs for flavor.

Soup-puree with two types of onions

Today it is difficult to say what a classic onion soup recipe should really be. There are many different opinions on this matter. Some experts believe that two types of onions, dairy products and soft cheese must be present among the initial components. Such a soup will turn out more fragrant and spicy. For its preparation you will need:

• 500 grams each of onion and leek;
• 50 ml cream;
• 100 grams of cheese (dorblu or Roquefort);
• s alt;
• 3 green onions;
• liter of ready-made broth (or boiled water);
• 50 grams of butter;
• 30 grams of wheat flour.

To make soup from these ingredients, you need:

1. Chop the onion (bulb and leek) into rings. It is better if they are as thin as possible. Leave some leeks for garnish.
2. Send it to a frying pan with hot oil and saute until the product begins to caramelize.
3. Put the prepared mass into a saucepan and pour over the broth.
4. S alt, cover and cook until the contents of the pot are reduced by three quarters.
5. Add the grated cheese and then puree the soup using an immersion blender.
6. Put the saucepan back on the fire, pour in the cream, mixed with flour beforehand, and bring the mass to a boil. Soupready.

Now it only needs to be poured into plates and garnished with chopped green onions and leek pieces. The croutons can be served separately on a saucer.

Soup from the multicooker

Today, many housewives in the kitchen, among other equipment, have a multicooker. This unique technique greatly simplifies and greatly facilitates the cooking process. It can also be used to make French Onion Soup. The recipe is quite simple and requires a minimum set of ingredients:

• 3 large onions;
• 30 grams of butter;
• 1 liter beef broth;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• 30 grams of flour;
• 70 grams of cheese;
• a few pieces of French baguette.

Preparing such a dish in a slow cooker is easy:

1. If there is no broth, then it must first be made. To do this, put meat, onions and carrots in the bowl. Add a little s alt, pour boiling water and cook for 2 hours, setting the “Extinguishing” mode on the panel. After that, you need to wash the multicooker and only then proceed to the main part of cooking the soup.
2. In a bowl put butter and onion, cut in halves or quarters. Set the "Baking" mode and fry for 10 minutes. Do not close the lid.
3. As soon as the onion darkens, change the mode to "Extinguishing". Cook already covered for another 10 minutes.
4. Add broth and flour. Set the panel to “Steam” mode and continue cooking for about 7-9 more minutes.
5. Separatefry the croutons in a frying pan on both sides. After that, they should be rubbed with garlic and sprinkled with grated cheese.

Pour the hot soup into bowls and put 1-2 croutons in each of them. The dish should stand for a couple of minutes so that the bread can soak well.