Emeril’s French Onion Soup

The Soup Series continues with a true classic, French Onion Soup. Deeply caramelized onions, rich beef stock, crusty bread, and melted Gruyère. Cozy, comforting, and full of flavor. Save this one and you’ll want to make it again and again.

French Onion Soup
1 French baguette
Olive oil, as needed for drizzling
6 tablespoons butter
10 large onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 4 quarts)
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
5 to 6 sprigs thyme, tied in a bundle
3/4 cup brandy
1 cup beef stock or canned, low-sodium beef broth
5 cups chicken stock or canned, low-sodium chicken broth
12 ounces Gruyere, grated (about 4 cups)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut six to eight 1 to 1 1/2-inch-thick pieces of baguette crosswise. Set on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake until the croutons are crisp and golden, usually 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Melt the butter in a 6-quart wide-bottom Dutch oven or other heavy wide-bottom enameled pot set over medium-high heat. (The wider the surface area, the more the onions come in direct contact with the heat, and therefore the better; this encourages them to caramelize.)

Add onions, salt, and pepper and continue to cook, stirring as needed with a wooden spoon or flexible heat-resistant rubber spatula, until onions are tender and golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Add thyme bundle and continue to cook for 10 minutes, scraping bottom regularly. The deeper the color of the onions, the deeper the flavor of the soup will be. Take care near the end of caramelizing the onions since they can burn easily.

Reduce the heat to low and add brandy. Cook and stir until brandy has nearly evaporated. Add beef and chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and continue to cook until the soup is very flavorful, about 25 minutes. Turn off heat and discard thyme bundle.

Set an oven rack about 6 to 8 inches from the broiler element. Turn on broiler.

Set soup crocks on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Ladle enough soup to come within a half inch from the top of each crock. Top with a crouton and a generous amount of the grated gruyere. Broil soup for 2 to 3 minutes, checking often, until the cheese is melted, golden brown and bubbly. Serve immediately, being sure to warn guests that bowls are very hot.

Yield: 6 to 8
 
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