Onion Soup with Croutons
⏳ Time
4 hours
🥕 Ingredients
12
🍽️ Servings
4
Description
If you don't have demi-glace, it's not a problem; you can manage without it. Its role in the soup is to enhance the meaty flavor. By the way, dry demi-glace is available in stores; you can rehydrate it and add it to the broth.
Ingredients
- Onion - 1½ kg
- Thyme - 0.4 oz
- Butter - 1.8 oz
- Garlic - 1.8 oz
- Sugar - 0.5 oz
- Cognac - 3 fl oz
- Campbell's Beef Broth - 1 qt
- Demi-Glace Sauce - 3.5 oz
- White bread - 4 pieces
- Leek - to taste
- Parsley - to taste
- Gruyère cheese - 2.1 oz
Step by Step guide
Step 1
It's best to use young, fresh onions. Old onions that have been stored for a long time can taste very bitter. Slice the onions into thin rings; you can use a mandoline for speed.
Step 2
Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs and chop them finely: the finer they are, the more aroma the thyme will release.
Step 3
Start by sautéing the onions in batches of 500 grams in a saucepan with oil. First, place the saucepan over high heat and sauté the onions, stirring vigorously. The onions will begin to dry out and turn yellow, as well as lose their structure and soften. This process usually takes about 7 to 15 minutes from the start of cooking. Transfer the onions to another container, then place the second batch into the saucepan and sauté them in the same way as the first; then sauté the third batch. Once the third batch of onions is soft and slightly yellow, return the first batches of onions to the saucepan and mix everything together. Then add the garlic, cut into strips. Lower the heat to medium and continue to sauté.
Step 4
This is how amber the onion will become after 1 hour of frying. It will reduce in volume by about ten times, which is why you need to start with such a large amount. You can't get distracted: if the onion burns, instead of a caramel flavor, you'll end up with bitterness, and there's nothing you can do to fix it.
Step 5
As the frying nears its end, stirring the onions will become more challenging than at the beginning; they will start to clump together and stick. At this stage, the main task is to scrape up the fond, the brown residue at the bottom of the pan. You must scrape it up, but instead of discarding it, incorporate it back into the onion mixture: these bits are what give the soup its caramel flavor. The fond consists of the juices released by the onions as they are sautéed.
Step 6
This is what the residue looks like at the bottom of the saucepan. It forms very quickly, about once a minute, so you can't just put the onions on the stove and go watch a movie. You need to stand by the saucepan, stirring the onions and scraping off the residue.
Step 7
Add the sugar and stir the onion mixture until it dissolves. The onions interacting with the sugar should darken. At this stage, add half of the thyme and mix well.
Step 8
Pour the cognac into the saucepan and ignite it. The alcohol is added to the soup for enhanced flavor and aroma: it will bring a bit of bitterness and spiciness. The igniting is necessary to evaporate the alcohol more quickly from the cognac.
Step 9
Add broth and demi-glace to taste. Taste the soup and adjust the flavor with salt and pepper as needed.
Step 10
Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 1 hour, making sure to keep an eye on it. During the cooking process, the soup will change in consistency, and you may need to add broth.
Step 11
The ideal consistency of the onion soup should be thick, but not overly dense. The onions in the pot should not float on top or settle at the bottom; they should be evenly distributed throughout the broth. The onions should be tender and easy to chew, without any crunch. The broth should be rich and a beautiful oak or dark amber color. Cover the finished soup and let it steep for 2-3 hours. Then, reheat it, taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
Step 12
Now for the croutons. You can make them from yesterday's bread. Any type of bread will work — white, rye, baguette, or loaf. However, it's best to avoid bread with a strong flavor, such as Borodinsky, as that would change the dish entirely. The onion soup is finished in portions, so take as many croutons as there are servings of soup. Cut off the crusts and toast the bread in the oven, on the grill, or in a toaster. Be careful not to let it turn into a hard cracker.
Step 13
Chop the shallots and parsley leaves, mix them with the remaining thyme, add to the soup, and stir.
Step 14
Traditionally, onion soup is served in tall, narrow bowls. Pour the soup from the pot into individual bowls or ramekins. Place a piece of toasted bread on top of the soup and submerge it completely in the broth. It will float back up regardless. It is important that the bread begins to soak up the broth from all sides.
Step 15
Sprinkle each bowl with grated cheese, distributing it evenly over the surface of the soup. Place the soup in a preheated oven at maximum temperature for 2 minutes. The goal is not to bake the soup but to turn the cheese into a delicate crust. As soon as the cheese melts and covers the surface of the soup, remove it and serve.
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