The French Onion Soup Finished with Herbs

The French Onion Soup Finished with Herbs keeps the shopping list focused on caramelized onions or the entire homemade caramelized onion recipe, flour, and chopped fresh thyme not packed. It serves 4 people.

Count on 10 minutes of prep, 50 minutes of cooking, about 1 hour from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

• 1 cup caramelized onions or the entire homemade caramelized onion recipe
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme not packed
• 2 tablespoons Cognac
• 3 ½ cups beef broth Preferably homemade or organic low-sodium
• Kosher salt to taste
• fresh cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 cup gruyere shredded
• ¼ cup Swiss cheese shredded
• ¼ cup fontina cheese shredded
• 1 French baguette sliced ¾ inch thick along a diagonal

How the cooking goes

1. Caramelize your onions in a Dutch oven or thick-bottomed skillet.
2. Once your onions are sufficiently caramelized (deep, rich caramel in color) sprinkle with the flour then stir to coat. Add the thyme, Cognac, two large pinches of kosher salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Stir to distribute the spices and allow to cook on low for a few minutes.
3. Put your beef broth and simmer over a gentle flame for 30-40 minutes. This allows the flavors to develop.
4. While your soup is simmering, toast your bread on a sheet pan under the broiler. Watch it carefully! Toast until brown on each side.
5. Ladle an equal amount of soup into each broiler-safe, 13-ounce bowl. Top with several bread slices and then top with ¼ of the cheese mixture. Broil on a sheet pan until the cheese has melted and has started to bubble and brown.
6. Serve immediately, but eat with care! It will be very hot.

After it comes off the heat

Cool the pot before it goes into the refrigerator. It reheats gently on the stove the next day.

If you want another plate from Soups and stews, open Vegan Pumpkin Soup Simmered for the Bowl and Italian Sausage Soup Simmered for the Bowl.