French Onion Soup ~ the way Julia made it, sort of…

Name: French Onion Soup ~ the way Julia made it, sort of...
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: serves 6
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 2 quarts (64 oz) beef stock (or water with beef bouillon); 1 1/2 lbs or about 5 cups of thinly sliced yellow onions (do not use sweet); 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp Kosher salt; 1/4 tsp sugar; 3 tbsp flour; 3 tbsp butter; 1/2 cup (4 oz) dry white wine or dry vermouth; Kosher salt and pepper to taste; 1 tbsp cognac or brandy (optional, Julia's recipe has 3 tbsp, but I prefer less); French, Italian or rustic loaf bread, cut into bite sized croutons, toasted; 1 to 2 cups of grated, real Swiss Cheese (Julia used Swiss or Parmesan) I used Gruyere

April 3rd, 2014 | 63 Comments

The French onion soup Julia Child made is a classic recipe, but I made one tiny change which I think makes the eating and enjoying of the soup much easier. Sorry, Julia!

I recently went to Santa Barbara and had lunch with my mother and daughter at a lovely little French restaurant on State Street.

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I ordered the French onion soup, which I haven’t had or made in a long time, and it made me think how deplorable that was. I adore French onion soup and everything about it: the beefy broth, the glorious caramelized onions, and of course, the incredibly tasty, melty Gruyere cheese on the crispy, crusty, soup-soaked bread! What’s not to love?

So as I often do, when I came home, it went on the “to-make” list. And I made it. And it was awesome.

As the title suggests, the French onion soup Julia Child made isn’t a recipe I followed to the letter. Although Julia claims if you don’t use homemade beef stock, you may as well buy onion soup, I say you’re still better off making the soup at home. Just use whatever stock you have on hand, as long as it’s good quality.

Homemade soup is never a bad idea.

My issue with French Onion soup

I don’t like fighting with full-sized pieces of French bread covered in cheese, floating in my soup. So I suggest bite-sized toasted pieces of bread instead–they are much more manageable. Boy, who am I disagreeing on two points of one of Julia Child’s recipes? I’m feeling quite confident today!

This is not a five minute soup, so just be prepared to caramelize some onions for a good 45 minutes or so. The rest of the soup making process is easy, and the result is truly worth the time and effort.

French Onion Soup Julia Child Style
(Almost Like Julia’s)

adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child

serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs or about 5 cups of thinly sliced yellow onions (do not use sweet)
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp sugar
3 tbsp flour
2 quarts (64 oz) beef stock (or water with beef bouillon)
1/2 cup (4 oz) dry white wine or dry vermouth
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp cognac or brandy (optional, Julia’s recipe has 3 tbsp, but I prefer less)
French, Italian or rustic loaf bread, cut into bite sized croutons, toasted
1 to 2 cups of grated, real Swiss Cheese (Julia used Swiss or Parmesan) I used Gruyere

Special equipment: oven safe bowls (I found some at Home Goods which were made in Italy, however, these are the only bowls I found on Amazon that weren’t made in China)

Caramelize the onions

In a large, heavy bottomed pot (☚ this is the one I have), add the butter and oil, then the sliced onions. Cook slowly, with the lid on, for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Remove the lid, turn the heat up to medium, add the salt and sugar, and stir often for about 40 minutes (mine took 45), until the onions are a deep golden brown.

Finish making the soup

Next, add the flour and continue to cook and stir for another 3 or 4 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the stock/water/bouillon and wine/vermouth.

Add salt and pepper to taste and return to the cooktop, and simmer for an additional 30 to 40 minutes. Just before the soup is ready, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare the soup to be served

When the soup is ready, add the brandy/cognac, if using and check for seasoning; ladle it into ovenproof bowls, and top with the cubes of toasted bread.

Now, don’t go and ruin this lovely French Onion soup by using cheap cheese! Use the best, real Gruyere from Switzerland, please. Julia and I agree on this one!

Sprinkle the cheese on top of the toast, as desired. I like everything in moderation (the cheese on the bowl in the photo above, from the restaurant in Santa Barbara was a bit too much for me) so this might be a wimpy amount of cheese for you; if so, add more.

Repeat to make about 6 bowls, then place them on a tray and put into the center of the oven for about 15 minutes.

Melt the cheese on the soup

Finally, reset the oven to broil (grill) and move the tray of bowls closer to the top to get a nice golden color on the cheese, which should be watched carefully as it can burn quickly.

Serve immediately.

As I said, French Onion Soup Julia Child style, is well worth the effort!

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The recipe for French Onion Soup Julia Child style can be printed here~

Yield: serves 6