How to make classic, comforting, robustly flavored onion soup that’s very easy to prepare.
Who would have thought that a few onions and some broth would result in one of the most delicious soups there is?
Even though it’s considered a gourmet dish today, I imagine this soup has humble origins: people with the fewest and cheapest ingredients in their pantries. It makes me think of those meals from hard times ( famines, wars ), of enduring the hardship, as we say in Venezuela.
Recipe Detail
- Preparation time:30 minutes.
- Cooking time:1 hour, 15 minutes.
- Quantity: Approximately 3-4 servings.
- Keywords: Traditional French onion soup.
- Category: Main dishes.
- Cuisine: French.
Ingredients
- Approximately 700 grams of julienned onions (about 3-4 medium ones) *see notes*
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon of brown sugar (you can use white sugar)
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of wheat flour
- 2 cups of hot beef broth *see notes*
- 2 cups of hot water
- 1 sprig of thyme (dried or fresh)
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- To serve: bread, Swiss cheese, Gruyère, Parmesan, or other cheese of your choice
Preparation:
- To caramelize the onions: In a pot—preferably a heavy-bottomed one—over medium heat, melt the butter, add the oil and onions, stir, and cook covered for about 15 minutes. After this time, increase the heat slightly, add the garlic, sugar, and salt, stir, and continue cooking for about 20 minutes, or until the onions are golden brown (more or less dark, according to your preference) without burning, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom if a flavorful crust forms.
- Add the flour once the onions have browned, add the flour and stir; this will help thicken the broth.
- Add the broth, water, and thyme. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and continue cooking for another half hour. Halfway through cooking, adjust the seasoning, adding a little more salt (depending on how salty your broth is) and a little more pepper. You can add more broth or water if you prefer a thinner soup; I like mine thicker. In the last few minutes of cooking, you can add brandy or rum—this is optional.
- To serve: Serve hot in bowls with toasted bread and cheese. Toast the bread, cut a garlic clove in half and rub it on the slice to infuse it with its flavor, top with grated cheese and broil in the oven or air fryer, or simply serve cheese slices on the side. Enjoy!
Grades:
- I used white and purple onions; you can use only white ones.
- You can use meat or vegetable broth, either homemade or commercial, or cubes dissolved in water.
- You can omit the water and use only broth.
- This soup can be made in advance and kept in the refrigerator for a few days; it can also be frozen.