Les Halles French Onion Soup

This is a recipe for traditional French onion soup, not the pitiful stuff that passes for onion soup served in America restaurants. This is a rich hearty soup that brings out the sweetness of the onions and can be a meal by itself or a pleasant starter. The French like to eat onion soup after a fun night on the town. It is a bit involved for a soup, but isn’t that the beauty of French cuisine?

Ingredients

  • 6 Large Onions – sliced thin
  • 8 oz Dry white wine
  • 48 oz Water
  • 3 TBL butter
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Small Bouquet Garni
    • Parsley stems
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 6 slices of lightly toasted French bread – cut diagonal and
  • 6 slices of Gruyere cheese, 3″x1/8″, can substitute emmental, jarlsburg, beaufort, comte, or raclette cheese

Process

  1. Mise en Place – measure and prepare your ingredients prior to starting.
  2. In large sauce pan, melt the butter until it foams.
  3. Add onions and saute quickly over Med-High heat to remove most their moisture.
  4. Turn heat to med and continue to cook until onions are evenly brown.
  5. Add wine and cook until evaporated.
  6. Cover onions with water and bring to a slow boil.
  7. Add bouquet garni and simmer uncovered 45 mins
  8. As it simmers, add salt and pepper in stages to taste (not all at once).
  9. Serve
    1. Ladle soup into bowls and set bowls on a baking sheet.
    2. Float on piece of bread on top of each bowl and top with a slice of cheese
    3. Broil bowls for ~2mins or until the cheese is melted.
    4. Serve

As you sip your soup, contemplate this 

Life is a mixture of magic
and miracle sprinkled with a little creative planning,
careless consequence, 
careful consideration. . . and a whole lot of luck.
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