Our first post to What the Forks for Dinner was five years ago today!! Hard to believe that it’s been that long. French-Onion Soup was our first in what has become almost five hundred posts.
We have learned more than I can even begin to say and our pictures well….. let’s just say when I looked back at this recipe and saw the pictures, I cringed. Having said that I am more than proud of how far we have come.
Still, a long way to go, but here is our first ever post with updated pictures. I linked to the old post below so take a look back with us….
First, let me welcome you all to What the “Forks” Forks for Dinner……….
For my first post, I agonized over what to post. After all, I didn’t want you running in horror or boredom…… and as a new blogger I, of course, wanted it to be perfect. Which of course it will not be but I will surge ahead.
Mother Nature gave me a clue as to my first post.
We had our first real, measurable snowfall and what else would warm the day like soup. It had to be soup. It had to be French Onion Soup…..
I love, love, love French-Onion Soup. But not the traditional beef based. When I was in my early twenties, I was taken to a very swanky restaurant in Chicago. Of course, it was soooo far over my country bumpkin head. You know fancy linen tablecloths, a ton of silverware I had no idea what to do with and a wine list that was as thick as a novel. Yikes! I don’t remember the entire meal (probably due to the enormous wine list), but I did remember the soup. It was the most fantastic French Onion Soup I had ever tasted. It was light and cheesy with a with a yummy baguette under all the cheese…….besides I knew which utensil to use.
For years I searched for just the right recipe. Low and behold in the bargain bin at a bookstore for 99 cents I bought a cookbook that contained what I thought had to be the exact recipe I had searched for. It was close, but my cooking experience had expanded enough for me to recreate the recipe I am sharing here. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do………….
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French-Onion Soup
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour + 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
4 large sweet onions ( Vidalias if they are season otherwise any sweet onion will do)
1 stick unsalted butter
3 cups chicken stock (I now use bone broth)
1 cup dry white wine
Salt & Fresh ground black pepper
2–3 sprigs fresh thyme
Croutons ( I make mine from leftover French bread but store bought are also fine)
Shredded Gruyere or Swiss Cheese
Instructions
Melt butter over med-low heat. Add onions, salt, and pepper.
Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook onions until soft and translucent. 30-40 minutes or until very soft…..do not allow to brown.
Add chicken broth, wine, and thyme. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
To Serve:
Preheat broiler.
Ladle soup into in safe oven bowls. Top with croutons and cheese. This is a personal preference so use as much or as little as you like.
Broil until the cheese is melted and browning. Watch carefully as it can change from golden brown to burnt very quickly.
Serve.
Keywords: sweet onions, chicken stock, butter, soup, white wine, Swiss cheese, thyme, croutons
