If your a foodie like me and I know you are!!! You like to make changes or improvements to recipes. Well let me tell you no changes are needed to this recipe because in my opinion its already "there"!
For the soup you will need:
4-5 cups of thinly sliced red onion
4-5 cups of thinly sliced white onion ( I use sweet onions )
Shallots - sliced thinly this is optional but I add 1-2 cups
2-4 Tbsp. butter
1-2 Tbsp. oil ( I usually will use avocado oil or grape seed oil )
6 ( 14.5 oz ) cans of Swansons Beef Broth
1 ( 10.5 ) oz can of Campbell's Beef Consomme'
1-3 pinches of sugar to balance out the salt and savory flavors and it helps caramelize the onions too if you add it in at the beginning.
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 Tbsp. ( heaping ) dried thyme
2 Knorr Homestyle stock cups - beef flavored
1 Tbsp. Lawry's garlic salt
fresh ground black pepper
4 bay leaves or 1 tsp. ground bay leaves
1 cup white wine - I used sauvignon blanc or pinot Grigio
1/4 - 1/3 cup good cognac
small handful of Italian flat leaf parsley
For the cheese croutons you will need:
1-2 loaves of bread: I used 1 loaf of 4 cheese bread and 1 loaf of roasted garlic bread
Gruyere cheese - shredded
Mozzarella cheese - shredded
butter and oil
Garlic powder ( optional and if you want )
In a large stock pot add your butter and oil. Once melted add in your onions and shallots if used. I let the pot go on medium to medium low. This usually will take at least 2 hours to caramelize all your onions. You will be surprised how much the onions cook down. You want the fond on the bottom of the pot to build up….thats those lovely flavor bits that form on the bottom. Once they have built up a bit ( but not burned ) rub it off and let the process start over again. This builds flavor!!
Now we need to bloom the following:
2-3 pinches of sugar, fresh garlic, thyme, homestyle stock, garlic salt, fresh ground black pepper and your bay leaves or ground bay leaves.
Deglaze with cognac and white wine. Add in your beef broth, beef consume and your small handful of flat leaf Italian parsley. Let it cook on medium - low for at least 2 hours. You can make this ahead of time and you can even freeze it for future meals.
For the croutons: cut up your bread into large bite size cubes. I like to pan fry them first in a little butter and oil - if you want extra garlic flavor sprinkle them with a little garlic powder. When its close to meal time, spread the croutons onto a cookie sheet and shower them with shredded Gruyere and Mozzarella cheese and bake until the cheese is melted. Top your soup bowls with the cheesy croutons and if you want a sprig of fresh thyme.
Comments