It’s getting chilly out there! No one can deal with the cold if they don’t have something to soothe their body and soul. And, what better way to warm up and appreciate the winter than with a cup of warm french onion soup? Learn how to make it and turn the long, cold days into pure bliss.
But wait, is french onion soup healthy? Can you make a vegetarian onion soup? It’s natural to have questions. Hopefully, we’ll answer them all.
Keep reading, check out our french onion soup recipe, and you’ll be ready to enjoy the coziness of your home regardless of the weather.
Of course, if you prefer ordering french onion soup from a restaurant, visit Public Square and try the best food South Miami has to offer.
People get discouraged whenever a meal requires a huge bulk shopping before the preparation. Of course, making something different can get overwhelming. Luckily, this won’t be the case with our onion soup recipe.
So, check out the ingredients required to make this French delicacy:
If you have a preferred type of onion, you can go ahead and use it. Usually, the recipe will require 5-6 well-sized yellow onions. But, if red or white ones are close by, going with them will do no harm to most palates. Just make sure they are peeled and sliced into relatively thin pieces.
The flour will help your broth get the authentic recipe’s recognizable thickness. Most people have all-purpose flour in their pantry, and it’s usually the go-to option. But, if your family uses gluten-free products, those will do the trick as well.
You’ll have to caramelize those onions to get a taste of the authentic french onion soup. If you want to avoid dairy, use artificial or vegan butter instead.
It’s always fun cooking with wine, right? In this case, apart from adding a bit of cheer into the process, it will help deglaze the pan. If the onions start burning, adding more wine will stop them from turning black and sticking to the pan.
Beef stock is a classic base for this type of soup. It will give your meal the flavor you are seeking.
If you’ve been thinking about trying a vegetarian french onion soup, no worries, we have a solution for that too. But, more on that later.
It may not be the main ingredient, but seasoning has the power to make your meal whole. It’s a valuable part of the dish, and skipping it is not an option.
Our recommendation is to start with salt and pepper, just like when making any other dish. Then add garlic, bay leaf, fresh or dried thyme, and Worcestershire.
To finish the preparation of your french stew, you’ll need toasted bread and some cheese. A french baguette would fit in perfectly, along with any melting cheese you prefer.
Is french onion soup healthy? People praise onions and their anti-inflammatory effects all the time. And this stew is going to include a whole lot of onions!
Knowing how to handle the ingredients properly will be crucial if you want the meal to turn out right. So, let’s start with the first step in the entire cooking process – caramelization.
Our goal is to turn a large pile of raw onions into a sweet base that will carry the flavor profile of our soup. Doing this won’t be hard but may take some time. So, free up the schedule and start cooking.
To start, have the stove on medium heat. Put the pot on top, and have it warm up. Then, add some butter and let it melt. Next, you should add the onions and stir them up to ensure they are entirely covered in butter.
After about 5 minutes, stir the pot once again. Repeat this step after another 5 minutes go by. Then, you can do the same after a shorter period passes, like 2-3 minutes.
If you notice some pieces sticking to the pan, or burning, add some white wine. It will deglaze the pan and allow you to cook the onions precisely. Your goal is to do this until the onions reach a rich brown color.
So, you’ve already prepared the onions, and now you’re ready to continue. What you should do next is add the remaining ingredients to the stockpot. Let the soup cook until it reaches a simmer, then reduce the heat and leave the pot on the stove for another 10 minutes.
After the time has passed, give your stew a try. Season with salt and pepper if needed, and you’re done with the most challenging part.
Now, the toppings. If you’re sticking to the traditional bread and cheese top, the procedure won’t be that hard to do. Tost the bread of your choice while the soup is on the stove. Use the oven if you don’t have a toaster. The method doesn’t matter as long as you get that golden toast as a result.
The next step would be the broiling. Pour the soup into cups that are safe for oven use, add the toasted bread and the cheese, and place the cups on a baking tray. It usually takes less than 5 minutes for the cheese to melt and become more delicious than ever. So, don’t go too far, because it’s almost time to serve!
It’s good to know that customizing is an option for those who like changing up a few things in the meals they make. Making a vegetarian onion soup is doable. You just need to know how to do it.
Let’s see what adjustments you can make to turn your French stew into something even better.
You can buy croutons in most supermarkets, so it will be a lot easier than searching for fresh baguettes or making your own bread.
Add the cheese while the soup is hot, and you can skip the broiling step. Maybe the result won’t be as cheesy as it could be, but it’s the best option when you don’t have an oven.
Making a vegetarian onion soup isn’t that difficult if you have the right ingredients. Make sure you’re using veggie stock and vegan Worcestershire, and you’ll be good to go.
Turning a vegetarian french onion soup into a vegan stew doesn’t require many modifications to the recipe.
Use vegan butter or even olive oil instead of regular butter and sub the cheese with a vegan topping.
You can use gluten-free flour and solve the gluten issue of the recipe. Or, if you don’t need the stew to be as thick, you can skip the flour altogether.
Visit Public Square restaurant in the heart of South Miami and try the best french onion soup of your life!
