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French Onion Soup Recipe

December 7, 2021 · Speshyl · 1 Comment

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Three ramekins filled with french onion soup, topped with toasted french bread and gruyere cheese. Rosemary and thyme sprigs pictured next to the ramekins.
Three ramekins filled with french onion soup, topped with toasted french bread and gruyere cheese. Rosemary and thyme sprigs pictured next to the ramekins.
Three ramekins filled with french onion soup, topped with toasted french bread and gruyere cheese. Rosemary and thyme sprigs pictured next to the ramekins.
Three ramekins filled with french onion soup, topped with toasted french bread and gruyere cheese. Rosemary and thyme sprigs pictured next to the ramekins.
Three ramekins filled with french onion soup, topped with toasted french bread and gruyere cheese. Rosemary and thyme sprigs pictured next to the ramekins.

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This french onion soup has rich flavor from hour long caramelized onions, brandy to deglaze the pan, and fresh rosemary and thyme perfumed throughout. Topped with toasted french bread and gruyere cheese, it creates the perfect bite.

Three ramekins filled with french onion soup, topped with toasted french bread and gruyere cheese. Rosemary and thyme sprigs pictured next to the ramekins.

French Onion Soup has quickly become one of my favorite soups to eat and make. I was always opposed to the idea of bread in soups because I just couldn’t handle the texture as a kid. I’m not convinced that I’m completely over that now, however, french onion soup is the best exception to my rule. I chose not to use wine in this recipe to make it a little different from what’s already out there. Instead, I deglaze my dutch oven with brandy after the onions are finished caramelizing. This helps to pick up all of the fond at the bottom of the pot, which is big flavor.

How To Caramelize Onions

The caramelization of onions is a slow process, but it’s always worth it. There are a few steps that ensure you’re developing color on the onions at a good pace without burning them or taking them too far and making them mushy. I like to slice my onions thin, but not thinner than and eighth of an inch. They can burn easier if they’re thinner than that. I use a combination of butter and olive oil to cook down the onions, and I also season with kosher salt to help them sweat, and sugar to aid in caramelization. My number one tip would be to stay by the pot for the entire hour. I make it a point to stir my onions with a silicone spatula every five minutes, and check if they’re sticking to the bottom or starting to turn brown too quickly. This whole process is gradual, but you’ll start seeing big changes when you hit the 40 minute mark.

How To Make French Onion Soup

Majority of the time spent making this soup will be spent caramelizing the onions. After that, you could finish the rest within 15 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6-7 (950g) yellow onions, sliced thin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, Diamond Crystal
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons brandy
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • kosher salt, to season
  • black pepper, to season
  • french bread, sliced into 1/2 inch thick pieces & toasted
  • gruyere cheese, grated for topping
Three ramekins filled with french onion soup, topped with toasted french bread and gruyere cheese. Rosemary and thyme sprigs pictured next to the ramekins.

Instructions

  1. In a dutch oven over a medium-low flame, heat up the unsalted butter and olive oil until the butter is melted. Pour in sliced onions and sprinkle with one teaspoon each of kosher salt & granulated sugar. Stir to coat the onions in the butter and oil.
  2. For the next hour, stir the onions at least every five minutes. Around the 30 minute mark, you will start to see some color. Keep going! The color starts to change drastically in the last 15 minutes. Make sure the onions do not burn, brown too fast, or stick to the bottom of the pot. There will be some fond (brown bits) at the bottom of the pot. This is okay & normal.
  3. After the onions have taken on a rich brown color, add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Deglaze the pan by pouring in the brandy and scraping up the brown bits with your silicone spatula. Let the brandy reduce for a minute.
  4. Add in the balsamic vinegar, the beef stock and the herbs; rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. I like to tie the herbs together with a piece of kitchen twine so that they’re easier to remove when plating the soup.
  5. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cover for 10 minutes. Remove the dutch oven from the heat & remove the herbs from the soup. 
  6. Portion the soup into oven safe bowls or ramekins and top with slices of toasted french bread and grated gruyere cheese. Place soup under a broiler for a few minutes, just to melt the cheese, & serve. Enjoy!
Three ramekins filled with french onion soup, topped with toasted french bread and gruyere cheese. Rosemary and thyme sprigs pictured next to the ramekins.
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Three ramekins filled with french onion soup, topped with toasted french bread and gruyere cheese. Rosemary and thyme sprigs pictured next to the ramekins.

French Onion Soup Recipe


  • Author: Speshyl Smith
  • Total Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
Print Recipe
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Description

This french onion soup has rich flavor from hour long caramelized onions, brandy to deglaze the pan, and fresh rosemary and thyme perfumed throughout. Topped with toasted french bread and gruyere cheese, it creates the perfect bite. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6–7 (950g) yellow onions, sliced thin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, Diamond Crystal
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons brandy
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • kosher salt, to season
  • black pepper, to season
  • french bread, sliced into 1/2 inch thick pieces & toasted
  • gruyere cheese, grated for topping

Instructions

  1. In a dutch oven over a medium-low flame, heat up the unsalted butter and olive oil until the butter is melted. Pour in sliced onions and sprinkle with one teaspoon each of kosher salt & granulated sugar. Stir to coat the onions in the butter and oil.
  2. For the next hour, stir the onions at least every five minutes. Around the 30 minute mark, you will start to see some color. Keep going! The color starts to change drastically in the last 15 minutes. Make sure the onions do not burn, brown too fast, or stick to the bottom of the pot. There will be some fond (brown bits) at the bottom of the pot. This is okay & normal.
  3. After the onions have taken on a rich brown color, add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Deglaze the pan by pouring in the brandy and scraping up the brown bits with your silicone spatula. Let the brandy reduce for a minute.
  4. Add in the balsamic vinegar, the beef stock and the herbs; rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. I like to tie the herbs together with a piece of kitchen twine so that they’re easier to remove when plating the soup.
  5. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cover for 10 minutes. Remove the dutch oven from the heat & remove the herbs from the soup. 
  6. Portion the soup into oven safe bowls or ramekins and top with slices of toasted french bread and grated gruyere cheese. Place soup under a broiler for a few minutes, just to melt the cheese, & serve. Enjoy!
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
  • Category: Soup

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Comments

  1. DYvonne says

    January 20, 2023 at 9:00 pm

    Hi Speshyl!

    This is on my list to make soon. What is size ramekins did you use? Making the broccoli cheddar soup today…so delish!

    Thank you,
    DYvonne

    Reply

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We closed out Virgo season by celebrating my favor We closed out Virgo season by celebrating my favorite Virgo, my big sister @chloes_charms 😍💕 A Renaissance Tour themed cake was absolutely necessary! I think my favorite part of the process was painting the entire thing with silver luster dust 🪩 

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Mini beef sliders; buns made from scratch ✨ Coc Mini beef sliders; buns made from scratch ✨

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My twin Godsons turned 6 months, so it’s only ri My twin Godsons turned 6 months, so it’s only right that I went all out for their half birthday cake 🥹 Their theme was “Halfway Around The Sun” & @sophisticated_shay requested a galaxy cake!

This cake challenged me in sooooo many ways…

The mirror glaze was easy to make, but it took a couple of pours to get it right (since it was slipping off of the cake and creating gaps). I used a @nordicwareusa half sheet tray & cooling rack lined with parchment & put the cake on a pint container so that the glaze could fall from a good height. 

I figured out that working right in front of an air conditioner directed at the cake & using a blow dryer on the cool setting helped it adhere more. Also, working with an extremely cold cake is a must. I frosted/ crumb coated these layers while they were frozen so they cold be as cold as possible.

I used white food coloring on a pastry brush to flick some “stars” onto the glaze.

I let the cake set in the fridge overnight after the glaze, and decorated it the next morning.

Now stacking the two tiers?! A HEADACHE! Because once you place it, there’s no moving it 😭 the mirror glaze was pretty sticky, so I only had one chance to place it.

I made the cake topper using a cricut machine (which always comes in clutch), and @wiltoncakes silver fondant for my babies names (Tyler & Skyler) 🩵

I’m an overanalyzer & perfectionist, so there are so many things that I notice & would do differently next time; but other than that, I think it came out beautifully!

Although my craft & profession is savory food, I love to dibble & dabble in pastry, and learn new techniques 🤗

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Oh what a year it’s been! 🌹 Thank you so much Oh what a year it’s been! 🌹 Thank you so much to Alaina & Derrick Rose for supporting & trusting my small business; allowing me into their home to cook for their family over the past year. It has been such an amazing experience! I can’t wait to see what’s next!

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Surprise Engagement Dinner Party ✨ Shout out to Surprise Engagement Dinner Party ✨ Shout out to this lovely group!! I could feel the love in the room 🥹💕

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This weekend, my personal chef business ‘The Dai This weekend, my personal chef business ‘The Daily Speshyl LLC’ turned 1 Year old! So it had to be in God’s plan that my small black owned business would be chosen by @beyonce ‘s @beygood foundation to attend their Black Parade Route Small Business Impact Luncheon 🥹🙏🏽

I applied for this opportunity in April, by a long shot. Only 100 businesses in each of the 10 cities part of the route are chosen. This event brought the most amazing people together “To celebrate people, communities, and small businesses impacted by economic inequities”. I learned so much from the guest speakers, and was given so many tools to further grow my business.

It still feels like a dream to me, honestly. I’m so proud of what I’ve built; of the years of work I’ve put in. I’m mostly proud of taking the leap & following my dreams, even though it was scary leaving comfort & routines of working for others, to being my own boss. This is HARD. I won’t lie to you. But it is WORTH IT, for me. I won’t ever give up on this dream, and one day I’ll be cooking for Beyoncé herself 😉.

Kept the party going by seeing the Queen herself on Sunday 🥳

#beygood #blackparade #blackparaderoute #personalchef #privatechef #nycprivatechef #blackbusinessowner #womanownedbusiness #womanownedsmallbusiness #smallblackbusiness #blackchefs #blackchefsnetwork #thedailyspeshyl
This weekend, my personal chef business ‘The Dai This weekend, my personal chef business ‘The Daily Speshyl LLC’ turned 1 Year old! So it had to be in God’s plan that my small black owned business would be chosen by @beyonce ‘s @beygood foundation to attend their Black Parade Route Small Business Impact Luncheon 🥹🙏🏽

I applied for this opportunity in April, by a long shot. Only 100 businesses in each of the 10 cities part of the route are chosen. This event brought the most amazing people together “To celebrate people, communities, and small businesses impacted by economic inequities”. I learned so much from the guest speakers, and was given so many tools to further grow my business.

It still feels like a dream to me, honestly. I’m so proud of what I’ve built; of the years of work I’ve put in. I’m mostly proud of taking the leap & following my dreams, even though it was scary leaving comfort & routines of working for others, to being my own boss. This is HARD. I won’t lie to you. But it is WORTH IT, for me. I won’t ever give up on this dream, and one day I’ll be cooking for Beyoncé herself 😉 (see last slide for a visual of me speaking it into existence).

Kept the party going by seeing the Queen herself on Sunday 🥳

#beygood #blackparade #blackparaderoute #personalchef #privatechef #nycprivatechef #blackbusinessowner #womanownedbusiness #womanownedsmallbusiness #smallblackbusiness #blackchefs #blackchefsnetwork #thedailyspeshyl
Visiting Rio De Janeiro has been my dream since I Visiting Rio De Janeiro has been my dream since I was 10 years old & I saw the debut of Snoop Doggs “Beautiful” video. When by best friend decided to celebrate her 30th birthday there, I was stoked!!!! We brought in her birthday in the most magical way, with treks to see Christ the Redeemer (did you know it’s one of the 7 wonders of the world?!) & Escadaria Selarón (the famous colorful stairs). I can definitely say this was the trip of a lifetime 🥹💕

The food at one Brazilian steakhouse was so delicious, I could cry. The steaks, lamb, pork, & chicken came around to us in an endless fashion & everything was so perfectly cooked! I actually tried a duck heart for the first time because I like to be adventurous, and it wasn’t bad at all! It tasted like chicken to me with a slightly different texture.

#thedailyspeshyl #riodejaneiro #30thbirthday #girlstrip #foodcation #brazilliansteakhouse #escadariaselaron #christtheredeemer
Baby, talk about feeling seen!! @tatianabychefkwam Baby, talk about feeling seen!! @tatianabychefkwame @chefkwameonwuachi is everything reviews say it is, and then some! I felt like I was represented in every dish: An Afro-Caribbean-Latina born and raised in the Bronx, NY! This is some of the most delicious food I’ve had in a long time & I can’t wait to go back. Something I’m striving for as a chef is being able to tell my story through food & sharing that with everyone I come across and am able to work with, so this meal definitely left me inspired.

Here’s what we ate:
• Hamachi Escovitch
• Curried Goat Patties
• Truffle Chopped Cheese
• Braised Oxtails
• Brown Stew Red Snapper
• Drink: Nutcracker (& another that I forgot the name of)

I can’t even choose favorites because I thoroughly enjoyed everything! Service was amazing, the music was dope, & the vibes were immaculate. I can’t wait to go back!

#thedailyspeshyl #nyceats #nycrestaurants #tatianarestaurant #oxtail #redsnapper #hamachi #curriedgoat #choppedcheese
This weekend, I had the honor of attending @sophis This weekend, I had the honor of attending @sophisticated_shay & Rob’s baby shower for their twins, Skyler & Tyler 🥰 I made the cake & the grazing table & my mom made the centerpieces! Shay threw such a beautiful shower & I loved every moment of celebrating the boys— my Godsons, with some of my closest friends. I can’t wait to meet them! 

Oh, and the cake was red velvet with cream cheese frosting as the filling & Swiss meringue butter cream on the outside 😋

#thedailyspeshyl #babyshowercake #twinboys #charcuterietable #grazingtable #grazingtables
It’s my birthday 🥳 🎈& yes… I did make my It’s my birthday 🥳 🎈& yes… I did make my own cake 😌
Hey @bobbyflay, next time we meet, we’ll be comp Hey @bobbyflay, next time we meet, we’ll be competing 😌

#thedailyspeshyl #beatbobbyflay #competitionwhyyesiwouldlovesome #coolexperience #foodnetworkfaves
Ribeye steak bites. Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes. As Ribeye steak bites. Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes. Asparagus. Green Juice. Honey-Lime Chicken Thighs. Leek Cous Cous. Roasted Brussels with Balsamic Glaze. Exhaustion 🙃

#thedailyspeshyl #HBambassador #apronsquad #personalcheflife #personalchefservices #nycpersonalchef #nycprivatechef #dayinmylife
We’re back! After a week off, I was excited to g We’re back! After a week off, I was excited to get back into the kitchen 🤗

#thedailyspeshyl #personalchef #personalchefservices #personalcheflife #dayinmylife #privatechef #privatecheflife
#ad I made this Creamy Smoky Chipotle Shrimp with #ad I made this Creamy Smoky Chipotle Shrimp with @betterthanbouillon ‘s Smoky Chipotle Base from their Culinary Collection. This dish came together in about 15 mins, including prep time, so it’s perfect for those weekday nights when you need dinner on the table, fast! I like to serve this dish over white rice, but you can use any side you like. Click the link in my bio to shop this kitchen staple!

Recipe below:
 
Ingredients:
• 1 lb jumbo shrimp (U 16/20)
• Kosher Salt
• neutral cooking oil (avocado, grapeseed, vegetable, or canola)
• 2 teaspoons @betterthanbouillon Smoky Chipotle Base, divided
• 1/3 cup onions, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• scallions, for garnish
 
Instructions:

1. Season shrimp with 1 teaspoon of the Smoky Chipotle Base. Heat up a skillet over a medium-high flame and add in enough neutral oil to almost cover the bottom. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, and in the shrimp and cook for two minutes per side.
2. Remove the shrimp, and saute the onions and garlic in the same pan until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add in the heavy cream, sour cream, and remaining teaspoon of the  Smoky Chipotle Base and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer for a 2-3 minutes, add the shrimp back in, garnish with the scallion & serve.

#betterthanbouillon
And it only took 3 days 🥴 But I’m so incredib And it only took 3 days 🥴 But I’m so incredibly proud with how it turned out!!! This has to be my best work yet! Apparently, I thrive on stress.

#winniethepoohcake #cakedecorating #personalchef #thedailyspeshyl
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