“Irish” French Onion Soup

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Total time

2.5 hours

Yield

Ingredients

4 yellow onions, sliced thinly into half-moons

½ stick butter or 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (butter is more traditional)

1 tablespoon ﬂour

2 tablespoons of Better than Bouillon (beef, chicken or onion) – an option

4-6 sprigs fresh thyme

8 cups water (only if using Better than Bouillon) OR 8 cups of stock (beef, chicken or vegetable)

3 tablespoons of sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar

12-16 baguette slices, whole wheat, if possible

2-3 cups Le Gruyère AOP, grated, depending upon the size of the soup crock or bowl

Instructions

The ﬁrst step is to caramelize the onions. After slicing the onions into thin moons, melt the butter or olive oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven on medium heat, and add the onions.
Caramelization is a slow process, taking between 30-60 minutes (depending upon the stove), with frequent stirring.
When the onions are a golden color, add the tablespoon of ﬂour to the onions, making a paste-like mixture.
Add the 2 tablespoons of Better than Bouillon and stir and then add the water and thyme and bring to a boil OR if you are not using Better than Bouillon, add the stock and thyme and bring to a boil.
After the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour
Just before the hour is up, toast the baguette slices
To assemble the soup, remove the thyme sprigs and divide the soup into four crocks.
Place the toasted baguettes on top and add ½-¾ cup of grated Gruyère AOP to each crock.
Place the four crocks onto a baking sheet and put under the broiler until the Gruyère AOP is melted and slightly browned.

An Oldways recipe adapted from Jaine Mackiewicz, Paris by Mouth