Creamy Onion Soup
Chopping onions can be like watching a good tear-jerker--you weep and sniffle a lot. But onions bring a savory, rich flavor to cooking. So I plunged into a pile of onions, chopping and caramelizing them all at once. I used half for a dinner of grilled sausages served with whole-grain mustard on a bed of onions, and the other half I saved for this Creamy Onion Soup, served the next day.
To caramelize onions, begin by chopping 5 large onions. Heat 5 tablespoons butter in a heavy 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they just begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and golden brown, 25 minutes longer. Adjust the heat so the onions brown but do not burn. Remove 2 cups onions; cool, cover and refrigerate. Add 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar to the onions remaining in the pan, plus salt and pepper to taste. Serve with grilled sausages.
The best news: With these leftovers, you get to make a French bistro-style onion soup without shedding another round of tears!
Heat onions in 3 1/2- to 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle flour over top and cook, stirring continuously, until flour is absorbed and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add beef and chicken broth, thyme, salt, sugar, and pepper to taste. Simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in creme fra^iche.
Place 1 piece toasted bread in each soup bowl. Ladle soup over top. Garnish with grated Parmesan and serve immediately.
Get our Cooking newsletter.
Your roundup of inspiring recipes and kitchen tricks.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
