French Onion Soup Recipe

"The best kind of onion soup is the simplest kind." - Ambrose Bierce (American journalist and short-story writer).

The history of onion soups dates back to the Roman times. In the ancient world, onions were considered as the poor man's food because onions were cultivated in abundance. The contemporary version of the onion soup originated in France in the 17th century and it is popular even today.

According to the legend of the French onion soup, the recipe was invented or created because of King Louis XV's hunger pang one evening. He was on a hunting spree and one night his chef realized there were only onions, butter, and champagne for dinner at the hunting lodge (some versions say that the ingredients included onions, cheese, and some dry bread).

It is said he tried making a stew with the available ingredients at hand and thus, the French onion soup was born.

Today, the French onion soup is one of the popular French soup dishes and is favored by people around the globe. Though there are many new versions of the original recipe, basically French onion soup is a combination of croutons (dry bread) and caramelized onions cooked in beef broth and topped with Gruyère cheese.

You could make a classical French onion soup to simple onion soup with herbs you love to suit your taste. Here is a simple French onion recipe that is nourishing and healthy.

Here is a simple French onion soup recipe that could be mashed up in less than 100 seconds, if you have the ingredients ready. This recipe serves four to six people.

8 slices of toasted bread
3 + 3 large red and sweet onions sliced finely
2 garlic cloves minced
1 bay leaf
8 cups of beef broth (you could use chicken stock in place of beef stock)
2 cups grated Parmesan and Gruyère cheese
½ cup white wine (dry)
3 tsp. olive oil
¼ tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. herb (preferably oregano or dry thyme)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a thick-bottomed pan, add onion, and sauté over medium high heat till they are caramelized but not burned. Add sugar and sauté for 10 minutes over low heat. Once the onion is caramelized, add the minced garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes to remove the rawness. To it add the beef stock, white wine, bay leaf, and the herbs.

Allow the contents to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle salt and pepper to suit your taste. Remove the bay leaf from the soup. In a casserole, arrange the toasted bread slices. Pour the soup over it. Now sprinkle the grated cheese and bake for 10 minutes at 300ºF or until the cheese melts. Serve hot.

Chefs around the globe opine that French onion soup is simple and classical because it is prepared using only the basic ingredients that are available in most homes. While making the classical French onion soup, no herbs or spices are added and it is topped with croutons and cheese. Later, it is put in a hot oven where the cheese melts and the soup becomes bubbly.