Winter is underway which means soup season is in full swing. And that’s a good thing because few soups, if any, surpass classic French onion. That thick layer of gooey Gruyere that eventually gives way to rich beefy broth, sweetened naturally by the oh-so-caramelized onions. It’s amazingly tasty stuff, as soul satisfying as any comfort food and perfect fare for colder months. But it’s a soup that most people eat when dining out at restaurants. That need not be the case. In fact, the best version you’re likely to find is the one you make for yourself in the comfort of your own kitchen. I’m not going to lie - to do it justice is going to take you a while. But the rewards are there for those willing to dig in.
Not that you need another reason to make French onion soup, but Julia Child would have turned 100 years old this year, so consider your French onion foray as an appreciative nod to“the woman who launched a million whisks.” Ms. Childs’ take on French Onion Soup, or Onion Soup Gratineed, isn’t just well known it’s considered by many to be the definitive version. In fact, she so loved the soup it is purported to have been her last meal before passing on to that great kitchen in the sky.
Two steps will ensure that your soup delivers the goods: first, make sure to cook down the onions for the full 30 to 40 minutes because maximum flavor requires complete caramelization. Second, you really need to use good stock (read: homemade). Think about it – freshly made stock without additives or preservatives that doesn’t taste like a salt lick is going to make a huge difference in the end result. Emeril’s homemade beef stock is as good as any recipe out there. Yes, it takes a while (6 hours) but most of that time is inactive, simmering time. Chopping and prep time is minimal, plus you can freeze what you don’t use for something yummy down the road, like another batch of this soup.
One note – plenty of recipes like this one suggest using chicken or vegetable stock instead of beef. Go with whatever suits your tastes, but again, homemade stock will always yield the best results. Make sure to have a nice hunk of crusty bread at the ready. In the words of the Grande Dame herself, “This is Julia Child. Bon appetite!”
