French Onion Soup with Worcestershire Sauce
This caramelly, wintery delicacy is definitely worth waiting by the stove!
Equipment
- nonstick skillet
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 18 oz yellow onion
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (save one for later)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tsp thyme (or a few springs)
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup Swiss (grated)
- 2 slices baguette (+ some olive oil for drizzling)
Instructions
Peeling and Slicing
- Halve the onions and peel their skin. Give them a proper wash and get on slicing. Use a thin, large knife and slice the onion thinly – root to stem.
Caramelizing
- In a nonstick skillet, pour a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and add butter. Soften it over medium heat and add the sliced onion.
- Stir it quickly and cover it with a lid to soften slowly and cook in its juices. It will take approximately 15 minutes for the onions to reduce and become golden brown. Stir it every now and then, to prevent them from sticking to the bottom
- Add sugar, salt, pepper, and one more tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Stir it frequently and don’t go far from the stove, because this is a crucial step to make a perfect soup. This will take approximately 20 minutes.
- It’s done when the onion is mellow, dark brown, silky, and almost stringy.
- Pour in the beef broth and add bay leaves and thyme. You can add whole branches of it or chop it like I did.
- Simmer it slowly for about half an hour with a lid on. The soup should be creamy, not too dense or watery.
- Take out bay leaves and herb branches and check out if you need more salt and pepper.
- Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce for more umami flavor and apple cider vinegar for acidic relish.
Preparing the Bruschetta
- Slice up some baguette and arrange it on the baking tray you previously covered with baking paper.
- Trickle extra virgin olive oil over the slices and top them with grated Swiss. Bake it for about 5-10 minutes, till golden on top at 430 °F.
Broiling the Soup
- Fill oven-friendly bowls to ¾ of the volume, place the slice of bruschetta on top, and add more grated Swiss.
- Broil it in the oven at 400 °F for about 10-15 minutes, until bubbling and golden on top. Take it out from the oven and serve immediately. Enjoy!