Laura’s French Onion Soup "Soupe à l’oignon gratinée"

simplygascony
6 days ago
3 min read

There are many different varieties of onions in France and each corresponds to different seasons and different cooking methods. One of the highlights of my French market tours is chatting with vegetable growers about onions; there is always something more to learn even about an ingredient as seemingly ordinary as an onion.

For this recipe, you can use whatever onions you have; it should be simple. At its origins, this soup was supposedly created by Louis XV who needed a late night snack but, alas, found only onions, butter and champagne in his pantry.

Onion soup has since become synonymous with bistro fare but it is also associated with other French traditions.

At French weddings, especially in the countryside, it is sometimes served in the early hours of the morning, as a restorative after a long night of celebrating. For the same reason, onion soup is often served early in the morning on New Year’s Eve. But just the onion soup, not the gratinée version with melted cheese topped bread which would be too rich to be theraputic!

Whatever the occasion, there’s no denying that the cold dark days of winter are enhanced by steaming bowls of comfort in the form of soupe à l’oignon gratinée.

Much fuss is made about the best recipe for this soup but, honestly, it’s not a complicated thing. Be sure to caramelise the onions first by cooking them gently over low heat and do not rush it. Once your onions are lovely and brown, the flavour will follow. I also like to add a pinch of sugar, to help with the caramelisation.

This recipe is simple; the sort of thing that’s ideal when it’s chilly outside, people are hungry inside and there’s not much more in the pantry than butter and onions. And champagne if you’re like Louis XV.

75 g unsalted butter

1 tablespoon rapeseed or sunflower oil

3 large onions, about 1.3 kg, thinly sliced

Generous pinch of sugar

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon plain flour

1 litre beef, chicken or vegetable stock

600 ml dry white wine

1 fresh bay leaf

2 sprigs of thyme

1 baguette, sliced

about 180 g Gruyère cheese, finely grated

coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Serves 4–6

Put the butter and oil in a large saucepan and add the onions. Cook gently over low heat until the onions are golden and caramelised.

Add the garlic and flour and cook, stirring for about 1 minute.

Add the stock, wine, bay leaf and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Boil for 1 minute, then lower the heat and simmer very gently for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. At this point, the soup will be cooked, but standing time will improve the flavour – at least 30 minutes. (But you can also prepare this a day in advance and refrigerate overnight).

Before serving, preheat the grill and reheat the soup if necessary. Put the baguette slices on a baking sheet and brown under the grill until lightly toasted. Set aside. Do not turn the grill off.

To serve, ladle the hot soup into ovenproof bowls and top with a few toasted

baguette rounds. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top and cook under the

still hot grill until browned and bubbling. Serve immediately.

Laura Washburn Hutton

Atelier Cuisine Fourcès

+33 (0) 7 77 92 40 89

cookingchateau@gmail.com