Truffle French Onion Soup

Amazing French onion soup is the sum of it’s parts. Each of the parts is good – the rich, caramelized onion soup, the nutty Gruyere cheese, properly toasted baguette slices, and a crispy and gooey caramelized crust. Added together they reach a glorious level of full flavored melody.

Author

Helen Park

Servings

2 qts, 6-8 portions

Category

Soup

Appetizer

Cuisine

French

Ingredients

• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 pounds Spanish onion, peeled and sliced thinly
• 2 Tbsp sliced garlic
• 1 Tbsp fine sea salt
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 2 cup full bodied red wine, divided
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp Pierre Poivre
• 1 ½ qts great quality beef stockOR1 ½ qts store-bought beef stock + 3 packets of gelatin powder*see recipe notes below on how to fortify stock
• 4 Tbsp Truffle Magic, divided
• 16 slices baguette, ½” thick
• olive oil
• 1 pound gruyere cheese, grated or thinly sliced

Directions

1. In a large, heavy bottom pot, heat ½ cup of olive oil, sliced onion, garlic slices, and salt over medium heat and cook covered, stirring occasionally.
2. As the onions cook and release their moisture, lower the heat to a gentle simmer to caramelize the onions.
3. As the liquid cooks away and the onions are moderately caramelized, add the butter and continue caramelizing uncovered until completely caramelized.
4. Add one cup of the red wine and reduce while scraping the pot with a wooden spoon to get all of the browned bits off of the pan and into the soup. In a separate pan, reduce the remaining cup of wine by half.
5. To the onion pot, add the stock, bay leaves, and Pierre Poivre, bring to boil, and simmer for 1 hour or until the soup with fully flavored with rich caramelized onions.
6. Add the reduced red wine to the soup and simmer for 10 more minutes, covered. Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of Truffle Magic.
7. Preheat the oven to 480°F.
8. Brush the baguette slices with olive oil, both sides and edge to edge, and arrange them onto a parchment lined tray.
9. Toast the baguette slices in the hot oven for 10 minutes or until they are golden brown. Remove the tray from the oven and sprinkle the slices evenly with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Truffle Magic.
10. Portion 1-1 ½ cups of soup into heat-safe bowls topped with 2 Truffle Magic toasts each, and place onto a sturdy baking tray.
11. Top each bowl of soup with the sliced cheese and place under the broiler for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted through and caramelized on the edges.
12. Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and arrange slices of gruyere cheese, slightly wider than the opening of the soup bowl. Allow the cheese to melt and caramelize in the pan.
13. When the cheese is a melted through and golden brown, use a heatproof spatula and carefully slide the cheese portion onto the top of the hot bowl of soup.