ONION SOUP ON THE CHEAP

For the approximate cook

I have it on authority, that is to say from a friend of a friend's sister whose lover is a French chef, that to make a good onion soup you should never use bouillon cubes and you should always carmelize the onions.

I take that to mean that you should make your own beef stock bouillon, but being the lazy cook that I am, I skip using bouillon altogether. The resulting soup is tasty and easy to make, although it would most likely never win a French Onion Soup Cook-Off  if ever there were to be one. I also skip adding flour as a thickening agent and never add herbs, and I usually drink the red wine rather than add it to the broth.

All you have to do is

• Sautée until translucent a generous quantity of sliced yellow onions in butter and olive oil. 
• Add one teaspoon each of sugar and salt and continue cooking until onions are browned. 
• Add water to just cover the onions and let simmer over low heat about 30 minutes.
• Season to taste. Pour hot soup into oven-proof bowls and top with toasted croûtons and grated gruyère or Swiss cheese (see how to prepare croûtons on earlier blog post, Breadboard Economy). 
• Place under broiler til cheese is crusty and bubbly. 
• Finish with a grinding of fresh black pepper.

N.B: This recipe is particularly interesting if you're serving a person afflicted with gout who wants to avoid  purines in the meat-based broths.



Expressions: Ce n'est pas tes oignons. (familiar):  It's none of your business.
                      Occupe-toi de tes oignons. (familiar):  Mind your own business.

For jazz listening fun: Les Oignons with Sidney Bechet

Text & photo © 2010  P.B.Lecron