Crispy croutons, fragrant broth with a hint of white wine and delicate sweet onions. French onion soup is considered a dish of fine French cuisine, but few people know that the history of its origin dates back to the era of ancient Rome. Onions were cheap, did not require special conditions for growing, and therefore became the basis of everyday cuisine among the poor.
But in the Middle Ages, the onion soup recipe gained particular popularity: according to legend, it was invented by Louis XIV, the King of the Sun, when he was left all alone in the hunting lodge and from the edible he found only onions, a
bottle of champagne and oil. The legend is silent about how the soup was prepared: either the onions were boiled in champagne, or first fried, and then filled with wine - we can only guess. But in France, the recipe for onion soup was very famous among the poor and market traders, and the legend was invented only to force the kids to eat onion with broth.
The true old recipe for onion soup is simple, but French cuisine is a constant improvisation and experimentation, so there are a lot of recipes for onion soup.
Classic French Onion Soup Recipe
We will need: 100 g of fresh butter, 4-5 pieces of sweet white onion, a couple of heads of garlic, half a glass of white wine, 3-4 glasses of any lean meat broth, 50 gr. grated hard cheese, Provencal herbs and salt, a few slices of fresh baguette.
Onion cut into half rings. In a saucepan or thick-walled saucepan, heat butter, toss onion and crushed garlic and stir, simmer under the lid over low heat for about 40 minutes.
Cooking onion soup is not difficult, but there is one feature - the onion is fried for 40-50 minutes over low heat. At this time, there is a process of caramelization of sugar, which is found in large quantities in onions. It is important that the onions should not be fried until brown! It should be golden and soft.
In the finished onion, add wine, Provencal herbs and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour in the broth, salt, pepper to taste and heat over low heat so that all the components are combined with each other.
Dry or fry the baguette slices. When serving, sprinkle hot soup with grated cheese, wait a bit and .... enjoy the great taste!
Thick onion soup
This recipe for onion soup, if desired, can be "ennobled" with a few spoons of fat cream.
We will need: 100 grams of fresh butter, 3 cups of any non-greasy meat broth, 4 pieces of sweet white onion, a glass of grated hard cheese, a third cup of flour, Provencal herbs and salt, a few slices of fresh baguette.
Dice the onion. In a saucepan or thick-walled saucepan, heat butter, toss onion and crushed garlic and stir, simmer under the lid over medium heat for half an hour. Add flour, mix well so that no lumps form, pour in the broth, add spices and boil the soup on low heat for 20 minutes.
Put grated cheese on slices of baguette, put in the oven and wait until the cheese melts.
Thick onion soup is ready!