Of course, there is - what would a French onion soup be without a toasted crouton, aka a sop? Sops are used for soaking up a warm liquid, broth, or wine, and was the term used in days of yore. I guess it was only natural that the word soup derived from sop.
The mixture of these five onions gives a nice character to the soup. But, no sweat if you have less than five. Use a sweet onion such as OSO, which I found this week at the market, and you'll have a tasty version. The so-called bar of success in making an onion soup is all the slow cooking and gradual 'caramelizing' of the onions. The onions' natural sweetness adds a rich, robust flavor and golden brown color, the prize in this soup.
This easy to prepare hearty soup for a cool night makes for a wonderful dinner or rustic appetizer.
CREAMY FIVE-ONION SOUP
Makes 6-8 servings
chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 each sweet onions*, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
6 each Chipolini onions, chopped
1 each red onion, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups beef broth
Optional:
1/2 cup half and half
French bread croutons
Parmesan, Emmental, or Gruyere cheese
Preheat a large soup or saucepot to medium heat. Add olive oil, sweet onions, garlic, cipollini onions, red onion, and green onion. Cook for 10 minutes without stirring until the onions in the bottom of the pot begin to brown. Stir, and allow the onions to continue to brown further. Stir and allow onions to cook for an additional five minutes. The total cooking time of onions will be about 20 minutes or more.
Season with thyme, bay leaves, and pepper; add tomato sauce and flour, and stir. Add white wine and cook for 5 minutes or until dry. Add chicken broth, beef broth, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes.
Remove bay leaves then, and puree one-half of the soup in a blender or food processor.
Return pureed soup back to soup pot. Bring soup back to a boil; reduce temperature to a simmer. Add optional half and half. Serve with a toasted French bread crouton, top with grated Parmesan, and melt Emmental or Gruyere cheese.
*Note on onions: Soup may be made with any type of sweet onions and garlic only. Or, you may add any onion family, such as leeks, chives, etc.
