yummy french onion soup

You may have seen my French-inspired tablescape yesterday, and I promised to have the yummy French Onion Soup recipe today, so I wanted to give you some insight on it first. 

My neighbor Maureen has impeccable taste and loves all things French, so when she was downsizing her kitchen a bit, she passed along her vintage French soup bowls to me.  

You know the heavy white ceramic ones with the lions’ head handles? Well, these pretty bowls were longing for some home-made hot soup to fill them! 

This was my first attempt at making French Onion Soup, so as usual, I put my own spin on it. I’m on a Paleo diet, so that means no bread and cheese, but my family would love the crusty, cheesy topping, so I made adjustments... 

The soup itself is Paleo, so we just add the topping and all’s good! Now here’s the Fabiana twist.... A few more herbs than the traditional recipe calls for. My garden is filled with fresh herbs most of the year, so why not?! 

All I added to the traditional fixing of this soup was some fresh sage and a few fresh bay leaves. These two herbs are cooked down with the onions and just elevate the flavor profile tremendously. For me, the soup was amazing, even without the crispy topping. 

Paleo Friendly French Onion Soup 

Ingredients: 

4 large sweet onions, cut in 1/4 inch half-moon slices 

3 tbsp olive oil and/or butter 

4 – 5 sprigs fresh thyme 

10 leaves fresh sage, thinly sliced or chiffonade 

2-3 bay leaves 

5 cups vegetable or beef broth 

1 tbsp tomato paste  

1 small French baguette, sliced on a bias into 3/4-inch thick pieces 

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper 

12 ounces medium-hard cheese, such as a combination of Gruyere, Fontina, or Swiss, grated on the large holes of a box grater (about 1 1/2 cups) 

Directions: 

Add oil, onions, thyme, sage and bay leaves to a pan over low heat and cover with lid; steam for about 20 – 30 minutes or until onions reduce down. 

Remove pan lid and continue to cook for approximately 90 minutes; check every 30 minutes or so, until the last 30 minutes when the onions will need stirring more often to avoid black bits or burning. 

When the onions are a deep all-over butterscotch color, add the tomato paste and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Use a splash of stock to deglaze the pan, then add the rest of the stock before simmering over low heat for an hour. Remove bay leaves.

Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Arrange bread on a rimmed baking sheet and broil until deep-golden brown on both sides, about 1 to 2 minutes per side; set aside. 

Ladle 1 cup hot soup into four 13-ounce ramekins or ovenproof bowls. Arrange the bowls on a rimmed baked sheet. Place 2 slices of toasted bread over each bowl of soup to cover the surface of the soup completely. 

Sprinkle 3 ounces grated cheese over bread in each bowl, and place under broiler until cheese is melted and crusty brown around the edges. Watch carefully so that the cheese doesn't burn. Serve immediately. 

Prep Time: 10 mins 

Cook Time: 3 hours 

Yield: 4 servings 

With the weather cooling off a bit, I hope you’ll give this recipe a try! If you’re in the mood for a tomato soup, check out this recipe and for an amazing Potato Watercress Soup, check this out. 

ciao! fabiana