Salesforce Culinary TeamThe Chef's Counter

French Onion Soup

Everyone’s favorite bubbly, crispy, deliciously cheesy soup is easily made to warm your soul during a cold winter.

Recipe byWilliam Downes

French Onion Soup
Makes4-6 servings
DietariesVegetarian option

Ingredients

Ingredient quantities shown in U.S. units.

French Onion Soup

  • ½ Tbsp15gButter
  • 2 Tbsp30gOlive oil
  • 88Onions, thinly sliced
  • 22Garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ cup56gKosher salt
  • 1 cup224gSherry
  • 1 quart896gWhite wine
  • ¼ cup56gBeef stock
  • 1 tsp5gCalvados
  • ½ Tbsp15gBlack pepper, fresh cracked

Assembly

  • 44Sourdough bread slices, cut to size
  • ½ Lb.226gGruyere, shredded
  • ½ Lb.226gComté, shredded
  • 1 tsp250 mgFresh thyme, leaves picked

Special Equipment

  • Soup Crocks

Method

Preparation

  1. Place a heavy bottomed stock pot or dutch oven on the cook top and set temperature to medium high.
  2. Add both the butter and olive oil to the pan. Once butter is melted and sizzling add all of the onions and begin to stir.
  3. Initially you need to continue stirring the onions to avoid sticking and burning. Keep stirring until onions turn soft and translucent. Turn the flame to low and cover your pot. Let onions cook for 10-15 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
  4. Remove lid and allow onions to begin to caramelize by letting the onions cook uncovered, only stirring every 5 to 10 minutes. Letting the onions sit will allow them to start to darken in color. Continue this process until your onions are uniformly deep and dark brown in color, but not burnt. This step may take an hour to an hour and a half.
  5. Once perfect caramelization has been achieved, add the sherry to deglaze the pan using your spatula to scrape any tasty bits that have stuck to the bottom. Reduce this liquid until the onions are dry again.
  6. Add the wine, beef stock, salt, and pepper and allow liquid to come up to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
  7. While the soup is simmering, grate the cheeses and reserve in a bowl. Using a knife, cut the sliced sourdough into a circle to fit the size of the opening of your soup crocks.
  8. Preheat the broiler setting on your oven to high.
  9. Add the calvados to the soup and simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes.
  10. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning by adding more salt & pepper as needed.
  11. Heat a sauté pan on medium high heat and add a few drizzles of olive oil.
  12. Add the cut rounds of sourdough to the pan and toast until golden brown, season with a sprinkle of salt & pepper, flip and do the second side. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.

To Assemble

  1. Set the oven to broil. Using a ladle, fill soup crocks roughly three-quarters full, leaving enough room for the sourdough crouton rounds and plenty of cheese.
  2. Set the sourdough crouton on top of the soup and cover completely with equal amounts of each cheese. Don’t be afraid of the cheese here! You certainly want plenty.
  3. Set soup crocks under the broiler and melt the cheese until bubbly and golden brown.
  4. Remove soup crocks, garnish with a sprinkle of thyme leaves and serve immediately. Enjoy!