French Onion Soup

Name: French Onion Soup
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 4 Brown Onions *thinly sliced; 30 g Butter *OR Olive Oil 2 tablespoons; 4 cups Chicken/Beef/Vegetable Stock; 1/2 cup White Wine *optional; Salt; Freshly Ground Black Pepper; 8 slices Baguette (French Stick); Tasty Cheese OR Parmesan Cheese 1/4 cup each serving *grated

Hiroko Liston @hirokoliston

Melbourne, Australia

Everyone loves to eat it, but backs away from cooking it. I know why. Because it takes a LONG time to caramelise the onion and you cannot leave it cook itself. You have to stay there, stirring the onion, for up to 1 hour. No way I can do that… I don’t have that patience… but I want to cook this soup. Then my challenge began.

To cook any food quickly, I think of the microwave. So I microwaved the Onion and Butter. The onion gets soft quickly, but it didn’t get brown. I cooked the Onion longer, it did get even softer but it didn’t get brown.

The best way I discovered is to microwave for 5 minutes or so to soften the Onion, then cook in the saucepan or pot. The microwave process greatly reduces the caramelising time.

Hiroko Liston @hirokoliston

Melbourne, Australia

The best way I discovered is to microwave for 5 minutes or so to soften the Onion, then cook in the saucepan or pot. The microwave process greatly reduces the caramelising time.

Saved

Ingredients

4 servings

4Brown Onions *thinly sliced
30 gButter *OR Olive Oil 2 tablespoons
4 cupsChicken/Beef/Vegetable Stock
1/2 cupWhite Wine *optional
Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
8 slicesBaguette (French Stick)
Tasty Cheese OR Parmesan Cheese 1/4 cup each serving *grated

Saved

Steps

1

Place Onion and Butter in a large heat-proof bowl and cover with a large plate. Heat for 3 minutes, mix, and heat 2 more minutes. Mix and heat extra 2 more minutes.
2

Carefully transfer the onion to a large sauce pan or a pot, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, turn down the heat if needed, until caramelised and browned.
3

Add Stock and Wine (*optional), and bring to the boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes. Season with Salt and Pepper.
4

Preheat the over to 200C or the grill on medium-high. Divide the soup to oven-safe serving bowls and place 2 slices of bread in each bowl. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the bread.
5

Place the bowls on the baking tray, cook in the oven or under the grill until the cheese is melted and golden.
6

Remove carefully from the oven or the grill, and let cool for a few minutes otherwise you will burn your tongue! Serve on heatproof small plate.