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Today's busy lifestyles mean that we often have less time to cook from scratch. Luckily, there are a myriad of excellent products on the market today that can serve as a cooking base. Such is the case with my favorite recipe for French onion soup. It can be made in less than 30 minutes or less. more »
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French onion soup is commonly found on restaurant menus all over the country. Whether in a roadside diner or fine dining establishment, it is not... more »
French onion soup is a perennial favorite that anyone can make at home. A simple soup, it gets its flavor from browning the onions very slowly.... more »
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French onion soup is an onion and beef broth or beef stock based soup traditionally served with croutons and cheese as toppings. Although ancient in origin, this dish underwent a resurgence of popularity in the 1960s due to the growth of French cooking in the United States. "FTL"> at website
History
Onion soups have been popular at least as far back as Roman times. They were, throughout history, seen as food for the poor people, as onions were plentiful and easy to grow. The modern version of this soup originates in France in the 18th century, "FTL"> at website made from beef broth, and caramelized onions. It is often finished by being placed under a broiler in a ramekin traditionally with croutons and gruyère melted on top. The crouton on top is reminiscent of ancient sops (see History of Soup).
Preparation
The rich flavor of the base is not due just to the broth, but to the caramelized onions. at Caramelization, in this case, is the procedure in which the onions are cooked slowly until the melting sugars approach burning temperature, becoming brown. This can be accomplished within half an hour, but many chefs and cooks allow for hours of cooking to bring out the complex flavors of the onions sugars. In the final stages of cooking, cognac or sherry is often used to enhance the caramelized onion flavor and to deglaze the pan. "fos">
The base is usually topped with the crouton, "fos"> which will be very dry and crusty to allow it to withstand lying on the soup surface while baked or broiled with a good melting cheese on top. The soup is then served in the bowl or ramekin in which it was broiled or baked.
Variations
Variations of the basic recipe include:
*A vegetarian variation using vegetable stock instead of beef stock. "veg">Bennett, Beverly L., at
*Another version is using chicken stock instead of beef stock, for those who prefer chicken.
See also
* French cuisine
* List of soups
Referencesread more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French+onion+soup
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