When I think of onion soup, I remember my grandfather peeling a mountain of onions at 3 am on Christmas day. Every year the family would get together on Christmas eve for the biggest party/feast and my grandfather’s job was to make the soupe a l’onion as soon as the party would die down a bit. He said it was the best remedy for a hang over and no one would go to bed before having a  big bowl of his onion soup. I can tell you how many times I sat next to him, gift unwrapped in my hands and dressed in PJs to observe the making of his potion.

Years later, onion soup is still one of my favorite. Today I am sharing with you his recipe. I probably had to divide in three the measurement as he was feeding almost an army, you know, an Italian family!

Ingredients:

3 white onions, sliced

1 bottle of white wine (dry and cheap, I never spend more than $5)

Same amount of stock (you can use any, though veal and beef are the best) and will give a nice brownish color to the soup

2 tablespoon of flour

1 stick of butter

For garnish:

Toasted baguette slices (a couple per bowl)

Beaufort or Conté thickly grated

In a pot melt the butter and sweat the onions, I usually add a couple pinch of salt, pepper and herbes de provence.

When the onions get a bit tender add the 2 tablespoon of flour and almost like a roux, mix it and let it cook for a minute. Cover with the white wine and bring to a boil to burn the alcohol off for a few minutes, then add the stock.

I usually let this soup simmer on the back burner for a couple hours. If you can cook it longer even better! A day like today, I made the recipe this morning and let it simmer all afternoon. The broth transform in a rich brown and thick juice.

When ready to serve, put the soup in a bowl put a couple slice of toasted bread and cover generously with cheese, put under broiler for a few seconds. I usually sprinkle it with a pinch of minced parsley.

Note: This recipe will feed about 4-6, but today I was alone and it was great to have a nice bowl of Soupe a l’oignon for dinner. For the rest, I put it in plastic containers, label it and freezer. Trust me, one evening when unexpected guests are showing up you will be happy to have this ready to go, or just to have it in reserve for those lazy night when you don’t want to cook. It freezes really well and can keep up to 6 months.

Bon Appétit!