French Onion Soup, which is proudly my favorite soup of all time, is really such a bitch to make at home. Think about how terrible it is to chop one onion for a recipe… Well, imagine chopping a shit-ton of onions consecutively and likely in a small, not-so-well-ventilated kitchen. Yeah, no.
But for whatever reason, I figured why not make some soup. It’s not like I have anything better to do than engulf my 800 square foot apartment with piercing onion gas.
Step #1: Slice said shit-ton of onions.
Step #2: Wipe away your perpetual tears and snotty nose, and drop the onions into the Instant Pot on medium saute. This can of course be accomplished over the stovetop as well, just the timing would vary.
Stay put, and continue to keep stirring for like 20-30 minutes or so. The onions should turn a golden caramel color (even more so than here – I eventually gave up).
Obvs by this point you should be drinking some type of wine, so give yourself and extra swill and pour one out for the homies right into the onions.
Deglaze with the wine and repeat over and over to yourself it was worth it.
Add the broth with everything else and give it a final stir. I cooked it high pressure for 20 minutes with a 15 minute release, but I’ve seen other recipes online with much less cook time like 5 minutes worth of pressure.
The broth was deep in flavor and onions super tender, so I’m guessing what I did was fine. At this point, if you have the time, there’s no reason not to cook it a little longer just for the flavors to meld.
Top your bowl with the obligatory cheesy toasts and dig in.
Next time I’d cut the onions a little thicker and simmer a bit longer. Otherwise, totally easy replicable soup with all your favorite French Onion flavors.
—ingredients—
- 3 lbs yellow onion, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
- 6 cloves or so garlic, chopped
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup wine (red or white, doesn’t matter)
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste (add a lot)
- 2 quarts (or 8 cups) beef stock
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves (I used 4 because mine were old)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dry thyme (optional)
- cheese toasts – with whatever you have on hand
—directions—
- If you have a fancy food processor or mandolin to slice the onions, I’d definitely recommend that. Otherwise be prepared for the tears while hand-slicing them about 1/4 inch thick.
- Set your Instant Pot to medium saute mode and melt the butter. Add all of the onion slices and mix with a wooden spoon so everything is coated. Leave alone for just a few minutes and then stir, this way some of the onions get a nice caramelization. Continue this for about 20 or so minutes under the color deepens to a nice brown, without burning anything.
- When you feel the onion starting to stick to the bottom of the pot, add the wine to deglaze. Slowly pick up the fond with a wooden spoon and keep stirring.
- Add the garlic, Worcestershire, and salt/pepper to taste for just a few minutes more.
- Finish with the beef stock, bay leaves, and thyme if you have any. Just make sure the liquid does not pass the max line on the inner pot. Seal lid and set on high pressure for 20 minutes, with a 15 minute release.
- Separately prepare your melted cheesy toasts as you wish. If you have a broiler, butter and toast the bread rounds and melt shredded cheese for just a minute. I chose to toast the bread on a frying pan and melt the cheese with a lid over instead. Your call.
- Serve with as many cheese toasts in each person’s bowl that can fit.
taleitalei 