Provencal Garlic & Onion Soup
Soup:
1 large sweet onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 large red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 large yellow or white onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 leeks, root end and dark green tops removed, sliced 1/4-inch thin, washed
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 head of garlic, sliced in half, 4 cloves minced and set aside
1 tablespoons all-purpose flour (optional)
1 good handful of sage
5 cups vegetable or bone stock
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan or gruyere cheese, plus more to garnish
Garnish:
Chives, chopped
Additional grated parmesan or gruyere cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil to drizzle
Day-old baguette, cut into slices and toasted with butter
Instructions
- Sauté the onions, shallots, leeks in the butter and olive oil in a large soup pot over high heat for 5–10 minutes, stirring on occasion to keep the onions from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.
- When the onions have started to soften slightly, add in the minced garlic and reduce the temperature to medium-low. Continue to cook them for about an hour, until they are caramel in color and almost melted. You don’t want the onions to burn, if it looks like they’re heading in that direction, lower the flame even more, or add a little bit of water over them (or better yet a bit of water with a splash of wine)—this will buy you some cooking time.
- After the onions and minced garlic have caramelized for an hour. sprinkle them with the flour, stirring all the while so the flour doesn’t clump. If you are gluten-free, you are welcome to skip this step. Sauté for another 5 minutes to cook off any floury taste, the flour should get toasted and start to get caramel in color.
- Pour the stock over the onions, scraping the bottom to get up any onions or flour that has stuck. Wrap the sage and garlic head in cheesecloth and add to the pot. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
- After half an hour remove the sage and garlic bundle and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Just before you’re ready to serve the soup, whisk in the parmesan or gruyere cheese. It’s important to whisk in the cheese at the last minute, or else the cheese will fall to the bottom of the pot and may burn. Serve warm with a crusty piece of bread covered with butter, chives, and fresh ground pepper.
Recipe provided by the Pantry Seattle.