Classic French Onion Soup with Cheesy Bread Topping
This soup is a timeless classic of French bistro cuisine. A large amount of onions is slowly caramelized to form a deep, rich brown broth, topped with broth-soaked toasted bread and melted cheese. Your Geedel hand vegetable chopper instantly slices multiple onions into uniform pieces, saving significant prep time and tears, so you can focus on enjoying the slow-cooking process.
Ingredients:
1 kg yellow onions (about 4–5 large onions)
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ cup dry sherry or white wine
6 cups beef broth
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh thyme
Salt and black pepper
For the cheesy bread topping:
Baguette slices
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
1. Slice onions efficiently:
Peel the onions and cut into chunks that fit into the container. Using the manual food chopper with the chopping blade, process the onion chunks in batches into uniform pieces. This onion chopper function lets you say goodbye to tears while prepping.
2. Caramelize patiently:
Melt butter and olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add all the onions and the sugar, stir to coat. Cover and cook for 15 minutes to let the onions sweat.
Uncover, increase heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently, for 40–60 minutes until the onions turn a deep amber brown and become sweet and fragrant. This step requires patience but is key to the flavor.
3. Simmer into soup:
Pour in the sherry, bring to a boil, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Add the beef broth, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for at least 30 minutes. Remove the herbs and season with salt and pepper.
4. Assemble and broil:
Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls. Top each with a toasted baguette slice and cover generously with grated Gruyère and Parmesan.
Place under a preheated broiler (200°C) for 5–10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve carefully—the bowls will be hot.
Summary:
The soul of this soup lies in the caramelization of the onions and the long simmering time. The Geedel manual vegetable chopper provides unparalleled efficiency at the initial stage, completing the most time-consuming and tear-inducing task in an instant. This allows you to focus on controlling the heat and timing, perfectly recreating this classic French delicacy that requires both patience and skill at home.
