French Onion Soup


Posted by: MamaSue 05-30-99 4:14 AM

French Onion Soup

4 to 5 large yellow onions (about 1 1/2 pounds)
3 Tbl. butter or margarine
1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 Tbl. all-purpose flour
3 cans (10 3/4-oz. size) beef broth, undiluted
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
6 to 8 slices French bread
2 Tbl. Parmesan cheese
l cup grated gruyere cheese or Swiss cheese


Peel onions; slice onions thinly.

Put butter in a 4-quart saucepan and heat over moderately high heat until butter melts. Add onions and ground pepper to butter. Saute onion mixture, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until onions are a light golden brown.

Sprinkle onions with flour and stir until all traces of flour disappear. Cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly with wooden spoon.

Remove from heat.

Gradually add beef broth, stirring onion mixture constantly; stir in water and bay leaf.

Preheat oven to 425.

Return soup to moderately high heat and bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and cook onion soup, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Taste onion soup and add salt and pepper if desired.

Turn soup into a broiler-proof soup tureen, casserole or indvidual onion-soup bowls on a jelly roll pan.

Toast French bread slices until they are light golden brown. Arrange toast slice on top of onion soup (do not push them down under soup). Sprinkle toast liberally with Parmesan and grated Gruyere cheese.

Place broiler-proof tureen or bowls 6 inches under a preheated broiler or preheated oven. Broil or bake soup until cheese melts and turns golden. Remove from oven; serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

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