Creamy Caramelized Onion Soup

I have always enjoyed French Onion soup.  I’ve never been a big fan of the stringy onion texture of the soup itself so normally eat the cheesy goodness and the broth, leaving most of the onions behind.  At a restaurant, I was introduced to a creamy mountain-style French Onion soup.  The texture was incredible.

Of course, when I was in the mood for onion soup the other day, I looked for a recipe for a creamy soup.  I found one by Martha Stewart that didn’t seem to be too complicated and thought I would give it a shot.

Creamy Caramelized Onion Soup

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/4 pounds (3 to 4) leeks, white and pale-green parts only, rinsed well and coarsely chopped

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

7 large shallots, about 14 ounces, thinly sliced

2 large Vidalia onions, about 20 ounces, cut into 1/4-inch slices

3/4 cup dry white vermouth

4 cups chicken stock

Coarse salt

1 cup heavy cream

I started with my mise en place, chopping all the vegetables.  Because the leaves on leeks are very dense, they have a tendency to trap dirt, making for a very unpleasant grit if not cleaned properly.  After I chopped the leeks, I put them in a bowl of water and rubbed them together to separate the pieces.  I let them soak in the water while I chopped the rest of the vegetables.  I used a spider to remove the leek pieces from the water to a colander, leaving the dirt at the bottom of the bowl.  I dried the leeks in a towel before cooking them.

Helpful hint:  A lot is left to interpretation when recipes call for sizes (small, medium, large).  If possible, go by the weight called for as it will be far more accurate.  This recipe called for 2 large onions (20 ounces).  I actually needed five of the onions I had to get 20 ounces.  My shallots were very large, only taking five to make 14 ounces.  Had I gone only by size, my ratios would have been severely off.

I melted four tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan set to medium.  I added the leeks, garlic, shallots and half of the onions.  I cooked the vegetables for about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes until they were translucent and very soft.  I turned the heat down to medium-low and cooked them, continuing to stir them every few minutes, for about 25 minutes, until they were a nice golden brown color.

While the leeks cooked on medium, I melted the remaining butter at medium-low in a non-stick skillet.  When I turned the heat down on the leeks, I added the rest of the onions to the butter and cooked them, also stirring them every few minutes.  As the onions cooked they softened and turned a beautiful golden brown color.  Patience is helpful as the process takes about 45 minutes.

After the leeks cooked for 25 minutes, I added the vermouth, stock and a teaspoon of salt.  I brought the soup to a boil and then simmered it on medium-low for 15 minutes, stirring it occasionally.  Using the immersion blender, I blended the onions until the soup was smooth.  This can be done in a traditional blender as well.  Just be sure to let the soup cool down first and work in batches.

After 45 minutes, the onions turned to a beautiful, almost brick, color.  There were a few lighter pieces and some darker.  I let them cook a bit longer, turning the heat to low, hoping to even the color out.  Worried that I might burn the onions, I took the pan them off of the burner covered it.  They onions darkened up a little more from the residual heat in the pan.  I will keep that in mind for the next time and pull them off a little sooner.

I wanted to bring some of the French Onion feel to my soup so, while the onions were cooking, made croutons.  I cut a few slices from a baguette and diced them into bite-size pieces.  I was out of olive oil, so melted butter and drizzled it on a small baking pan.  I put the croutons on the pan and drizzled more butter over them.  I tossed the croutons in the melted butter and sprinkled them with salt and garlic powder.  I toasted them in the oven for five minutes at 375-degrees, making sure to set a timer so I would not forget about them with everything else that was going on.  I tossed them after five minutes and put the croutons back in for another five minutes.  

While the croutons were toasting, I added the cream to the soup and heated it through but not to boiling.  My croutons were big so they needed an extra five minutes in the oven to finish.  The croutons ended up super buttery.  I had forgotten to adjust the recipe for the smaller amount of bread I was using.  

I topped the soup with the caramelized onions, croutons and a pinch of Gruyère cheese.  The onions had an exquisitely rich sweetness that was sheer joy when you bit into one.  The croutons added a buttery crunch that played nicely with the beautiful silkiness of the soup.  The cheese…well, it’s cheese…enough said.  While the soup was a little sweet for Chris’s taste, I thought it was the best onion soup I have ever had.