Restaurant Recipes
Famous-Barr's French Onion Soup
One of St. Louis's favorite soup recipes was recently printed in the Post-Dispatch. I remember going to St. Louis when I was young and my family going into the department store's restaurant for this famous soup. Enjoy!
Yield: 16 servings; 4 quarts
Ingredients
- 5 pounds onions, unpeeled
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 7 (16 ounce) cans beef broth, divided (recommended Swanson's)
- 1 cup dry white wine (optional)
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour or instant flour such as Wondra
- Caramel coloring or Kitchen Bouquet (optional)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- French baguettes (optional)
- Swiss cheese or gruyere cheese
Instructions
- Peel onions and slice 1/8 inch thick, preferably in a food processor.
- Melt butter in a 6 quart (or larger) stockpot. Add onions; cook, uncovered, over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. (The long cooking time makes the onions mellow and sweet.)
- Stir in pepper, paprika and bay leaf; sauté over low heat 10 minutes more, stirring frequently.
- Pour in 6 cans broth and wine. Increase heat and bring to a boil.
- Dissolve flour in remaining 1 can broth. Stir into boiling soup. Reduce heat and simmer slowly for 2 hours.
- Adjust color to a rich brown with caramel coloring, season with salt. Refrigerate overnight.
- To serve, heat soup in microwave or on stove top. If desired, pour into ovenproof crocks or bowls. Top with a slice of bread and a sprinkling of grated cheese. Heat under the broiler until cheese melts and bubbles, about 5 minutes.
- Leftover soup can be frozen.
Attribution
Posted by GayleL at Recipe Goldmine 7/18/01 10:44:38 pm.
Source: recipezaar.com - Posted by chef Bill Hilbrich 8/18/1999