French Onion Soup History and Recipe

A French Cuisine Classic, Here's A Delicious Soupe à l'Oignon recipe

© Christina Rebuffet-Broadus

Mar 6, 2009

To the rest of the world, it's French Onion Soup. In France, it's soupe à l'oignon à la lyonnaise. But what are the origins of this legendary (and delicious) dish? Like all great culinary classics, no single verifiable origin exists. Fortunately, this recipe has come down through the ages, and while it's not the only recipe, it is delicious.

French onion soup, with its cheap and common ingredients, probably originated with the canuts. These laborers were the backbone of Lyons' famous silk industry, working up to 18 hours a day weaving and screening the silk that France's aristocracy so adored. Poor, the canuts used their limited resources to concoct inexpensive dishes that would sustain them during the long working hours.

Much of Lyons' signature cuisine, served in restaurants known as bouchons lyonnais, descend from this hearty, popular cooking. Of course, over time the bourgeois classes adapted the dishes to their tastes (and budgets) and today Lyon's traditional restaurants serve time tested dishes made from the highest quality ingredients.

For an inexpensive, hearty dish, this soup can be served as a starter or a meal all in itself. It all depends on your appetite.

French Onion Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

• 600 g/1.3 lbs. grams yellow onions
• 80 g/3 oz. butter
• 30 g/1 oz. flour
• 1.5 liters/1.5 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
• 300 g/10 oz. grated comté or gruyère cheese (Swiss cheese will also work)
• ½ glass of cognac
• 1 glass white wine
• 1 glass porto
• 1 egg yolk
• 500 g/1 lb. slightly stale bread
• salt and pepper

Soup Preparation:

1. Peel and finely chop the onions.
2. Melt 70 g/2 oz. butter in a pot. Add the onions and cook in a covered pot until lightly browned, stirring often.
3. When the onions have caramelized, sprinkle in the flour, stir, and let cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the white wine then the stock.
5. Add salt and pepper, leaving the mix to simmer over a low fire for 30 minutes.

Dry Preparation:

1. Cut the bread into thin slices and dry them in a low temperature oven.
2. Put a little butter and a little cheese into the bottoms of four oven proof bowls.
3. Put a slice of bread or two (depending on their size) on top of the butter and cheese.
4. Sprinkle some more cheese on top of the bread. Continue layering cheese and bread until there is none left.
5. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.

Preparing to Serve the Soup:

1. Once the soup has finished cooking, pour 1/3 of it into the four bowls. Save the other 2/3 of the soup for later.
2. Place the bowls in the oven and cook until the top layer of cheese is melted and slightly grilled and the bread absorbs the liquid.
3. Pour the cognac into the bowls, then the remaining 2/3 of the onion soup.
4. Put the bowls back into the oven for 10 minutes.
5. Just before serving the soup, mix the egg yolk and porto, pour this mixture into the bowls and serve steaming hot.Serves 4 peopleThis soup warms your soul and fills your belly. And for those of you longing for the authenticity of French cuisine, this soup takes you on a gastronomical trip to Lyons.

The humble onion

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