Author Notes
This recipe came about exactly 33 years ago--my husband was involved in opening a restaurant in Manchester, VT and was asked if I would be willing to submit a recipe for the menu. Soupe a l'oignon was suggested so I just set about doing something different--eliminated the crouton and Gruyere, replaced the beef broth with chicken and then decided that cream (yes, heavy cream) would be the rich and silky way to go! The recipe below is what was on the menu at "Cobblestones" but nowadays I tend to use light cream or even half & half. It's not quite as luscious but we always seem to finish it with no trouble! The grated cheese is optional and we tend to "eat" this soup with a good, crusty baguette, green salad, a triple creme cheese and some red grapes...and, of course, a nice crisp white wine! —Veronica
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Ingredients
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1/4 pound
unsalted butter
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1 1/2 pounds
yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
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1/2-3/4 cups
good dry white wine
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1 quart
homemade or organic chicken or vegetable stock
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1- 1 1/2 cups
heavy cream
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Salt & freshly ground black pepper
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Optional: Freshly grated Parmigiano or pecorino cheese
Directions
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Over very low heat, melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan or dutch oven.
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Add the sliced onion and stir to coat with the melted butter. Continue to gently cook (sweat) the onions, stirring frequently until they are completely wilted--approximately 15 minutes. Do not let them brown!
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Add the white wine and stir for about 2 minutes.
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Add the broth, raise the heat and bring to a boil while stirring. After reaching a boil, reduce heat and let the onions,wine and broth simmer uncovered for 35-45 minutes. No more stirring for awhile!
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At this point, (the mixture should be fairly equal in ratio of onions to liquid) you can either proceed or turn off heat and let the soup cool until 20 minutes before you are ready to serve. If you wish to delay the process more than 6-8 hours, refrigerate.
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After onions, wine and broth have simmered for the allotted time pour in the cream--adding 1/4 cup at a time. (Over the years I have found that the amount of cream varies with the sweetness of the "onion crop" and there's no way of telling until you taste.)
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Taste, add salt and pepper to your liking, spoon into heated bowls and serve.
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