2013-09-29

F.O. Soup

It stands for French Onion soup, but it's so good if you get someone mad, make them this soup and whatever upset them? F.O. They'll get over it.

If I am sharing a recipe, you can bet your sweet hams, it’s either:

A.   Really freaking easy, or
2. Really freaking good.
This is Both. 

You can make a giant pot of it, and then you'll want to eat just that all day or weekend. It has ancient mystic healing powers for what ails you, and so good you could even eat this as hangover food. Just make the soup part the night before. 

The next day while you’re heating it up, add a Bloody Mary and Advil, and I guarantee the BEST hangover cure of all time.

Okay, enough of that. People don’t usually even read the WORDS with a recipe, so I’ll get on with it.

Here is what we use to make a large pot. I will put what WE use, you can change or add what you like for your taste and situation. Add whatever herbs, or kind of soup stock you like, etc., you’re the boss of you.

What takes this from a bowl o’ soup to a magic potion is the finishing touch, as when you order in a restaurant, you melt cheese over the top. Everybody loves a happy ending. If you’re vegan or Plutonion, I can’t really help you. With anything. Maybe a chuckle, but probably not anything you want to put in your mouth.

You’ll Need:
3-4 Large onions (we use Vidalia)
Beef Bullion/Stock – we used 8 today
Worchester Sauce – we use ½ cup (I know, but it's good)
Butter - About 1/2 stick
Salt/Pepper  - whatever else you like

Crap You Can Add If You Have It Or Want To:
Bread for Toast – we prefer Polish Rye, no seeds
Cheese to melt over the top – We use Provolone or Horseradish
Red wine – whatever you have, even crappy wine is fine
Horseradish Root - Shredded/grated right into the soup

First things first, obviously open the wine. Pour yourself a glass.
*Ahhhh* That's the stuff.

I don’t know about you, but I only cook because I have to, so I like to be relaxed. If it’s really cheap wine, say the kind you win in a raffle at a charity event, just squeeze some orange/lemon/lime into it, whatever you have.

If you want to sweeten it up, add some amaretto or brandy until you’re able to swallow it. My superpower is being able to find a way to drink anything with booze in it. Anything is fixable.

Save about ½ cup wine to add to the soup. If you forget, no big whoop. Sometimes we don’t add any wine, and it’s delicious anyway.

Chop the onions and cook in butter on low heat. You could use oil, it won't taste the same. Cook in a thin layer, use two pans if necessary.
Do NOT carmelize these bad boys, though you might be tempted to.
Cook about 15-20 minutes on low, until just BEFORE they are translucent. You don’t want to overcook them before you add to the soup. You don't want that onion magic juice prematurely ejaculating into your pan, you need it to impregnate your soup with flavor. 

While they are cooking, boil 12 cups of water in a large pot. 

When the water is boiling, add:
8 boullion cubes, 
Salt/Pepper/herbs
1/2 cup Worchester, and 
1/2 cup wine. 

Be sure to hydrate yourself as well. This isn't a Dos Exxis commercial, don't stay thirsty my friends.

The onions are done when they look like this.
Still plump, juicy and full of life
At this point, add the onions to the soup. Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, for at least 2 hours. 3 is better. Taste. If it’s too watery, add stock/bouillon, and if it is too salty, add more water. 

You can eat at that point, and it keeps getting better the longer you leave it, as all soup does. This is what it looks like after about an hour of cooking.
It will look darker with red wine in it.
This is a perfect soup to make ahead of time. Heat it up for company, or leave in a crock pot. This works best for very snobby guests, as onions make most people gassy.

When you’re ready to serve/eat 
Ladle up ¾ of a bowl with soup, add toasted bread, and top the whole bowl with cheese.
Isn't our cookie sheet amazingly clean and new looking?
We usually use Provolone, but we saw Horseradish cheese and HAD to try it, because Booger Season is coming. Soup is good medicine, and horseradish is an awesome decongestant. It tasted wonderful. If you like that kind of thing.

Then put the bowl(s) on a cookie sheet in the oven on Broil, until the cheese is golden and melty. Like this.
Tastes as good as it looks. Yes, that IS red crayon on the table to the right of the bowl. Bad baby.
If you haven't already, open another bottle of wine. Be happy, you made soup. You deserve it. 

When the cheese is golden and the bowls come out, you could throw some fresh basil or whatever on top, but it’s really not necessary.

French Onion Soup is the perfect thing to eat while watching Game of Thrones. Imagine it’s what they ate when the Onion Knight smuggled onions into the castle during Robert’s Rebellion. 

Turn the lights off, light a few candles, get your favorite large animal pelt, have your cup-bearer bring 'round a nice, big stein of red wine or an olde timey wineskin, and dress in suits of armor for a more realistic effect. Huzzah.
Onion Knight w/his own sigil: A black ship
w/an onion sail.
from awoiaf.westeros.org

26 comments:

  1. Anything that starts its life by being cooked in butter has to be good. You can bet I'll be making this. No, really, I love to cook.

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    1. That is awesome. I wish I LOVED it, but I do it because LIFE. This is really a delicious soup, you should try it. I figure butter in soup is better than anything at McDonald's, so I feel totally justified.

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  2. Half a cup of Worcester Sauce? My gawd! I must try this recipe. It sounds delish and your description of the process is very funny!

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    1. I KNOW! He keeps adding as he is tasting, so maybe everyone won't use that much, it's just what we used and it was really good! I told him to write down what he ended up with. I would never imagine it would have been that much, but you can't argue with the results. It is sooo good.

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  3. Looks... so... good... Must try. FYI, in our kitchen, wine never makes it into the pot.

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  4. Yuuuummmmm. Also, I did not know that you can add citrus to wine to improve the taste. Although, I drink 3 buck Chuck so maybe my palate isn't quite as refined as yours :)

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    1. THAT is hilarious! You can add cut-up fruit, orange juice, brandy. That's how they make sangria at a tappas restaurant here, they add brandy and cut-up citrus. It's good and makes cheap wine so much better!

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    2. Well that does make sense. I love sangria :P

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    3. Me tooo! Especially b/c I hate spending money on GOOD wine ;)

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  5. Holy crap this looks amazing, and I love French Onion soup! Also, is that half cup of wine for the cook or to cook with?

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  6. It's really an informative and well described post regarding French Onion Soup. I appreciate your topic for blogging. Thanks for sharing such a useful post.

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    1. Glad you liked it! It is really easy to make and REALLY GOOD.

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  7. Looks and sounds delicious, thanks - I'll try it out this weekend!

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  8. This makes me want to like onions! (And that is saying something...)

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    1. Well, cooked onions can be really sweet. And even if you didn't EAT the onions in this soup, you would still enjoy the cheese-covered bread swimming in tasty broth! Probably.

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  9. The recipe does look both easy and delicious. And now I have to make it because I have some snobby friends coming over. You're awesome.

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    1. Oh, DO let us know how that goes! Sounds like a post is about to write itself!

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  10. And that is one awesome superpower! "My superpower is being able to find a way to drink anything with booze in it. Anything is fixable."

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  11. Looks good. My husband made FO soup for Thanksgiving & it was delicious.

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  12. Replies
    1. It is. I feel like almost anything you melt cheese over can't be that bad.

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