“Greekified” French Onion Soup
By: Eleni Saltas
Introducing: French onion soup with a Greek twist! I was inspired by a photo I saw on Peter Minaki’s aka “Kalofagas” page and decided to give it a try myself. For my version, I added Greek flavors I enjoy at home, like garlic and oregano, plus tested batches with both Kasseri and Halloumi cheeses. I preferred the Kasseri version, as it melted better, but the Halloumi also created a nice flavor. The result was excellent and just what you want from a typical French onion soup—caramelized onions, warm broth, a thick baguette, and gooey cheese. What a comforting meal that will certainly hold a favorable spot at my dinner table.
Prep Time:
15min
Total Time:
90min-2hrs
Servings:
2-4
Good For:
Dinner
Ingredients
- 6 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 1 ½ lbs)
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 cups beef broth
- ½ cup white wine
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 8 slices of French bread or baguette, cut 1 inch thick
- 12 oz Kasseri or Halloumi cheese, sliced
- Parmesan cheese, grated
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
In a large pot over medium heat, add the butter, onions, oregano and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper if desired and cook until onions become soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Step 2
To caramelize the onions, add sugar and a dash of salt and cook until onions have browned and reduced significantly, about 20 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally so they don’t burn.
Add the white wine and deglaze the pot by scraping the brown bits around the pot.
Step 3
Add the beef broth, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to a simmer for 30 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaves.
Step 4
Preheat oven to 350F. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and brush each lightly with olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Alternatively, you can toast the bread in a toaster. Remove the bread from the oven.
Step 5
Turn the oven to broil. Ladle the soup into oven safe bowls and depending on the size of bowls used, top one to two slices of bread on each. Top with the sliced Kasseri (or Halloumi) cheese, and sprinkle Parmesan cheese in a thick layer on top, being sure to cover the edges. Place the bowls in the broiler oven for 7 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and bubbling.
Step 6
Let cool slightly before serving, and enjoy!
Just forgot to mention to add the garlic in the first step!! I am half way thru and can’t wait to try!!
Oh my, thank you for keeping me on my toes! How could I forget that, garlic is my favorite ingredient. Thank you! I hope you like It 🙂