Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Unsalted butter
- 2 large Leeks, white and light green parts only
- 3 Shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 bunch Green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 large Sweet onion (like Vidalia), thinly sliced
- 1 medium Red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large Yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 8 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Dry sherry
- 6 cups Beef broth
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
For the Parmesan Crisps
- 1/2 Baguette, sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Slowly Caramelize the Onions (This Takes Time)
In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and shallots and cook for ~5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften.
Add the remaining sliced onions to the pot along with a pinch of salt and pepper.
The pot will seem overflowing at first. The onions will cook down by more than half their volume.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for at least 60-90 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.
Don’t be tempted to crank up the heat to speed this up. Low and slow is the only way to properly caramelize without burning.
The onions are done when they are a deep, uniform golden-brown and have a jam-like consistency. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, stir in the minced garlic and fresh herbs.
Deglaze the Pot and Build the Broth
Increase the heat to high and pour in the dry sherry. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Those brown bits on the bottom of the pot are called ‘fond’ and they contain a ton of flavor.
Allow the sherry to cook down for 1-2 minutes, then pour in the beef broth.
Simmer the Soup to Meld the Flavors
Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for at least 20-30 minutes. This allows all the flavors to come together.
Season with additional salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Make the Parmesan Crisps
About 15 minutes before you plan to serve the soup, position an oven rack in the upper third of your oven and set the broiler to low.
Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush one side with olive oil. Broil for ~4 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
Remove the baking sheet, flip the slices over, and top each with a tablespoon of shredded Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven and broil for another 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serve the soup hot, topped with a Parmesan crisp.
Rich 6 Onion Soup
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Unsalted butter
- 2 large Leeks white and light green parts only
- 3 Shallots thinly sliced
- 1 bunch Green onions thinly sliced
- 1 large Sweet onion like Vidalia, thinly sliced
- 1 medium Red onion thinly sliced
- 1 large Yellow onion thinly sliced
- 8 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tbsp Fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Fresh thyme finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Dry sherry
- 6 cups Beef broth
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt to taste
- Black pepper freshly ground, to taste
For the Parmesan Crisps
- 1/2 Baguette sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Heat butter and olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add leeks and shallots, cook 5 minutes until softened.
- Add all remaining onions, pinch of salt and pepper.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cook 60-90 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until deep golden brown and jammy.
- Add garlic and herbs in final 15 minutes of caramelizing.
- Increase heat to high, add sherry and scrape bottom of pot.
- Cook sherry 2 minutes, add beef broth.
- Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- For crisps: Brush baguette slices with oil, broil 4 minutes until golden.
- Flip slices, top with Parmesan, broil 3-4 minutes until bubbly.
- Serve soup hot topped with Parmesan crisps.
