French Onion Soup

Today is Flag Day in Canada, a day my sister Diane always thought should be a national holiday, since she was born on February 15. She and her husband met in the late 70's, when they were both working for a downtown Toronto theatre company. That year, he took her out to Le Papillon on her birthday, a French-Canadian restaurant in the nearby St. Lawrence Market. It's still one of their favourite places. Diane loves their french onion soup.

Update: Le Papillon closed in 2024, so Rick will have to make Diane the soup!

 The Toronto Star newspaper published Le Papillon's French onion soup recipe in Mary McGrath's Starweek magazine column years ago. The recipe was adapted for home use by Le Papillon's chef, a graduate of the Aalborg Cooking School in Denmark. 

Le Papillon's French Onion Soup

Beef Soup Stock:

• 3 lb (1-1/2 kg) beef bones
• 2 chopped carrots
• 1 small onion, halved
• 1/2 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 cups water

Combine all ingredients for soup stock in a pot on the stove. Simmer 5 to 6 hours. Strain stock into a large bowl, discarding bones and vegetables.

In the pot, sautee over heat till softened:

• 2 large Spanish onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 4 Tbsp butter

Pour in the strained soup stock. Simmer gently, covered, for 1 hour.

To thicken the soup, blend into a paste:

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

Stir this paste into the soup and continue simmering until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Season to taste with:

• salt
• pepper

Spoon soup into individual oven-proof bowls. Top each with:

• toasted french bread
• grated cheese (the recipe doesn't specify which kind. Marilyn uses Gruyere or mozzarella.)

Bake in a 350 degree oven until cheese has melted, about 5-10 minutes

Makes about 8 cups of soup.

Vegetarian French Onion Soup

Cooking onions for a long time brings out the flavour. Adding the Worcestershire sauce to the vegetable broth will give the soup a "beefier" flavour.

If you don't have broiler-safe French onion soup bowls, when the soup is ready, place slices of bread on a parchment-covered baking sheet, cover with cheese, melt under broiler, and place the bread on top of the soup in regular bowls before serving.

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 lb. yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced (12 cups)
• 1 tsp kosher salt or to taste
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped (about 1 Tbsp)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc)
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 12 half-inch thick slices French bread, lightly toasted
• 8 oz. Gruyere or Swiss cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
2. Add onions and salt, stir to coat onions in oil, cover and cook. Stir occasionally. When onions are very wilted (about 15 minutes) uncover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until onions are light golden, stirring occasionally and spreading onions into an even layer (20-25 minutes).
3. Add butter, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, pepepr, garlic, and bay leaf.
4. Cook over medium-low, stirring often, until onions are deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. If onions are browning too quickly add some water and scrape bottom of pot with a wooden spoon.
5. Add wine and cook 1 minute, scraping any browned bits from bottom of pot.
6. Stir in broth and increase heat to high, bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to medium and simmer without stirring, 10 minutes.
8. Stir in vinegar. Taste and add more seasonings (salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce) if needed.
9. Preheat broiler with oven rack about 6 inches from heat. Place broiler-safe bows on rimmed baking sheet and ladle soup into bowls.
10. Top each bowl with 2 bread slices and 1/3 cup cheese. 
11. Place under broiler 2-5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and bread is browned in spots.