Carmelized Onion and Vegetable Soup au Gratin
Oh this soup.
It's really special.
I really like French onion soup, but...
I love the bread and cheese on top (the gratin part) but I find the actual soup is too rich and overbearing. I get halfway through and go, "Ugh... can't do it."
So then I wondered what other vegetables I could put in it to make it a little lighter... and then remembered the fennel in the fridge, which made me think of beef stock with anice flavour, which made me think of East Asian things like Chinese 5 spice and phở soup with beef... oh man this is a strange and special soup.
I guess it's not that strange, the French use other vegetables, and they use fennel and tarragon frequently... so it's not out of this world crazy, but I've never seen anything like it before.
I don't know why though, because it's "mmmmm, delicious!" as little monkey would say.
A note about ingredients before we begin:
- I used this very strange bottle of something called Mistrá.
It's a super strong (50%!) but not super sweet anisette that I randomly acquired (the newer bottles look a lot nicer). I'm thinking you could substitute another anice based liquor like Anice, maybe Pernod or even Absinthe if you have them on hand! Just don't use Sambucca or Ouzo, that'd be like adding liquorice candy to your soup... no thanks.
- OR if you don't have anything like that at your house, you could just add some star anice pods or fennel seeds with the rest of the vegetables, and then deglaze with a nice white wine or dry sherry. I guess you'd have to pick out the star anice... you could grind them?
- Also, many of the quantities listed are totally after the fact guesses. Use what you have, follow your instincts, and have a good time.
And so, without any further ado, here is the recipe for my super wonderful experiment. What should I call it? I still can't decide.
Not Quite French Onion Soup Gratinée
serves 6-7
Ingredients:
4 largeish onions, quartered and sliced
2 Tbs butter
Salt and pepper
1/2 c chopped carrot
1/2 c chopped celery
2 c chopped fennel bulb (if the fronds are still nice you could save them for a garnish)
2 c chopped cauliflower
1/4 c anice liquor of your choice
2 900 ml (about 7-8 cups) beef broth (use mushroom for vegetarian soup)
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 c chopped kale leaves (no stem)
1c shredded Gruyere cheese
1c shredded mozzarella cheese
One slice French or Italian bread, slightly stale or toasted, for each bowl
Method:
*A further note about bowls in the oven:
I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL, BUT...
I have used large ramekins and regular soup bowls for foods gratinée and have never had a problem with shattered china.
The thing is ALL china and stoneware came to be through the amazing power of kilns (Ovens on Steroids).
What makes them shatter is extreme uneven heating (I put a cup on our stove top to melt wax when I was 11... Don't put your stoneware on the stove top) Placing things in the oven, especially if your bowls aren't straight from the fridge, and your oven isn't already flaming hot should be OK. The soup is hot, which is making the bowl hot, and the element shouldn't be so close to the bowls that they heat up too fast on top.
It's really special.
I really like French onion soup, but...
I love the bread and cheese on top (the gratin part) but I find the actual soup is too rich and overbearing. I get halfway through and go, "Ugh... can't do it."
So then I wondered what other vegetables I could put in it to make it a little lighter... and then remembered the fennel in the fridge, which made me think of beef stock with anice flavour, which made me think of East Asian things like Chinese 5 spice and phở soup with beef... oh man this is a strange and special soup.
I guess it's not that strange, the French use other vegetables, and they use fennel and tarragon frequently... so it's not out of this world crazy, but I've never seen anything like it before.
I don't know why though, because it's "mmmmm, delicious!" as little monkey would say.
A note about ingredients before we begin:- I used this very strange bottle of something called Mistrá.
It's a super strong (50%!) but not super sweet anisette that I randomly acquired (the newer bottles look a lot nicer). I'm thinking you could substitute another anice based liquor like Anice, maybe Pernod or even Absinthe if you have them on hand! Just don't use Sambucca or Ouzo, that'd be like adding liquorice candy to your soup... no thanks.
- OR if you don't have anything like that at your house, you could just add some star anice pods or fennel seeds with the rest of the vegetables, and then deglaze with a nice white wine or dry sherry. I guess you'd have to pick out the star anice... you could grind them?
- Also, many of the quantities listed are totally after the fact guesses. Use what you have, follow your instincts, and have a good time.
And so, without any further ado, here is the recipe for my super wonderful experiment. What should I call it? I still can't decide.
Not Quite French Onion Soup Gratinée
serves 6-7
Ingredients:
4 largeish onions, quartered and sliced
2 Tbs butter
Salt and pepper
1/2 c chopped carrot
1/2 c chopped celery
2 c chopped fennel bulb (if the fronds are still nice you could save them for a garnish)
2 c chopped cauliflower
1/4 c anice liquor of your choice
2 900 ml (about 7-8 cups) beef broth (use mushroom for vegetarian soup)
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 c chopped kale leaves (no stem)
1c shredded Gruyere cheese
1c shredded mozzarella cheese
One slice French or Italian bread, slightly stale or toasted, for each bowl
Method:
- In a large, heavy bottomed sauce pan sauté onions with butter and salt on low heat until they become a medium caramel colour.
- Add carrot, celery, and fennel (and star anice or fennel seeds if using), sauté until just soft.
- Deglaze with liquor (or wine if using). Cook off most of the liquid.
- Add broth, cauliflower, bay leaf and pepper. Bring to boil, reduce to low. Simmer, covered, 20 mins.
- Check seasoning, add kale and cook for 5 min.
- Mix your cheeses up and make sure you have your bread, bowls, and a cookie sheet ready.
- Set your oven rack no higher than the centre of the oven.
- 10 min before you're ready to eat, fill your bowls, top with bread and cover bread in cheese.
- Place bowls on a cookie sheet in the oven*. Turn oven on to broil. Remove soup when the cheese is melted with some golden areas or bubbles.
- Enjoy!!
*A further note about bowls in the oven:
I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL, BUT...
I have used large ramekins and regular soup bowls for foods gratinée and have never had a problem with shattered china.
The thing is ALL china and stoneware came to be through the amazing power of kilns (Ovens on Steroids).
What makes them shatter is extreme uneven heating (I put a cup on our stove top to melt wax when I was 11... Don't put your stoneware on the stove top) Placing things in the oven, especially if your bowls aren't straight from the fridge, and your oven isn't already flaming hot should be OK. The soup is hot, which is making the bowl hot, and the element shouldn't be so close to the bowls that they heat up too fast on top.
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