French Onion Soup With Homemade Beef Stock

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 12 cups water
• 1 pound beef short ribs
• 3 parsnips, peeled and cubed
• 3 onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 stalks celery with leaves, coarsely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 large onions, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/4 cup flour, or more as needed
• 1 teaspoon herbes de provence
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, or to taste
• 1/4 cup dry wine
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce (such as tabasco®), or to taste
• 4 thick slices french bread
• basil and garlic-flavored olive oil for brushing
• 2 cups grated gruyere cheese
• 1 pinch sea salt to taste

Recipe

Cook Time: 6 hrs 15 mins

Ready Time: 6 hrs 15 mins


• place the water, beef ribs, parsnips, onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme into a large soup pot over medium heat, and bring to a boil. reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, skimming and discarding the foam that forms on the top of the broth, until the broth is a rich brown color, 5 to 6 hours. broth may be made in a slow cooker. strain the broth, discard the ribs and vegetables, and refrigerate extra broth.
• melt butter in a large heavy skillet or cast iron pan over medium-low heat, and cook the onions and garlic until caramelized and brown, about 30 minutes. mix flour, herbes de provence, paprika, and garlic powder together in a bowl, and sprinkle the flour mixture over the browned onions. cook and stir 5 minutes; add salt and black pepper to taste, and mix in parsley and 1 more teaspoon of thyme.
• pour in 4 cups of beef broth, wine, sherry, and hot pepper sauce; simmer until the flavors have blended and the soup has thickened, at least 15 minutes. more time couldn't hurt.
• about 15 minutes before serving time, preheat oven's broiler, and place a rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
• brush the slices of french bread with flavored olive oil, and toast under the preheated broiler until well browned on each side, 1 to 2 minutes per side. ladle soup into ovenproof soup bowls, and place a toasted bread slice on top of each bowl. sprinkle each bread slice evenly with gruyere cheese.
• place the filled soup bowls under the broiler until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and browned, 2 to 4 minutes or as needed.