Lyonnaise Onion Soup

Ingredients for Lyonnaise Onion Soup with Red Wine

serves 6-8, 1 cup servings; refer to Essential Pepin for original recipe

  • One french baguette- slice 1/4 inch thick (15-20 slices)

  • 2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 2 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)

  • 6 cups homemade chicken stock (* I used homemade veggie stock)

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 cups grated Gruyère or Emmenthaler cheese (* I used 1 cup of Gruyère)

  • 2 large egg yolks

  • ½ cup sweet port (* I used Squinzano Riserva 2005)

Directions for Lyonnaise Onion Soup with Red Wine

  1. Preheat oven = 400 F

  2. Arrange slices of bread on a cookie sheet (optional- brush with olive oil) and bake 8 to 10 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Remove and set aside.

  3. In large saucepan, melt butter and add onions. Saute until caramelized.

  4. Add stock to saucepan. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cook for 20 minutes.

  5. Push the soup through a food mill. Set the soup aside.

  6. In a soup tureen (medium size, perhaps 3Qt vs the 5 Qt I had used) arrange the toasted bread slices in the bottom, sprinkle with cheese, add another layer of bread and cheese. Fill the tureen with the soup. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.

  7. Place the filled soup tureen on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese forms a crust.

  8. Prior to serving, combine egg yolks and wine in a small bowl; whisk together with a fork. Using a ladle, make a hole in the cheese crust of the onion soup, pour the egg/wine mixture into the soup, stir in with the ladle.