Hearty Onion Soup

Updated: Jan 7

Hearty Onion Soup is a satisfying soup perfect for winter. A delicious way to support your immune system. Best of all it is easy to prepare and makes a quick winter meal to fortify when rain and cold want to seep right through your skin.

I hope you enjoy this Hearty Onion Soup recipe and make it your own with the bounty in your cupboard and garden or foraging at your local market.

Onion Soup

Yield: 6 Servings

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1.5 hours

Made with caramelized red onions, shitake mushrooms, fresh thyme sprigs with crusty baguette cubes and Gruyere cheese melted on top.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter
3 pounds (about 5 medium) red onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup Jubilation sherry or red wine
6 cups beef or bone stock
6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 large handful fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
2 Tablespoons Green Walnut Sauce or Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoon radicchio or dandelion vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
12" baguette cubed
2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese

Directions:

Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, and cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown and caramelized, about 30-40 minutes.* Stir in garlic saute' until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Saute’ shiitake mushrooms with onions near the end of caramelizing onions.
Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Stir in beef stock or bone broth, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 20-30 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
Stir in radicchio or dandelion vinegar; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Preheat oven to broil.
Place baguette cubes onto a baking sheet. Place into oven and broil until golden brown about 3-4 minutes; set aside.
Divide soup into 6 ramekins or ovenproof bowls. Place onto a baking sheet. Top with baguette cubes to cover the surface of the soup completely; sprinkle with cheese.
Place into oven and broil until golden brown and cheese is bubbly; about 2 minutes.
Serve immediately.

Onion Soup in fun dishes for serving

Let's take a look at the deeper nourishing aspect of this tasty soup.

Thyme, garlic, shiitake mushroom, onions all nourish immunity in the body, grow well in our home gardens or are easy to find at the local market.
Radicchio is a bitter herb and a close cousin to the dandelion. Siri and Jason, farmers at Local Roots Farm, are bringing radicchio culture to life in the Snoqualmie Valley.
Bone Broth is a traditional food in cultures all over the planet recognized for health building properties.
Jubilation Sherry, Green Walnut Sauce, and Radicchio Vinegar are made in our home kitchen at RavenCroft Garden
Where we enjoy sharing skills and growing community with delicious, nourishing food rooted in the growing local culture of the Snoqualmie Valley.
Where do you live? Who grows your food? How do you engage community?

Bonus Tip:

5 onions, 6 shiitake mushrooms and 2 garlics provide a plenty of material for a mineral rich vegetable broth. Place them in a small sauce pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer for a couple hours to render a richly flavored, deeply nourishing vegetable broth. Can be used to extend the original soup.