Fall Cooking: Short Rib French Onion Soup
This soup is indulgent. It takes French Onion soup to the next level.
This past weekend I had my girlfriends over for a girls night and to help decorate my oversized Christmas Tree. By oversized, we’re talking 16ft. It’s not a one person job. One friend was on the floor rotating the tree, another ended up throwing some of the bulbs to the top. I, of course, was hanging over the balcony as my afraid of heights friends watched in terror. We had a few drinks, we laughed, we got emotional. It was a typical girls night.
I miss nights like this.
I can remember in my early twenties (a lifetime ago) spending all my time with my friends. We would hit up farmer markets, local coffee shops, art galleries, bars, and restaurants. I lived to spend time with my friends. I took those times for granted.
Everyone always tells you that things will change. You just never think about it at the time. You grow up. You add responsibilities to your plate. You get a career. A family. Things do change. However, when people tell you about this change it’s always in a negative tone. This isn’t a negative change. In fact, I find it very positive. I miss my friends, but I love spending time with my family. The best thing I have found, is when I do get those nights with my girlfriends they are memorable! We get to catch up. It is special.
You know what else is special? This French Onion Soup.
French onion soup is always good. It’s a comfort soup. However, when I knew I was having my girlfriends over to reminisce and spend time together, I knew that I needed something special, just like my time with them. So I added short ribs.
I feel like this is the perfect soup to make for a special night with friends. It provides comfort, flavor, and a sophistication that will make your friends want to come over more. It is the perfect soup to serve to a room full of friends with a bottle of wine (and whiskey?) and a loaf of crusty bread.
If you don’t want to take the time to braise the short ribs you can use this recipe to just make good old fashioned French Onion soup. Start the recipe after braising the short ribs.
So lets get started cooking…
Edit: To make gluten free, use gluten free all purpose flour
Ingredients:
For Braised Short Ribs:
2lbs Short Ribs
2 Tablespoon all Purpose flour
Salt and Pepper
Vegetable oil or Canola oil
1 Carrot, rough chopped
1 Medium onion
1 leek chopped
4 Sprigs of Thyme
1 bay leaf
1 1 head of garlic
1 Tablespoon of tomato paste
1 cup of dry red wine
5-6 Cups of beef stock or homemade beef bone broth.
Ingredients for French Onion Soup:
1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter
4 onions
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of thyme
Salt and Pepper
1 cup of dry red wine
3 Tablespoons of All Purpose Flour
8 cups of broth from cooking the short ribs or if not using short ribs, beef broth.
1 baguette sliced
gruyere cheese
Directions:
1) Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Prepare your vegetables.
2) Toss your short ribs with flour and season liberally with salt and pepper.
3) Add oil to the bottom of a Dutch oven or an oven proof pot. Heat the oil until it is simmering. Sear the short ribs, in batches, on all sides until golden brown. Transfer to a plate.
4) Add the carrot, leek, and onion to the pot. Cook until lightly browned about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook from an additional 2 minutes.
5) Return the short ribs to the pot. Add the thyme, bay leaf and garlic. Stir to combine. Next add the wine and bring to a simmer. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and return to a simmer. Cover and transfer to your preheated oven and braise until the short ribs are falling off the bone, about 2 and half hours.
6) Once your short ribs are braised, remove them from the pot and set aside.
7) Using a slotted spoon, remove all the large vegetables and herbs from the broth. Then strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer, or through cheesecloth.
8) Now it’s time to make the soup! If you are not using short ribs, start here.
Slice your onions thin.
9) Melt a stick of butter in a pot over medium low heat. Once it is melted add the sliced onions, thyme, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Get your drink ready because we are going to be carnalizing these onions. It will take you about 45 minutes to get these onions nice, brown and sweet! Continue to stir the onions until they are fully caramelized, about 45 minutes.
10) Add the wine and bring to a boil. Once at a boil , reduce to a simmer and simmer until the onions are almost dry, about 5 minutes.
11) Discard the bay leaves and the thyme. Dust the onions with flour and stir continuously. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 7-10 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste. Your onions will be a little “jammie.” Next add 8 cups of the short rib braising liquid or 8 cups of beef stock to the onions. Shred the short rib and add it to the soup (if using) Taste for seasoning.
12) Ladle the soup into oven proof bowls and place a slice of the baguette and the gruyere cheese on top. Broil until the baguette is toasted and the cheese is melted.
