Not-At-All-Classic Onion Soup
Submitted by momsharp3
Creamy onion soup with Emmentaler cheese, kirsch, and horseradish in a smooth roux-based broth. Not the classic browned French style. Translucent onions, white wine, and a fondue-like finish.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
40 minREADY
45 minForget everything you know about French onion soup. This version deliberately avoids browning the onions. They cook low and slow until translucent, which gives the soup a clean, sweet onion flavor instead of that dark, caramelized depth. As the recipe says: this soup isn’t supposed to taste brown.
The real star is the cheese sauce. A butter-and-flour roux gets whisked with warm milk into a thick bechamel, then 1 ½ cups of grated Emmentaler melts in along with kirsch and a half teaspoon of horseradish. It’s basically a fondue stirred into soup. The kirsch adds a subtle cherry warmth and the horseradish gives just enough bite to keep the richness in check.
Dry mustard cooked with the onions from the start works as a quiet flavor amplifier. You won’t taste mustard in the finished soup, but you’d notice something missing without it. A fresh grate of nutmeg at the end pulls the whole bowl together.
Kitchen Tips
- Keep the heat low when cooking the onions and garlic. Any browning changes the flavor profile completely. Translucent and soft is the goal.
- Whisk the flour into the melted butter constantly for a full minute before adding milk. This cooks out the raw flour taste.
- Warm the milk before whisking it into the roux. Cold milk causes lumps.
- Stir frequently during the final 10-minute simmer. The cheese sauce is thick and scorches easily on the bottom.
Variations
- Use Gruyere instead of Emmentaler for a slightly nuttier, stronger cheese flavor.
- Skip the kirsch and add a splash of dry sherry instead.
- Float a crusty crouton topped with extra melted cheese on each bowl for a nod to the classic.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan.
Add the onions, garlic, mustard and salt.
Cook over low heat until the onions are translucent, about 15 to 20 minutes; don’t let them or the garlic brown.
This soup isn’t supposed to taste brown.
Add the chicken stock and wine. Cover the pan and let it simmer over low heat.
Meanwhile, in another medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter.
Whisk in the flour all at once and cook it for 1 minute, whisking constantly.
Then turn the heat way, way down and whisk in the milk.
Cook this mixture, whisking constantly, until it makes a smooth, thick sauce.
Add the cheese, kirsch and horseradish and whisk until combined.
Now you have a cheese sauce. Add it to the onions and mix thoroughly.
Add salt and pepper to taste, grate in a little nutmeg and cook the soup over low heat for 10 minutes.
Stir it often. Then serve it.
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