Topped with tart Granny Smith apples and earthy Gruyère cheese, there’s no better soup to sip on a chilly autumn day than this elegant French onion creation. You’ll start with a base of buttery sautéed onions, slow cooked to the perfect tender-softness before creating a rich, wholesome broth infused with decadent herbs. Like all French onion soups, the finishing touch involves browning the toppings in your broiler. The extra step is worth it! This is cold-weather comfort food at its finest.
Granny Smith & Gruyère French Onion Soup
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours
Ingredients
4 medium-large yellow onions, peeled and julienned
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 quarts homemade or low-salt prepared beef broth
1 cup medium-dry sherry
2-3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. nutmeg
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. salt
Black pepper, to taste
2 cups Gruyére cheese, grated
2 Granny Smith apples, sliced
Directions
- In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in onions, salt and black pepper to taste.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until onions are soft but not falling apart (about 40-50 minutes).
- Stir in sherry, Worcestershire sauce and herbs. Pour in broth and add bay leaf.
- Bring soup to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove bay leaf and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
- Heat broiler to high.
- Distribute soup into 6 broiler-safe bowls/crocks, placed on a baking sheet. Arrange 3-5 apple sliced on top of soup in each bowl, then sprinkle with cheese. Broil until browned and bubbly, about 2-5 minutes.
- Serve immediately.