Friday Feast | Comfort Soup

Welcome back to Friday Feast in the tavern! I hope you've had a wonderful week.

I’ve spoken numerous times about soups being a favorite in our home, especially during the autumn and winter months. Making a hearty or comforting pot of soup is a soothing ritual for me. Often, I’m more focused on a current scene in my work-in-progress, and I find myself going through the motions of prepping what’s in front of me. Psst, not a good plan. I’ve been known to add the wrong ingredient and/or too much seasoning. Yet I can honestly confess, nae pot of soup has ever been dumped out.

For today’s recipe, French Onion soup is one I gravitate to when I’m not feeling well. When the first sign of a sniffle invades my body, I’m whipping up a batch of onion soup or rummaging through the freezer for any leftover chicken noodle soup to ward off any colds. Wise women, healers, and even our grandmothers proclaimed the benefits of onions and garlic.

Now, I’m not a physician, my friends. But I tend to agree with these knowledgeable women.

Until next Friday Feast, be well and stay healthy.

Skål!   

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French Onion Soup

Ingredients

6 onions, cut into thin slices

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoon salted butter

¼ cup flour

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

¾ cup of white wine

4 tablespoons cognac or sherry

¼ teaspoon of salt and pepper

Sliced sourdough baguette, toasted

1 cup grated Gruyère cheese

Directions

In a large pot, sauté the onions with olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add the butter and cook for another 8-10 minutes until golden brown.

Add the white wine and cognac or sherry. Scrap up the bits in the pot with a wooden spoon. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir. Add the vegetable broth and season with salt and pepper. Taste to add more. Simmer for approximately 25-30 minutes.

Put your soup into oven-proof bowls (I have four large ones) on a baking sheet. Ladle soup into each bowl. Top with a slice of baguette and cover with a layer of cheese.

Broil for 2-5 minutes, depending on your broiler.

Mary's stoneware bowls