It has been SO cold and windy here this week! Which makes me just want to cuddle up on the couch with a million blankets, watch The Holiday (already watched it two times this week!), and eat this soup. With allll the cheesy mushroom toasts.
I haven’t had french onion soup that many times in my life, and I forgot how good it was until I made this! My brother got me these cute little Le Creuset Mini Cocottes for my birthday and I knew that mini french onion soups would be the perfect thing to make in them. And here we are!
Instead of making just regular gruyere toasts, I decided to add garlicky thyme mushrooms under the blanket of gruyere, AND I added parm! I always need a little veggie in my meals. These toasts are so freaking good I could have eaten the entire tray by myself. Pretty sure I could survive of off bread alone.
The most time consuming part of this recipe is caramelizing the onions. Since there are SO many, you need a big pot like a dutch oven, and a little bit of patience. You just have to be there to stir it somewhat frequently to ensure the onions don’t burn at the bottom of the pan. Because nobody wants that!
Also, this will definitely make your entire house and yourself smell like onions..just speaking from experience. 🙂 But to me, that’s not a bad thing!
I also love that this soup is only really eight ingredients, not counting the toasts. But a few of those ingredients are pantry staples like flour, butter, and beef stock! Super simple.
This would also be such a fun meal to entertain with on a chilly night! Everyone always loves mini things, right?!
French Onion Soup with Cheesy Mushroom Toasts
This french onion soup is super easy to make and has a special twist: cheesy mushroom toasts with gruyere, parmesan, thyme, garlic, and cremini mushrooms!
Ingredients
For the soup
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 quarts (8 cups) beef broth
- salt and pepper
For the toasts
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 24 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, plus extra for serving
- salt and pepper
- 1 baguette, sliced
- 8 ounces freshly grated gruyere cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
Instructions
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter. Once melted, add the onions, bay leaves, and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and caramelized, about 30 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, add the garlic. (We don't want to add it in the beginning because it can burn easily and get bitter).
Add the wine, raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated, about 2-3 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Add the flour and stir until onions are coated. Reduce heat slightly and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure the flour doesn't burn.
Add the beef broth, raise heat to high, and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat slightly and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Preheat your broiler to high. While the soup is simmering, make the mushrooms. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter and olive oil. Once butter has melted, add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until mushrooms are golden brown. Add the thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Add a spoonful or two of mushrooms to each slice, followed by a mound of the Gruyere cheese and a sprinkle of parmesan. Broil until bubbly and golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Watch carefully because they can burn quickly!
Ladle the soup in bowls and float the cheesy mushroom toasts on top! Serve with extra parmesan cheese and fresh thyme.
soup adapted from here.
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