Panera Bistro French Onion Soup Copycat Food

PANERA BISTRO FRENCH ONION SOUP COPYCAT

Steps:

• Melt the butter over medium high heat, then add the chopped onion and sprinkle on the salt to help draw out the water from the onions. Cook and stir the onions occasionally for the first 10 minutes. Sprinkle on the sugar and continue cooking the onions on medium high for another 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn the heat down to medium low and cook for another 5 minutes, or until caramelized.
• Pour the sugar and water in a small heavy bottomed saucepan over medium high heat, then stir to dissolve the sugar. When bubbles start to form, reduce the heat to just above medium and watch for it to change color to a medium caramel, then remove it from the heat and slowly whisk in the vinegar. Be careful not to burn yourself, as the mixture is hotter than boiling water. Whisk in the tomato paste until smooth. Return to the heat and reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for one to two minutes to thicken the sauce. Pour it into a small bowl; the sauce will thicken to a molasses-like consistency as it cools.
• Increase the heat to medium high, then pour in ½ cup of sherry. Using a wooden turner, scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the brown bits off. This will give the soup more flavor.
• Sprinkle on 1/4 cup of flour and cook it for 2 minutes while constantly stirring. The roux will help thicken the soup.
• Pour in 1 to 2 cups of beef stock to deglaze the pan, so the bottom of the soup pot is clean and all that extra flavor is added to the soup.
• Pour in the rest of the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. Add the bay leaf, dried spices, and tomato gastrique. (If the tomato gastrique has hardened, microwave it for 20 seconds and stir.) Stir, cover, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for at least 20 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, taste and adjust spices, if necessary.
• Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice.
• Top each bowl with the croutons and grated Gruyère cheese. If desired, serve the soup in ovenproof bowls and put under the broiler for 2 minutes to melt the cheese. Make it let Panera Bread and serve this soup with chunk of Panera's French baguette, kettle chips, or apple slices.

COPYCAT PANERA FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the butter and olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until the onions have softened and are transparent in color, around 18 to 20 minutes.
• Add salt, pepper, and sugar. Stirring constantly, cook for 30 more minutes or until the onions are caramelized and have a deeper golden color.
• Increase the heat to high and add the white wine. Cook for 12 more minutes or until the wine has reduced almost completely.
• Add the broth, rosemary and thyme and bring to a simmer. Stirring occasionally, cook until the broth has thickened and the flavors have bloomed, around 20 more minutes.
• Serve the soup into bowls. Top with the toasted baguette and a sprinkle of cheese and take to the broiler. Broil for around 7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
• Serve immediately topped with fresh herbs or a crack of pepper.

PANERA'S FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add sliced onions and saute over high heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until onions turn brown.
• Add remaining ingredients (except bread and asiago) to the pot and stir to combine. (NOTE: to help the flour blend in, I recommend whisking it into the broth or water before adding) Heat soup until it's boiling, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
• Make croutons for the top of the soup by slicing foccacia bread (or other bread) into slices. Butter both sides of the slices, then cut into bite-size cubes. Bake the bread in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes or until crispy. (I cut bread into bite-size pieces first, then spray with spray butter).
• Serve the soup with a handful of croutons and a couple tablespoons of shaved asiago on top.