Paneras French Onion Soup Food

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.

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.

THE BEST FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a very large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onions, bay leaves, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and light golden-brown, about 1 hour. (The onions will begin to stick to the bottom of the pan and turn brown after about 30 minutes; just keep scraping them up and stirring them into the rest of the onions. If they are browning to quickly, lower the heat.)
• Add the wine to the pot, bring to a simmer and cook until it has almost completely evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add the beef broth and 1 cup of water, bring to a simmer and cook until the flavors come together and the soup is rich, about 45 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Keep the soup warm on a low burner or cool completely and refrigerate to reheat later. (The soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
• Preheat the broiler. Place four soup crocks on a rimmed baking sheet and fill them about 3/4 of the way with hot soup. Float a slice of baguette on top of each and cover with 1/2 cup Gruyere. Broil until the Gruyere is golden brown (don't be alarmed if some soup bubbles out), 2 to 3 minutes.

JUST LIKE PANERA'S FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add sliced onions and saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until onions turn brown.
• Add remaining ingredients for the soup to the pan and stir to combine. Heat soup until it's boiling, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
• Serve with a 1/4 cup croutons floating on top followed by a 1 oz of shaved or shredded Asiago cheese.