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Famous-Barr French onion soup in a brown crock topped with melted Swiss cheese and toasted French bread

Famous-Barr French Onion Soup

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Author: Laurie Fleming
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 8 Servings

Description

A copycat of the legendary St. Louis Famous-Barr French onion soup: slow-cooked onions, a buttery paprika roux and rich beef broth, broiled under Swiss cheese. Stovetop or slow cooker.

Ingredients 

  • 3 pounds yellow onions, sliced 1/8 inch thick
  • 1/2 cup butter, 8 tablespoons, divided for slow cooker
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 12 cups beef broth, stovetop or 8 cups (slow cooker)
  • 1 cup dry white wine, optional
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons salt, to taste
  • 1 baguette, sliced 1/2 inch thick and toasted
  • 1/2 pound sliced Swiss cheese

Instructions

Stovetop instructions

  • Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 10 minutes, until deep golden.
  • Stir in the flour, paprika, pepper and bay leaf. Cook on low for 10 minutes.
  • Slowly stir in the broth and wine. Simmer uncovered for 2 hours, until reduced to about 8 cups.
  • Stir in the browning sauce, remove the bay leaf and salt to taste. Refrigerate overnight if you can.
  • Ladle 1 cup hot soup into oven-safe crocks, top with 3 bread slices and a slice of Swiss, and broil 3 to 5 minutes until bubbly.

Slow cooker instructions

  • Add the onions and 4 tablespoons butter to a 6-quart slow cooker. Cook on HIGH 8 to 10 hours, lid propped open for the last 2 hours.
  • In a skillet, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Whisk in the flour, paprika and pepper and cook 5 minutes. Whisk in 2 cups broth until smooth.
  • Add the roux, remaining 6 cups broth, wine and bay leaf to the slow cooker. Cook on HIGH 2 hours.
  • Season, then top and broil as in stovetop step 5.

Equipment

  • Large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot (stovetop)
  • 6-quart slow cooker (slow cooker method)
  • Large skillet (for the slow cooker roux)
  • Mandoline or sharp chef's knife
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Whisk
  • Ladle
  • 8 oven-safe soup crocks
  • Rimmed Baking Sheet
  • Airtight containers (for resting overnight or freezing)

Notes

The soup thickens as it rests; thin with a splash of broth when reheating. Freeze the soup base, without bread or cheese, for up to 3 months.  

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 462kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 18gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 1978mgPotassium: 584mgFiber: 5gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1458IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 360mgIron: 3mg