Uncle Bill's French Onion Soup

Submitted by William Uncle Bill

"I developed this marvelous soup way back in 1970 and it has been a favorite French Onion Soup. It takes a while to prepare but is worth it."

 

• Ready In: 5hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 19
• Serves: 12

ingredients

• 12 cups water
• 2 lbs beef bones with marrow
• 5 large celery tops (leaves)
• 2 large bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 4 medium onions, sliced thin
• 3 tablespoons butter or 3 tablespoons margarine
• 21 fluid ounces beef consomme soup (2 - 10.5 ounce cans)
• 10 1⁄2 fluid ounces beef broth
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 6 ounces light beer
• 12 slices French bread, lightly toasted
• 1 large garlic clove, for rub on toast
• 1 cup grated gruyere cheese
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

directions

1. In a large cooking pot, add water, celery tops, bay leaves, salt and soup bones.
2. Bing to boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 4 hours.
3. Remove bones and meat, celery tops and bay leaves and discard.
4. Transfer stock to a large bowl, refrigerate until cooled and fat sets.
5. Skim all fat off and discard.
6. Set soup stock aside.
7. Slice onions thin.
8. In a large frying pan add butter and sliced onions and saute' until light brown, about 15 minutes, stirring often, but DO NOT BURN.
9. In a large cooking pot, add stock (measure stock so that you have 12 cups) and if necessary, make up the difference with water.
10. Add sautee'd onions, consomme soup, beef broth, sugar, granulated garlic powder, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
11. Adjust spices to taste.
12. TO SERVE.
13. Pour soup into oven-proof soup bowls leaving enough room in bowl to add 1 tablespoon of beer.
14. Rub each piece of toasted French Bread with garlic.
15. Place 1 piece of toasted French bread on top of soup.
16. Sprinkle top of toast liberally with grated Gruyere cheese and Mozzarella cheese.
17. Place bowls of soup on a metal tray or cookie sheet.
18. Place under broiler (about 3 inches below elements) and broil until cheese melts and puffs up, about 3 to 4 minutes.
19. Serve immediately.

Reviews

[CHRISSYG]

Uncle Bill... I was going to post my recipe for this soup today (which I am happily enjoying at this very moment) I wanted to check if anyone else's recipes were the same... and here I found yours (great minds think alike) the only ingredient I don't use is ketchup, but next time I make this I'll give it a try. so of course I'm giving this a 5 star review, it's my favorite way to make french onion soup (p.s. it's worth the extra time to make, isn't it?)

 

[Sandra Froelich]

Wonderful! Great recipe. This is the one to use. Thank You!

 

[nesbitt929]

Well,Uncle Bill,another great one!Thanks so much!I had this soup in Vegas back in the 70's.Your's turned out so much like it,right down to the french bread in it.Happy holidays! P.S.I did change one thing about the recipe,after step 1 I put all in the crock pot as I was busy making rolls and baking a chicken. Did free up some time for me to tend to those things.

 

[Kim Elias]

This recipe took a while to get together, but it was worth it. My husband loves French onion soup and orders it when we are out. He says this recipe matches any of the best he has ever had.