I have a weird confession to make. I really love soup in the summertime. The hotter it gets outside the more I want soup. Is that crazy? Probably. I know that not everyone has my love of hot soup on a hot day, so I decided to take one of my favorite soups and turn it into a sandwich. A grilled cheese to be precise.
We begin by making a really easy French Onion Soup. FROM. SCRATCH. I know, I know. Who knew we could make a delicious soup so fast?!
Melt the butter in a large skillet or pot. Add the sliced onions, and chopped garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until the onions are caramelized and soft, about 1o minutes. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Throw in the bay leaves and a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the beef stock and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes, to develop the soup’s flavor. Remove from heat and allow to cool down slightly. That’s it for the soup. It’s done. Let’s make some grilled cheeses now, yeah?
To assemble the grilled cheese: Take two slices of french bread and top with lots of shredded gruyère cheese (a classic French Onion Soup ingredient). Then take a pair of tongs and grab some of the caramelized onions from the soup, draining as much as the liquid as you can. Sprinkle with a few leaves of fresh thyme. Sandwich the bread slices together, and spread both sides liberally, with unsalted butter.
Cook in a hot skillet for about 2 to 5 minutes, over medium-high heat, until golden brown on both sides.
I like to serve the grilled cheeses with a side of the hot broth from the soup for dunking because grilled cheese and soup is a match made in heaven. Enjoy!
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 large brown onions, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 cups beef stock or broth
- 8 slices french bread
- 2 cups gruyère cheese
- Heat a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add 4 tablespoons butter and allow to melt. Throw in the sliced onions and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent and just beginning to brown. Add the bay leaves and fresh thyme. Lower the heat to low and cook for another 5 minutes until brown and caramelized.
- Add the beef stock and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes to develop the flavor of the soup. Remove from heat and allow to cool down.
- To make the grilled cheeses: Lay out the slices of bread. Sprinkle each half with shredded gruyère. Using a pair of thongs, grab the caramelized onions from the soup, draining off as much of the liquid as possible and lay them out onto half of the slices. Sprinkle with a few fresh thyme leaves. Sandwich the grilled cheeses together. Spread both sides, liberally, with the remaining butter.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-heat. Cook the grilled cheeses about 2 to 5 minutes per side, until golden brown and the cheese has melted. Serve warm with a side of the soup broth for dunking. Enjoy!
