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French Onion Soup Starter

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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tablespoons butter or extra-virgin olive oil
  • 6 cup sliced onions (about 3 large; see Note)
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Method
 

  1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and saute, stirring every few minutes, until they have softened and turned translucent, about 15 minutes.
  2. Stir in the thyme, sugar, bay leaf, salt, and pepper, and reduce the heat to low. Continue cooking, stirring ocasionally, until the onions have turned golden brown, about 45 minutes. Make sure to scrape dhe bottom of the pan when stirring so that the onions doen't stick and burn.
  3. Stir in the garlic, water, and vinegar, and scrape any brown bits from the bottom and side of the pan. Turn off the hat and remove and discard the bay leaf.
  4. To Freeze: Cool completely before freezing. Because it cooks down into a relatively small amount, this starter packs best in a rigid container. The recipe fits in a 1 1/2 cup container.

Notes

To slice the onions, start by cutting off the very top of the onion and the root. Cut the onion in half from top to bottom, and lat each half cut-side down on the cutting board. Cut 1/4-inch thick slices from the top of the onion to the bottom of the onion so they form petal-shaped slices and not half-moon-shaped segmented slices. (See video linked at the top of this post for full video instructions.)