Oh, hello there!
Remember me? The girl who used to cook, write, and photograph for this blog every week?
I won’t hold it against you if you forgot I existed…since I HAVEN’T POSTED IN FIVE YEARS. Okay, well it’s been twelve days, not five years. But twelve days?!? That’s a long time. That’s almost two weeks of not posting! I apologize…I don’t even have a good excuse. I do have an excuse, just not a good one.
Remember when I went to Iowa to visit family last weekend? It seemed to slip my mind that the trip meant I wouldn’t be at home on Saturday or Sunday, meaning I wouldn’t be able to cook or photograph for the blog.
So why not just do it during the week? My thoughts exactly. I also forgot, however, that daylight savings just happened, and it gets dark at like 5:30. Not kidding. It is DARK at 5:30 here.
Side note….WHY DOES IT GET DARK AT 5:30?!?!? It makes me feel like my day is over so early…I don’t like it.
Aaaaanyway, by the time I got home from work every day, it was too dark to photograph food. SO: long story short. I was dumb and forgot to plan ahead with recipes the weekend before my Iowa trip, so I had zero recipes to post this week.
So I’m not dead, if any of you were concerned. I just did not plan ahead. Whoops.
BUT…I have three de-li-cious recipes for you this week. Starting with this perfect, heavenly, flavorful, simple, meal-I-could-eat-every-day soup.
But first! I must update you on my tragic day today…I just must.
So I have been keeping you up to speed on the situation with our dog, Boone (he’s had a broken toe for a few months). I mentioned here that the vet told us he needed surgery since it wasn’t healing at all. So many updates since then. So…many…updates.
- They gave us two surgical options. Option A = amputate his toe. Sounds SO SCARY AND EXTREME. Two week recovery time in which he can’t leave his crate. Semi expensive but not unreasonable. Option B = insert plates and screws in his toe. Sounds less scary and extreme. SIX WEEK RECOVERY TIME in which he can’t leave his crate. Extremely expensive. Literally more than five times the price of the amputation. After talking about it a lot with Seth and our vet, we decided to go with the amputation.
- Fast forward a few days…Boone got the amputation surgery. This was on Friday (this past Friday). So since Friday, he has been in his crate with a huge cone on his head and a bulky bandage on his foot. Poor baby…
- Fast forward to this morning…aka the WORST MORNING OF MY LIFE. I wake up, look over, and see that sometime in the night, Boone figured out a way around his cone and chewed through his bandage and into his wound. It was bad…really, really bad. I was freaking out and was basically inside his crate with him, trying to gently take his bandage off (I was supposed to take it off today anyway), and just failing miserably. I had to leave for work in the next twenty minutes. They gave me this little baggie to put over his foot when he went outside so his bandage wouldn’t get dirty, so I was trying to put that on his foot so there would be some barrier between his wound and the outside world (aka – crate, blankets, MOUTH).
- I did the best I could in the small amount of time I had and headed to work. Hindsight, I should have called my school and said I was going to be late and taken him to the vet. I was just in shock and not thinking clearly. Keep in mind that I was basically having a meltdown while all this was happening. It’s hard to explain how traumatic and shocking his foot looked unless you were there. And of course…all this happens three weeks after Seth leaves and I don’t have him there to help me.
- I get to work, call the vet, and they basically tell me that it’s bad and I need to get him in as soon as I possibly can. They freaked me out more by how worried they sounded. They were afraid he chewed through his sutures and that they were going to have to remove more of his toe. So I left work a few hours early (thank God for my awesome principal), rushed home, and took Boone to the vet so they could fix this mess.
- I got a call a few hours later saying that he didn’t chew through his stitches….WHEW. It was getting infected though and looked pretty bad, so they cleaned it really well, dried it out, re-bandaged it, and started him on a second type of antibiotics.
- So we decided that we were going to leave him at the vet to be boarded instead of at my house…I’m just not home enough during the day to monitor him, and if he chews through is bandage again he will already be at the vet and they can fix it right away. I am going to miss him like CRAZY for these next ten days until his stitches are removed and he can come home, but it’s really the best option right now.
Whew. And that’s my story.
I really just can’t explain in words how horrible it was. I was frantic. Freaking out. Having a melt down. I was a mess all day, constantly thinking about Boone being back here in pain with an open, sore wound. I feel much better now that he is cleaned up, re-bandaged, and around doctors who can be monitoring him all day and night so this doesn’t happen again.
Ugh.
UGH.
Okay I need to talk about something else now and stop revisiting my horrendous day. This soup is the perfect distraction!! This soup…this soup, this soup, this souuuppp.
It is so perfectly delicious. If you are a fan of French Onion Soup slash FOOD IN GENERAL, you must make this.
The secret? Legit caramelizing the onions. I’m not talkin’ about a quick fifteen minute brown. I’m talkin’ forty-five minutes of delicious, caramelizing goodness. You have to do it right! Since French Onion Soup is essentially just caramelized onions and beef broth, you really need to treat your onions the way they need to be treated.
It takes about forty-five minutes to make good caramelized onions…but don’t worry…it’s worth it ?. I promise.
So…your super simple, basic steps:
Caaaaaramelize the onions. CARAMELIZE THEM!!
Oh yeah…
Add the beef broth and simmer for about fifteen minutes. Ladle some of that heavenly soup into bowls.
Add some toasted bread.
Add some Gruyere cheese……..can’t say enough about how delicious this step is.
And broil for a few minutes until the cheese is gooey and melty and perfect.
That’s all their is to it! I’m telling you…the combination between the soup, the bread, and the cheese…you will die and go to food heaven. Nothing beats a perfect French Onion Soup…nothing.
I hope you had an awesome Monday!
PrintThe Perfect French Onion Soup
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 4 yellow onions
- 1 teaspoon sugar (helps move the caramelization process along)
- 7 cups beef broth
- 12 slices of bread (french bread, rolls, any firm bread from the bakery section of your grocery store that can be sliced into rounds)
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (depending on how much you want to top your soup with)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- When your oven is preheated, place your bread slices on a baking sheet, brush olive oil across both sides of each slice, and bake for 7-10 minutes, or until golden brown
- Meanwhile, slice the tops and bottoms of your onions off. Cut them in half, and slice them into thin strips
- Heat a pan over medium to medium-high heat with some olive oil
- Add your onions, sugar, and some salt and let everything cook for about 45 minutes
- For the first 30 minutes, you will only have to check on your onions every 8-10 minutes or so. When you get to the point when there is about 15 minutes left, your onions will start to brown, and you will need to “babysit” them a little more – stirring them every 3-5 minutes. A brown coating will form on the bottom of the pot, and that is okay. You just need to scrape it off using a wooden spoon every time you stir the onions (every 3-5 minutes). This is when the real caramelization magic happens :)
- When your 45 minutes are up and your onions have transformed into a deep golden brown, add your beef broth
- Bring the soup to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes
- Season to taste with salt and pepper
- Turn your oven onto broil
- Ladle the soup into bowls, and place the bowls on a baking sheet
- Place 1-2 slices of bread on top of the soup (depending on how large your rounds are), and top with shredded Gruyere cheese (about 1/4 cup)
- Place under the broiler for 1-3 minutes until the cheese is melted
- Serve immediately!
If you make this or any of my other recipes, be sure to Instagram it and hashtag #thegarlicdiaries!
In the mood for more yummy, comforting soup recipes? Check these out:
Great recipe! And I love your site very much but the print is very light and hard to see—can you lighten it possibly for us older cooks?
Just wondering
LOVE YOUR SITE
GREAT RECIPES
★★★★★
Not lighten it—I meant DARKEN it!!
Hey Frances! I’m so sorry you’re having problems reading the text! You’re actually not the first person that’s said this to me, I’ve had comments here and there over the years about it. It shows up dark on my screen and most others – I’m not sure why it’s light for some people! I’ll keep looking into it. Thanks for letting me know!
A friend sent me this recipe last year, and for some reason it took me until today to make it! But, boy, it was worth the wait. My super (and I mean super) picky child ate it (without the cheese because she doesn’t eat melted cheese) and requested to eat it tomorrow night also!!! This has already become one of our new family favorites and we just had it for the first time tonight. I did use Swiss cheese on top instead, because it’s what was available at our grocery store.
★★★★★
These are my favorite comments to get!! I’m so glad your picky daughter ate it! So funny that they don’t like melted cheese – honestly, I wish I didn’t like melted cheese…it would make healthy eating way easier, haha!
Absolutely loved this recipe. I have tried a lot of French Onion recipes and this is by far the best one. Turned out perfect.
★★★★★
I’m so glad to hear that, Janice! French onion soup is so comforting and tasty :). I’m happy you enjoyed it!
I see this says serve immediately. Does that mean no leftovers? I want to make this in advance and than heat it 6p when it’s time for dinnee
No you can totally make this ahead of time! The “serve immediately” is really referring to when you put the bread and cheese on top and pop it under the broiler. If you want to make this in advance, go ahead and make the soup, but wait for the bread + cheese + broil step until you’re ready to eat. You can even bake the bread ahead of time if you want to really have barely anything to do when it’s dinner time!
ok, first off Fantastic rundown on how to make good soup, great pics!!! but next time, maybe post a doggie update AFTER the recipe….it’s how people think mentally, it’s a little offputting towards a great recipe and blog post. I love animals, so I really empathized with your situation (and next time if something freaks you out about your animal, always put them first. i know it’s harder for you because you were undoubtedly thinking about every student you teach when you were trying to get to school, but I have a great deal of experience with animals and can say without a doubt it will be worth dropping anything every time your animal needs help. also, dealing with injured animals myself, acting in a veternary position, it is always better to clean a wound and redress it more often than necessary as opposed to less often. I apply this belief to myself as well, as unfortunately I have sustained quite a bit of serious/ life threatening injuries. I recently saved one of my cat’s lives (bad bad brown recluse bite/ infection; i cried and mourned her death that i thought was imenant, she couldn’t move, even lift her head to drink or eat, she was nothing but love) with RAW ORGANIC HONEY. it’s great for any wound no matter how deep, how serious. soldiers have used it on shrapnel and gunshot wounds. first i cleaned it with hydrogen peroxide from the outside, then internally (very very deep wound) i cleaned it with a sea salt water solution. then i treated it with honey for 5 days 3 times a day (that’s how often i cleaned it too) and WOW, my little buddy came back to life!!!!! where i had to only give her capfuls of food and water, she could lift her head, she could get up and go to the litter by herself, and she even was ready to go outside like she was used to! I was so happy. Any future wound you or your pets may experience, do your research on raw honey because it saved my little buddy a LOT of pain and SUFFERING, they can’t talk, it’s up to us to figure out how to make them comfortable, loved, and cared for.
Like I said in the post, I definitely should have called out of work and taken him to the vet immediately, but I was in shock from what was happening and not thinking clearly. Right when the vet said he needed to come in ASAP, I left work right away. But it all turned out well in the end – he’s a healthy, happy boy years later :). That’s super interesting about the honey! I’ll keep that in mind in the future!
How much is “some” olive oil, in step 4???
Hey Laura! I’d say about a tablespoon, and then if the pot gets too dry while the onions are cooking you can add a little more!
Most importantly, what kind of dog is Boone???
Haha, he’s a German Shepherd/Lab mix!! Super cute 😍.
Awe!!! I was just super curious because my rotting had his toe amputated due to cancer. And all I could see was Boone’s leg and looked like he could have been a rot. Which would have been super weird. Lol
I made this soup for my family and it was a real hit!;)
★★★★★
That’s awesome, Kat! So glad you and your family loved it :). French onion soup is the best!
made this for my mom she just had surgery and was craving it . very easy receipe and amazing
thanks so much
★★★★★
I’m so glad that this recipe worked out so well for you! Thanks for the comment :).
I thoroughly enjoyed this recipe especially wh there being free ingredients but lots of flavor!
I’m so glad it worked out well for you, Livia!!
French onion soup is my favorite to make and eat! Your version looks fantastic, Annie!
Thanks, Gayle!! It is seriously delicious :).
Ohhh, poor baby! I’m hoping for a fast and smooth recovery! Goodness, I love your pictures…I want to grab a big spoon and go to town! French Onion’s been one of my favorite soups forever! Delish!
★★★★★
Thanks, Annie!! It’s always been one of my faves too…so simple and yummy!
So I HAVE totally missed your regular scheduled posts, but I’ve come to apprechiate you as a my side chick. Lol. (<– don't tell the hubs!) For real though, you are like the hint of life's decadence that keeps me guessing and on my toes. Plus I just check your site twice as often as I used to, so I'm kinda a stalker. :) Anyways. Daylights saving blows goats. It makes me want a glass of wine at 3 pm and my bed by 4:30. So unproductive. Glad you had fun In Iowa, chickie! Now this soup (rambling complete). Looooves it! Your photos are gorgeous and rustic, which have me wanting vats of this, while laying in bed binge watching Netflix with a glass of wine. French onion is one of my favs and yours does it delicious justice. And then some! Pinned! :) cheers, my sweets! Xo
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary recently posted…Dr Pepper Glazed Jalapeno Meatballs
★★★★★
Haha! Your comment made me laugh out loud Cheyanne :). Yaassssssssss the glass of wine at 3 and bed by 4:30 is so accurate…it gets dark SO EARLY!!! Thank you, thank you :).
So sorry to hear about your dog. I hope recovery is smooth. French onion soup is a favorite of mine and yours looks perfect!
Amy (Savory Moments) recently posted…Cranberry apple pie
Thank you Amy :). Poor little guy!
Oh poor baby! I would feel better letting the vet take care of my dog too. They always seem to get those cones off. Especially cats!
This French Onion Soup looks marvelous!!
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen recently posted…Top Reasons to Cruise With Princess Cruises
I do feel better about it :(, even though I will miss him!! Thanks, Christin :).