Caramelized Onion and Bread Soup with Brûléed Blue Cheese

By lorik

Ingredients

• 4 ½ lb mixed onions, such as 2 large yellow, 2 large red, and 2 large sweet onions, halved and thinly sliced from root to stem
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• ¼ c oloroso sherry
• 6 c low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (homemade would be great)
• 6 Thyme sprigs
• 1 tbsp kosher salt, or to taste
• ¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 2 tsp sherry vinegar
• 3 c bite-size pieces of stale whole-grain country bread
• 4 oz Stilton blue cheese, thinly sliced by your cheesemonger, or very coarsely crumbled

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 30mins
Cooking time 60mins
Adapted from

Preparation

Step 1

Put the onions, oil, and butter in a stockpot set over medium heat and toss them all together. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are meltingly soft and deeply caramelized, 1 to 1 1⁄2 hours. As they start to caramelize, they’ll begin sticking to the bottom of the pot, which is good, but be sure to scrape it often and decrease the heat as needed to prevent burning.

When the onions are ready, pour in the sherry and deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer over medium heat until the sherry is mostly evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the broth, thyme, salt, and pepper. Decrease the heat, partially cover, and cook at a gentle simmer until the flavors marry, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and wait about 1 minute, then taste and adjust the seasoning. (The soup will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It can be frozen for up to 6 months.)

Divide the hot soup among oven-safe crocks or bowls. Add a handful of the bread chunks to each and gently push them down so they’re fully submerged but still at the top of the soup. Lay a slice of cheese (or a handful of crumbles) over the top. Broil until melted, bubbly, and browned in spots, about 2 minutes, then serve.