Julia Child’s French Onion Soup: An Easy Way In

Julia Child. Just her name is intimidating. Her blue and white tome is like the holy grail of French cookery, and for over a year now it has been sitting on the shelf, tempting me and taunting me. I pick it up occasionally and flip through the smooth, unstained pages, falling in love with words like Filets de Poisson and Coquilles St. Jacques. But then I get a little frightened, and I slide the book back into its spot. It’s that word: Mastering.

This iconographic book sits on so many shelves, and I wonder if I’m the only one who feels daunted. Do you have a copy that’s looking imperiously at you right now? Do you flip through yours and think, “Maybe someday?”

I have a suggestion. Turn to page 43 and find the recipe for Soupe á L’Oignon. Start here. It’s so simple, but this basic recipe turns out a rich, complex soup, with very little effort expended. Soupe á L’Oignon is your way in.

It is, quite simply, Onion Soup. Of course, in the US we usually call it French Onion Soup, and it’s most often served covered in a thick layer of bread and melty cheese, in a special soup crock. But you don’t need special dishes, or even any special techniques or tools, to make this classic soup. It doesn’t require a bunch of esoteric ingredients, and the cooking process is forgiving; you’re very unlikely to break this one.

Some tips: Slice the onions as thinly as you can. This will help them to dissolve a bit into the broth.

Use a very good broth, because the broth is one of the dominant flavors. We went to a specialty market and bought two quarts of frozen beef broth. You can sometimes find this in the freezer aisle of the supermarket. You can also try to find a good quality bouillon and mix it with boiling water. You could, of course, make your own, as well.

Finally, the only real technique this recipe requires is patience. Don’t rush yourself, or your onions. Let them cook long and slow to develop a rich, buttery quality. That’s what makes this soup special.

In this recipe, I broiled the cheese and croutons separately from the soup to make it just a little easier on myself (and because I don’t have oven proof bowls). You can choose to broil the croutons on the soup, if you like. In that case, you’ll want to toast the bread while the soup is cooking, but don’t add the cheese just yet. Serve the soup into oven proof bowls, then top each with a crouton and some shredded cheese. Place each bowl under a broiler for a few minutes, just long enough for the cheese to melt and become bubbly.

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