Skinny French Onion Soup

SKINNY FRENCH ONION SOUP

(adapted from my book Rustic Joyful Food and published in the January 2016 issue of 425 Magazine)

The holidays have come and gone, and you’ve kissed 2015 goodbye!  2016 is your year.  This is the year you are going to live better, feel better, get more sleep, and be kind to your waist line. This is the year of no regrets you’ve been waiting for!  I happen to adore setting goals and smashing them.  This year I am setting out to shed a few of my “Hey, I-work-in-delicious-food-for-my-job pounds”, so I am after light, low carb, nourishing warm foods for these chilly winter nights.  Soups are a great way to stretch your budget and feed a crowd.  Light food doesn’t have to be relegated to cold salads and raw veggies.  What if I told you my skinny French onion soup,  was just as satisfying as its calorie laden counterpart.  We used bone broth and swapped big ole cheesy crouton’s for salty buttery parm crisps.  Make this and enjoy the sound of that pair of skinnies zipping up after a long break.

 
8 medium Spanish or sweet yellow onions
5 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed  
2 cups white wine
½ cup tawny port
2 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. black pepper
8 cups unsalted beef stock
2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
4 stems fresh lemon thyme or regular if you can’t find lemon

Thinly slice onions. In a large stockpot, melt the butter and olive oil together. Add the onions and caramelize over medium heat, about 15 minutes. When onions have started to turn golden, add garlic. Stir for only 1 minute. Add all of the wine to deglaze the pan, and cook for about 2-3 minutes to soften the flavor of the alcohol. Add salt and pepper. Slowly add the beef stock. Reduce heat to medium/low, add thyme and simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring often—2 hours is perfect!

PARMESAN CRISPS

Pre heat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Make 6-8 even piles of cheese on the parchment paper.  Place in your hot oven to melt and crisp up for about 7-9 minutes.  These crisps get their signature crunch once they cool.  Place one crisp on top of each bowl of French Onion Soup!