French Onion Soup: The Master Recipe

It's been awhile since I've posted, and life has taken a few turns...

I'm living in New York on my own now, and my favorite part is getting to cook all the time (gotta eat, after all!). To make it even better, my parents surprised me with an Instant Pot, which I've been wanting. It's opened up a whole new world of cooking to me!

The Instant Pot was a little intimidating at first--I imagined hitting the wrong button and the pot exploding from the pressure. But luckily, it's designed better than that (thank you modern technology). Ever since I got it, I've been playing with some new recipes, especially ones that are also cheap and small batch.

Last week I looked at the giant bag of onions in my fridge and knew that it was use them or lose them--I couldn't wait any longer. Not many recipes use up onions like good old French onion soup, so  out came the knife, the onions, and the tears. A few hours later...soup!

I call this recipe the master recipe because it's is based on a bunch of recipes I've seen--it combines them into one set of guidelines so that you can make French Onion Soup based on how you personally like it, and the ingredients and time you have. There are directions for a simple version, but of course, the more time and ingredients you put into it, the better it will taste. Note that fully caramelized onions, beef broth, worcestershire sauce, and gruyere cheese are the most traditional options. Honestly though, it's hard to go wrong as long as you top it with a generous amount of toast and cheese at the end!


French Onion Soup
Serves: 4

Caramelized Onions:
2 lb. sliced onions (yellow, red, sweet, or vidalia)
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbs. butter

Broth:
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups water, beef broth, or chicken broth
4-6 slices French or artisan bread, toasted
3/4 cup shredded cheese (gruyere, swiss, mozzarella, provolone, gouda, jarlsberg, emmental, comté)

Optional additions for flavor:
1 bay leaf (step 2)
Sprig of fresh thyme (step 2)
1 - 2 Tbs dry sherry, dry white wine, or red wine (step 3)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (step 4)
Red pepper flakes (step 4)

Stovetop directions:
1. Melt butter in large pot. Add onions, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Cook for 10 minutes.
2. Stir onions. Leave 10 minutes, then stir again.
3. Cook onions for 40 more minutes, stirring every 20 minutes. If onions start to stick to pan, add a little water or the wine.
4. When onions are finished caramelizing, add water/broth, salt, pepper, and optional additions.
5. Boil; reduce heat. Simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
6. Remove bay leaf and thyme. Ladle soup into bowls and top with toast and cheese.


Instant Pot Modifications:
Step 1-3: On Sauté mode, melt butter, then caramelize onions for 10 minutes. Add wine, if using, and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring.
Step 4-5: Add remaining ingredients and optional additions; pressure cook for 20 minutes on high; natural release (takes about 15 minutes).


Notes:
*If you are short on time: Cover onions and cook on stovetop for 10 minutes until they are tender. After adding broth, bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
*Remember, the longer the onions are cooked, the longer the soup simmers, and the more flavorings you add, the better it will taste.
*Beef broth tastes best, but water or chicken broth are fine as well. Water is only recommended to use if you are fully caramelizing the onions, otherwise flavor will be majorly lacking.

Tortilla Soup

This soup is super easy. Like throw-it-together-in-5-minutes easy. And yet, I still managed to have an accident while making it the other day.

I'm not even really sure how it happened. One minute I was happily cutting up frozen chicken, the next, I was watching the measuring cup of chicken fall off the counter, almost in slow motion. My hand must have bumped it, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. It was on the floor. And then, as if to rub it in, my friend's cat came while I stood there staring at it, and my friend snapped a picture. Whoops. Into the trash that half cup of chicken went.

My family introduced our friends to tortilla soup last time we stayed at their house (several months ago), and they loved it so much that this time I'm here, we just had to make it again. It was a gooooood idea. My stomach thanks me. Unfortunately, that also meant I had witnesses to the chicken episode, but what's life without chicken flying everywhere?

When we were making this soup, Hannah and I were on a roll. So, after throwing together the ingredients for tortilla soup, we also whipped up some cornbread and mashed some avocados for guacamole. Oh, and made a cheesecake. Just sayin'. Then after smelling the soup cook for a few hours, of course I ate waaaay too much of it at dinner; I just couldn't resist.

I would consider tortilla soup Tex Mex since it has both American and Mexican influences—but call it what you want. What really matters is that it's easy, it's warm, it's soupy, it's cheesy, you can scoop it up on tortilla chips and eat it (that's the best way, the only way), you can add sour cream or hot sauce to your bowl (not to mine, though). Tortilla soup is a definite favorite in my family; it's much requested, all year round.

Slow Cooker or Stove Top Tortilla Soup
Feeds 5-6

15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
3/4 cup chunky salsa
14 oz. can chicken broth
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup boneless skinless cooked chicken, cubed
16 oz. can refried beans
2 cups shredded cheese (such as cheddar or colby jack)
1 bag tortilla chips

1. In a large saucepan or a crock pot, combine all ingredients except cheese and chips.
2. Heat on stove until heated through, or in a slow cooker for 3-4 hours.
3. Add half of cheese. Stir until melted.
4. Serve soup in bowls, and top with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, and hot sauce.



Instant Pot Tortilla Soup

15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
3/4 cup chunky salsa
14 oz. can chicken broth
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup boneless skinless cooked chicken, cubed
16 oz. can refried beans
2 cups shredded cheese (such as cheddar or colby jack)
1 bag tortilla chips

1. Pour black beans, corn, salsa, chicken broth, water, and chicken into the Instant Pot. Give it a quick stir.
2. Put lid on Instant Pot and manual cook for 10 minutes. Make sure the valve is set to “sealing.” When the timer beeps, release the pressure release for 10 minutes and then move the valve to “venting.”
3. Remove the lid and take out the chicken. Shred it on a cutting board then add it back into the Instant Pot.
4. Pour in the can of refried beans and 1 cup of the cheese, stirring until the soup is creamy and smooth. If necessary, use sauté mode to help melt the cheese.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls, and top with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, and hot sauce.