This French onion soup will warm you to the bone on those chilly October nights, just in time for Halloween, and a trip to Brooklyn’s famous Greenwood Cemetery!
My French onion soup recipe is a pretty simple and traditional take on this classic dish. know I’m not breaking any molds or showing you anything you haven’t seen before here, but I just couldn’t resist making one of my favorite soups, especially with Halloween in a few short days. I love soup any time of the year, but there is something truly magical about a good hearty soup right as the weather starts to get cold – right around Halloween – that warms me all the way to the bone.
I love Halloween, and I think I always have. Every year for as long as I can remember we have gone on the Headless Horseman Haunted Hayride – a haunted house/hayride attraction near my dad’s house upstate – and its something I always have and still do look forward to all year round – in fact we just went last weekend and it was fantastic. As a kid, we would arrive back from the hayride and my dad would always have something warm and filling heating on the wood stove, like a pot of chili or a hearty tomato sauce ready for pasta. All of the fear I had felt out there on the hayride and in the haunted houses simply melted alway with my dad’s homey cooking. And this French onion soup reminds me of those chilly, spooky nights, and the warmth I felt not only from a hearty and soothing meal, but also in knowing that I was home and safe.
I know that French onion soup doesn’t exactly scream Halloween, but to me it whispers it in a certain way. While pumpkin or squash soup may be slightly more appropriate for the holiday – and I’ve certainly made my fair share of it over the past few weeks – French onion soup strikes me in its own spooky way. It may be the rich and meaty broth that is almost boney with its marrow flavor, or the caramelized onions swirling around in there that remind me of slimy worms. But I’ll spare you any more weird and kind of gross descriptions, and just settle on the fact that this recipe is totally Halloween worthy.
In the spirit of Halloween, I couldn’t resist sharing with you some spooky and hauntingly beautiful pictures I took on a recent walk through Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. My dad and his girlfriend Nicole are Chairs of the Green-Wood Patron’s Circle, and Nicole got tickets for a bunch of my family to tour a select few mausoleums and tombs that are rarely or never opened to the public. It was definitely a bit creepy, but Green-Wood is also undeniably beautiful and grand, and the connection to history you feel while walking the grounds there is incredibly strong. Check out their website for more info on this fantastic landmark and piece of history!
I know it has nothing to do with French onion soup, but I couldn’t resist sharing some spooky pictures from the cemetery.
Green-Wood opened mausoleums that have never been opened before to the public, just in time for Halloween!
Green-Wood is not only spooky, but also a national landmark with a rich history.
After that short and spooky detour, I want to get back to the main subject of this post, and that is my French onion soup recipe. The other reason I love this recipe for Halloween is because it is so easy to serve at a Halloween party or get together – and me and my brother are coming up on our third annual one at our house. The cute little French onion soup crocks are perfectly portioned and super easy to make in advance, so you can spend the night haunted house hopping, trick or treating, or watching scary movies. When you get home just pop them in the oven to warm them through and let the cheese get nice and bubbly on top. Your friends and family will be super impressed and maybe a little creeped out by this deceptively simple yet warm and hearty meal, perfect for that cool, last night of October.
Happy Halloween to all!
- 4 lbs onions (about 10 small-medium onions), sliced thinly
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 shallots, minced
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 8 cups beef stock (vegetable or mushroom stock works well for a vegetation option)
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 4 sprigs parsley
- salt and pepper
- 8 oz gruyere cheese, shredded
- ½ loaf crusty bread of your choice, cubed
- Olive oil
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Heat a swirl of olive oil and 4 tablespoons butter in the bottom of a large dutch oven or pot over medium-low heat. Add sliced onions, minced garlic, and shallots. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and reduced drastically in volume, about 45 minutes.
- Add white wine to onions and cook over medium heat until the liquid is mostly absorbed, 5-8 minutes.
- Add stock. Tie herbs and bay leaf together with kitchen string or in cheese cloth, and tuck into the soup. Simmer the soup until broth is slightly thickened, about 45 minutes to one hour.
- While soup simmers, make the croutons. Toss bread cubes with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and bake in 350 degree oven until slightly browned and crispy, about 15 minutes.
- Ladle soup into crocks or oven-proof bowls. Add croutons and then shredded gruyere cheese. Cook in a very hot oven or under broiler until cheese is bubbly and melted, 7-10 minutes.
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