“Make it Mini” with Le Creuset: Balthazar Inspired French Onion Soup

In honor of the Le Creuset Gourmand Restaurant collection, we’ve recreated the classic French Onion Soup inspired by the iconic recipe by the restaurant Balthazar.

The Deets:
Welcome to the next episode of “make it mini” which is a series that reimagines recipes using Le Creuset mini cocottes. Next up is a take on the classic french onion soup served in the Gourmand minis. This version is inspired by the restaurant, Balthazar “Onion soup gratinée” and opts for chicken stock instead of beef, adds a touch of port, and uses crispy sourdough croutons to maximize each cheesy bite. We of course had to finish the soup with a little French tradition called chabrot, which includes swirling a little red wine for the last few bites of your soup. Like and follow for more! 

Make it Mini:
Make it Mini is an ongoing series with Le Creuset where we reimagine recipes using their mini cocottes. The series has been going on for 2+ years now, and we’ve really created quite an arsenal of recipes. So if you just got a new mini cocotte are looking for what to make, there are several fun, seasonal and delicious recipes to choose from.

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“Make it Mini” with Le Creuset: Balthazar inspired French Onion Soup

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Ingredients

Serves 4 Cocottes

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• ▢ A nice glug of good olive oil
• ▢ 4 White onions
• ▢ 3 tbsp Unsalted butter
• ▢ 1 Clove of garlic, diced
• ▢ 4 Sprigs of thyme
• ▢ 2 Bay leaves
• ▢ 9 Cups Chicken stock
• ▢ 3/4 Cup Dry white wine 
• ▢ 1/2 Cup Port
• ▢ 4 Slices of sourdough bread
• ▢ 2 Cups Gruyere cheese

Instructions 

• Using a mandolin or knife, peel and thinly slice the onions. Add olive oil to a large saucepan or dutch oven and add onions. Stir frequently to prevent burning for about 30 min or until they are super soft and golden.
• Add butter, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper to the onions and cook for another 10 minutes. Raise the heat and add white wine and bring to a boil. When it’s reduced by half, add stock and simmer for  45 min to an hour. Remove thyme and bay leaves and stir in the port.
• Preheat oven to broil and grate cheese. Coat bread in olive oil and cook 2-3 min per side until nice and crispy. Cut into bite sized pieces. Ladle soup into each of the cocotte and top with croutons and lots of gruyere cheese. Broil for about 5 min or until all browned and bubbly. 
• When you have only a few spoonfuls of soup left, swirl a little French red wine into the bottom and enjoy some delicious last bites! 

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