This high-protein, French Onion Hen Soup, made with caramelized onions, wealthy bone broth and a layer of golden, bubbly cheese is ideal if you’re craving a scrumptious cozy dinner.
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French Onion Hen Soup
There’s one thing undeniably comforting a couple of sizzling bowl of French onion soup. This principal dish soup takes my traditional French Onion Soup recipe and provides additional protein with hen and bone broth (40 grams protein) and it’s scrumptious! My husband liked it! For those who love these flavors, I even have this French Onion Hen Skillet dinner with the identical flavors, minus the broth!
Components and Suggestions
This model makes use of the standard French onion soup components however provides hen and bone broth for a protein enhance. The recipe card beneath incorporates the precise measurements.
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- Onions: Since onions are the principle occasion, I like to make use of a combo of candy onions and shallots. They slowly prepare dinner, changing into sweeter as they caramelize.
- Salt and Olive Oil: Prepare dinner the onions in olive oil and season with salt.
- Flour thickens the broth.
- Mild White Wine: I lately found Kim Crawford Illuminate Sauvignon Blanc, which has fewer energy and continues to be scrumptious. Nonetheless, any dry white will work.
- Sherry Vinegar: Sherry wine is often present in French onion soup, however since we’re utilizing white wine, I opted for sherry vinegar right here for added depth.
- Herbs: Recent thyme sprigs and bay leaves impart taste as they simmer within the broth.
- Hen Bone Broth will increase the protein on this recipe.
- Hen: Boneless, skinless hen thighs are tender and nice right here however hen breasts will work.
- Bread and Cheese: French onion soup is all the time topped with toasted tacky bread. I prefer it with sliced baguette or sourdough and Gruyere or Swiss cheese. You’ll be able to skip the bread if you wish to make this low carb and let the cheese float on the prime earlier than melting.
The way to Make French Onion Hen Soup
Whereas caramelizing the onions and simmering the hen do take some time, more often than not is hands-off, so you possibly can prep the opposite components or do dishes whilst you wait. The printable directions are within the recipe card beneath.
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- Caramelize the Onions: Warmth the oil in a big pot and add the onions, shallots, and salt on medium-low warmth till the onions are gentle and golden. Cowl the pot between stirring to create steam to stop them from getting too dry.
- Add the Flour and Wine: Sprinkle the flour over the onions and prepare dinner for a couple of minutes. Add the wine, sherry vinegar, thyme, and bay leaves. Simmer uncovered to cut back the alcohol.
- Prepare dinner the Hen: Add the bone broth and hen and produce it to a boil. Scale back the warmth to simmer and prepare dinner till the hen is finished. Take away the hen, shred it, and return it to the pot.
- The way to Serve the Soup: Add extra salt if wanted and take away the herbs. Ladle the soup into 6 oven-proof bowls and place them on a baking sheet.
- Broil the Bread and Cheese: Place the toasted bread on prime of every bowl and sprinkle with cheese. Put the tray within the oven on the second rack from the highest and broil on low till the cheese melts.
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Variations
- Onions: Strive it with any mixture of onions, comparable to Vidalia, white, yellow, or purple.
- Skip the Wine and add additional broth.
- Vinegar: Substitute purple wine vinegar.
- Herbs: Swap thyme with rosemary.
- Strive Completely different Proteins: Substitute hen with shredded beef for a richer taste.
- Broth: Use common hen broth or inventory for those who don’t have bone broth.
- Cheese: Substitute fontina, mozzarella, or provolone. Alpine Lace additionally makes a very good reduced-fat Swiss cheese if you would like a lighter choice.
- Preserve It Dairy-Free: Omit the cheese.
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free flour and bread. You can too omit the bread.
- Go Low-Carb: Skip the bread and let the cheese float on the prime, then broil till it melts.
- Make Tacky Croutons for those who don’t have oven-safe bowls. Sprinkle the bread with salt and pepper and toast within the oven for five to 7 minutes. Add the cheese and return to the oven till it’s melted.
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Serving Options
Storage
- Refrigerate the soup for 4 days.
- Freeze leftovers with out the cheese and bread for 3 months in 2-cup glass containers or Souper Cubes. Thaw within the fridge the day earlier than consuming.
- Reheat the soup on the range or within the microwave. Then, comply with the steps for broiling the bread and cheese. You’ll be able to skip this step for those who’re taking the soup with you to work or are brief on time.
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Extra Soup Recipes You’ll Love
For extra dinner concepts take a look at my Soup Recipes assortment, plus these 5 scrumptious soup recipes to encourage your subsequent meal!
Yield: 6 servings
Serving Measurement: 1 ½ cups
- 4 cups candy onion, thinly sliced (from 4 medium/giant)
- 2 cups shallot, thinly sliced (from about 4)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 2/3 tablespoons additional virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons all objective flour, or gluten-free flour
- ¼ cup mild white wine, se word above
- ¼ cup sherry vinegar
- 4 recent thyme sprigs
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 8 cups hen bone broth, I used Swanson Hen Bone Broth
- 1 pound boneless skinless hen thighs, or hen breast
- 6 slices baguette, or sourdough bread, 1/2 ounces every* toasted
- 12 skinny slices Gruyere cheese , or Swiss cheese, 6 ounces whole
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In a Dutch oven, or giant heavy pot, sauté the onions and shallots with the butter and salt over medium to medium-low warmth, till the onions are gentle and golden, about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring usually. You’ll be able to cowl them in between stirring to generate steam so they don’t get too strive dry. You need them caramelized however not browned.
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Add the flour and blend, cooking one other 2-3 minutes. Add the white wine, sherry vinegar, thyme and bay leaves. Simmer uncovered to cut back the alcohol, about 10 minutes.
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Add the hen bone broth and hen. Deliver to a boil then cut back warmth to a simmer. Simmer till hen is cooked by way of, about 25 to half-hour.
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Take away hen and shred with 2 forks. Return again to soup. Style for salt at this level and modify to you style as wanted. Take away bay leaves and thyme; ladle 1-½ cups soup into 6 oven-proof bowls.
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Place bowls on a baking sheet. Place sliced toasted bread rounds into every bowl and prime bread with cheese. Broil on low on the 2nd rack from the highest, till cheese melts, about 2-3 minutes.½
Final Step:
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- Spray the underside of a baking sheet with cooking spray & place bread on in a good layer.
- Add salt (would wish so as to add ¼ teaspoon salt) & freshly floor black pepper.
- Toast within the oven 5-7 minutes. Add the cheese and soften on prime of croutons, one other 2-3 minutes!
- Serve over the soup with tacky croutons on prime.
Serving: 1 ½ cups, Energy: 437 kcal, Carbohydrates: 29 g, Protein: 40 g, Fats: 17 g, Saturated Fats: 7 g, Ldl cholesterol: 115.5 mg, Sodium: 938 mg, Fiber: 4.5 g, Sugar: 9 g