Red's onion soup - bulk process!

[British Red]

We grew a LOT of onions this year


Onion Harvest by British Red, on Flickr

Not all will last long enough to use in normal cooking - so we need to use some up.

Now BB is working away a lot and loves onion soup - so I decided to bulk process a load for her. Clearly you can adjust the recipe to the amount you want - but it can create the best kibbled onions, a freezable soup - or in our case - canned soup. Now I don't like to boast - but if Carlsberg made onion soup

You will need
20 large onions (or two small for each large)
150ml of olive oil
125g of butter
4.5 litres of stock (chicken or veg - your choice)
salt and pepper

That's IT!

So grab your onions


20 Onions by British Red, on Flickr

Peel them


Peeled Onions by British Red, on Flickr

Don't forget the skins make a great dye (or compost )


Onion Skins by British Red, on Flickr

Put the oil and butter into a large stock pot


Butter and Oil by British Red, on Flickr

Halve them lengthwise, cut into 1/4" strips and then cut the onions into the size of length you like. I make some 1/4" and about a third into 1" lengths to give that long strips in the soup


Chopped Onion by British Red, on Flickr

Put on a high heat and fry hard for ten minutes to release the juices stirring frequently


Cook Rapidly by British Red, on Flickr

Get your stock ready in another pan


Chicken Stock by British Red, on Flickr

Lower the heat and cook the onions gently for around an hour stirring occasionally. Watch for them to change to a golden colour


Golden Onions by British Red, on Flickr

Raise the heat to medium, stir frequently and cook the onions down to a rich brown, dryish mush


Caramalised Brown Onions by British Red, on Flickr

At this stage you can freeze or dry the onion mush. Its flavour is incredible - the most oniony onion taste in the world. Dry it for the most amazing kibbled onion, freeze it, add it to cheese on toast (trust me on this)...all sorts. Or you can add stock to it and make soup


Stock Added by British Red, on Flickr

Bring this to the boil and simmer for 30 mins stirring occasionally. The stock will soak up all that intense onion flavour


Simmer as soup by British Red, on Flickr

Now can most of it in whatever size you like - 55 minutes for half pints and pints, 75 minutes for litres - 10 pounds of pressure - keep a good bit back though


Onion Soup Can for 55 minutes at 10lb by British Red, on Flickr

Now bake a quick loaf


Homemade foccacia by British Red, on Flickr

Take the crusty ends off, grill them and float them in a bowl of soup. Grate some cheddar over the lot and flash under the grill


Croutons & Melted Cheese by British Red, on Flickr

Sit, chill, enjoy

Red

 

[Mesquite]

Sounds simply delicious Hugh.

Thanks for making me feel hungry just before I go to bed

 

[British Red]

Has to be the simplest soup in the world Steve - but each pint of soup has half a gallon of finely chopped onions in it - it really gives the taste buds a workout. I think a proper onion soup is one of those things where you just need to take your time! Consider it part of the "slow food" agenda

 

[Imagedude]

I like onions but onions don't like me. I'd blow my ******** out of my underpants if I ate any of that soup.

 

[jiffi]

Liking the look if this my friend!!!

 

[John Fenna]

Ooooh - that looks good!

 

[sandbender]

I enjoyed that, thanks for posting.

 

[weekender]

Never realised how little went into onion soup, but then you make this all look so easy. Going to have to try this.😛😀

 

[British Red]

Never realised how little went into onion soup, but then you make this all look so easy. Going to have to try this.

It really is that easy - just takes time. I guess not many people will invest a couple of hours in a bowl of truly great soup anymore....but I like this forum because people here will invest more than that in a spoon!

 

[weekender]

Red that bread looks great have I missed the Red's how to guide on bread making? Is that an onion loaf?

 

[British Red]

Its just a garlic, sea salt and rosemary focaccia (using up the garlic and the rosemary is still going mad) - twenty minutes in the oven - about the simplest loaf I know (and you can knock the dough up in a bread maker or Kenwood if you like)

 

[weekender]

Looks great. Damm hungry now it's going to have to wait now till later. What would the quantities be for a less grand/bulk scale. How long would the soup keep for if just kept in a airtight container.

 

[British Red]

Just go 4 onions, 30ml of oil, 25g of butter, 900ml of stock.

That will do a soup that serves 4 for a starter or two for a main course. It'll keep for a few days in the fridge - but you can freeze it too

 

[weekender]

Freeze in airtight container how long do you reckon that would last I'm thinking pre prepared for Xmas?

 

[British Red]

Several months

 

[weekender]

Fantastic. Cheers Red your a star.

 

[British Red]

Wait till you taste it - it won't make it to the freezer

 

[Clouston98]

Good stuff Red! My dads made that focaccia before and it was Gorgeous! .

 

[HillBill]

Looks great Hugh . Might have to try that as we have loads of onions in the storage shed down the allotments.

 

[bushwacker bob]

I like onions but onions don't like me. I'd blow my ******** out of my underpants if I ate any of that soup.

I'm still traumatised from your Scandinavian report.:yikes::yikes: DO NOT MAKE THIS SOUP.