Extra Smoky French Onion Soup with Mushrooms
This extra smoky French onion soup is my interpretation of the classic French onion soup that we all know and love. There are many recipes for that famous soup online, but I wanted to use my imagination and add my own spin on the classic. My French onion soup is extra smoky because I added smoked paprika to it. For even more smoky notes I topped it with grated, smoked Gruyere cheese. I also added some mushrooms to make the soup richer. Those little tweaks made the soup irresistible. The onion and the mushrooms go so well with the smoky notes. Every spoonful is so flavorful.
Why should you make the Extra Smoky French onion Soup
This soup is truly delicious. The combination of caramelized onions and cheesy bread is so good. There is sweetness from the onions and smokiness from the cheese and the paprika. The texture of the soup is quite thick and creamy. With each spoonful you get some yummy vegetables, stretchy cheese and soaked bread.
Is there anything better than homemade soup on a cold day? I don’t think so. Home cooking is one of the best ways to show love and appreciation to your loved ones. I think that you can even involve the whole family in preparing this soup. This will be a fun and bonding experience.
Helpful tips about making the soup
The first step is the most important one. You have to caramelize the onions. I intentionally use butter and oil to sauté the onions. If you use only butter it might burn and ruin the flavor of your soup. Make sure that your onions are slightly browned and translucent before you add the wine.
You can replace the cremini mushrooms with white button or mushrooms that you prefer.
For this recipe I used homemade chicken broth. If you want to make this soup vegetarian use vegetable broth. You can also use water. Just make sure that whatever liquid you use it is low in sodium.
I used smoked Gruyere cheese on top, but if you can’t find it you can replace it with other smoked cheese.
In every one of my recipes, I ask you to taste and adjust the flavors to your liking. That is why the salt and pepper are always to taste.
Extra Smoky French Onion Soup with Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 4 cups Thinly sliced onion about 4 onions
- 1 cup dry white wine I used Chardonnay
- 4 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth/stock or vegetable broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- ½ cup heavy cream
- sliced french baguette about 5 slices
- 8 oz smoked Gruyere cheese or other smoked cheese
Instructions
- Slice the onions and mushrooms thinly. Add two tablespoons of butter and one tablespoon of your preferred cooking oil in a deep pot and preheat to medium- low heat. Once the butter is melted and sizzling add the sliced onions and stir. Caramelize onions for about 10 minutes or until they are translucent and slightly brown.
- Add about a quarter cup of the wine to the onions and stir until the wine is evaporated. Then add another ¼ cup and add the sliced mushrooms and garlic. Continue stirring and adding a little bit of the wine until you pour the whole cup of wine and the liquid is absorbed and the vegetables are caramelized.
- Then add salt, pepper, fresh thyme leaves and the smoked paprika. Stir and add the broth.
- Increase the heat to high and bring to boil. Once the soup is boiling reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.
- Finally, add the heavy cream and stir. Simmer for another 5 minutes on low heat.
- To serve the soup ladle it into an oven safe bowls. Place them on a baking sheet. Add a slice of french baguette on top of each bowl and top with grated smoked Gruyere cheese.
- Broil for 2-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with fresh thyme leaves and enjoy right away.
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