The other day, Charlie Louie from Hotly Spiced made my asparagus and potato tart and wrote about our friendship. I was really moved by that and was determined to pass on the love. I think we all should. Helping someone else always ends up with good karma. So often you see grumbling on blogs, trolls on twitter and frankly some idiots on Facebook.
A local friend of mine, Kylie Huckstepp, is a long time food lover and has had a magazine that focused on good, locally produced food products. It was well written and I looked forward to every issue. The magazine was taken over by new owners a while back and Kylie now has a brand new venture.
What better magazine could you visit than one called Happy Today? It’s filled with things to make you feel good AND there’s some food in there too.
In Happy Today now there’s a lovely interview in the food and drink section with Sydney chef Kylie Kwong. She’s one of my food heroes. The magazine has other sections on health and wellbeing, money, hobbies, travel, the mind, entertainment, cars, art and books. If you’re looking for good writing, interesting articles and raw emotion – check out Happy Today.
Now about those onions. I read somewhere that you couldn’t sous vide onions because as they cooked they gave off a gas that would make the bag explode and that I’d need to saute the onions for a little while and then bag them up before putting in the hot water bath. I wasn’t convinced it would work but I was determined to try.
I sliced the onions with the mandolin and sauteed them in a frying pan for about 5 minutes or just beginning to go translucent. I cooled the onions off and vacuum sealed them in a bag and popped them in the sous vide machine. A sous vide machine doesn’t use a lot of power and that’s a good thing because I left those puppies in there for 24 hours. They went in as translucent onions with no color and came out the most gorgeous brown and well caramelized.
I proved I could do it. I tried to decide if I was going to make onion jam or French onion soup and went back and forth all day. At 5:30 I realized I hadn’t done a thing about dinner (what is it about social media that makes me lose all sense of time?) so it was French onion soup. Very poorly photographed. I wasn’t going to share this with you but hey, my blog is all about being real and sometimes (most of the time) I’m not perfect.
When I opened the bag of onions the aroma was intoxicating. Okay I’m an onion lover and I’ve never met one raw or cooked that I couldn’t be best friends with so it’s possible that I’m the only one who would swoon over the scent of beautifully caramelized onions. I can’t wait to make some more and do that caramelized onion and roasted garlic jam. Coming soon.
With a bag of onions like this, soup is only about 30 minutes away. I used beef stock from the store, a bit of thyme and parsley and a bay leaf and it was nearly done. The hard work is caramelizing the onions.
- 1 kilogram (2 pounds) brown onions, sliced thinly.
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 4 small sprigs of fresh thyme
- 3 stalks of fresh parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 baguette cut into four one-inch slices.
- 250
- Heat a skillet to medium heat and add the butter and oil. When the butter melts add the onions and sprinkle with salt. Don't brown the onions, you only want them to go translucent. When that begins to happen, add the garlic and cook for a minute or so but don't let the garlic brown.
- Remove from heat and cool completely.
- Preheat sous vide machine to 85C / 186F
- Vacuum seal the cooled onions and place in the sous vide machine and leave them there for up to 24 hours. The length of time determines how long you leave them in the water bath. Mine stayed 24 hours and came out a rich dark color.
- When the onions are done you can remove and place in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (perfect for dinner party preparations)
- If you're going to make the soup right away, add the onions to a large stock pot on medium heat and bring to the boil. The onions will have some juice in the cooking bag.
- Add one ladle of stock and cook for a few minutes to reduce and add another ladle of stock and repeat one more time until you've reduced 3 ladles of stock.
- Add the remainder of the stock and the herbs tied with some cooking twine. Cook for 30 minutes and then taste for seasoning.
- I can't tell you how much salt to use because stock varies and some is very salty so if I said use a teaspoon of salt it could be like the Dead Sea. Taste the soup. If it needs salt, add some. I used ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
- Place sliced baguette on a grill pan or under the griller/broiler to toast.
- Add soup and top with two slices of baguette and cover with shredded gruyere.
- Place bowls in the oven under the griller/broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Be careful as bubbly can turn to burnt in under a minute. Best to watch.
- Serve immediately but the soup will be very hot.
So, who will YOU feature to pass on some blog love?
Dear Maureen,
I love savoury over sweet and would have picked French onion soup too. Love the look of those crisp croutons and cheese.
I need to get my hands on a sous vide machine asap.. seriously such a good idea to make a French onion soup this way!
I’ve never tried sous vide, but my cousins swear by it. I’m so delighted that you worked out just how to get these perfect!!! 🙂
I haven’t used the sous vide much but I haven’t been disappointed with anything yet.
Oh Maureen – I adore onions too and I can’t believe the gorgeous color of the caramelized onions. Amazing! That soup must have been fantastic and your photos are great! Have a wonderful weekend!
I don’t have a sous vide machine but I know I want one now! Sounds like a fab gadget to have in the kitchen.
Maureen, I would love to try that, but my beloved cannot eat onions…. such a sad turn of events, don’t you think?
But, just as much as I loved the caramelized onions, I also loved the whole aura of this blog post, and how you focused on great things, on sharing the love and celebrating happy things…. this is all SO YOU!
He can’t eat onions? How does he survive??? Pour the poor man a scotch because anyone who can’t eat onions needs one. 🙂
I love that you keep it real on here, Maureen! But I will say – if a picture manages to cause some sort of mouthwatering delight then said picture cannot be labelled a poor picture – and, well, guess what happened when I saw your french onion soup?
I would so love a spoonful of that – You onion jam recipe has me intrigued!
LOL you do make me feel good. 🙂
I love that you keep it real on here, Maureen! But I will say – if a picture manages to cause some sort of mouthwatering delight then said picture cannot be labelled a poor picture – and, well, guess what happened when I saw your french onion soup?
I would so love a spoonful of that – You onion jam recipe has me intrigued!!
me too….work very well done Maureen, & thanks :)) xx
I’m really tempted to get a sous vide machine — they seem like just an interesting way to cook so many things. I’d never have thought of using one for caramelized onions, though. Great idea! And of course they’re the foundation of a great French onion soup, one of those dishes I love but rarely make for some reason (could be the time it takes to really caramelize onions on a stovetop — almost an hour). Good post — thannks.
I’m curious whether you added any beef stock to the soup or used the liquid from the sous vide as a base for the soup. I love French onion soup though I’ve only made it a couple of times at home, with purchased beef stock. 🙂
Yes, I used the liquid from the sous vide bag of onions and topped it up with beef stock and then tasted for seasoning.
I asked because stock wasn’t listed in your recipe ingredient list.
Oh, I do want a sous vide machine and this is just one more reason for the justification:) I think Kylie Kwong is great too – I use so many of her recipes.
Love, love, love French Onion Soup. This recipe looks and sounds perfect!! I am drooling all over my keyboard. 🙂
I love caramelized onions but I’ve never tried sous vide, will have to give it a try. Love French onion soup! 🙂
Thanks for the lovely mention, Maureen. How did you go chopping up all those onions? Do you wear goggles? I’ve made caramelised onions before but all that chopping and slicing – my eyes! I didn’t know you have a sous vide machine. I would love one. And I think your soup looks great. What a yummy dinner and all in 30 minutes xx
Charlie, I think if everyone did a bit of this, then we’d find so many bloggers who work alone feeling wonderful that their effort was noticed. You’re my hero.
On the contrary, I think your soup looks wonderful and perfect to me!
I wish it was my dinner.
Hey gorgeous Mauz – thank you so much for mentioning my little magazine bless your cotton socks xxxx
I have GOT to get my hands on a sous vide machine. Man I am so glad you teamed me with French onion soup – I LOVE it. Dave has a pathological hatred of onions (he’s crazy like that) so I’m gonna have to cook this for the girls. xxxx Thanks again xxx
Looking forward to catching up, Kylie. It’s been ages since we’ve been in the same room.
To the 29th my love x
I can imagine the aroma from these beautiful onions, Maureen! A delicious soup! And what a clever machine!
Sounds like I need a sous vide machine, this looks amazing Maureen!
I’ve really enjoyed Charlie’s blog buddy posts too it’s such a lovely idea. Loving the look of your soup too and that gorgeous caramel colour – I was expecting that from a sous vide.
G’day! Your onions smell terrific; I can um…really smell them and with I could come and try your soup! Looks delish Maureen!
While I don’t have a sous vide machine, am wondering is could make with Thermalina (my Thermomix) as the sous vide steaks I make (indirectly inspired by you) always come out great!
Cheers! Joanne
You sure can!
Hi Maureen. Yes I too have decided it’s time to share some love around for all the wonerful bloggers I know. I would lve to have a sous vide machime. Onions seem like such a brilliant thing to do with one.
Comfort food and Maureen, go hand on hand. You spread the love like no one. I wish I could have bowl….
Oh I would love a sous vide, those onions look simply stunning and then your soup is making me drool.
I’m still trying to get a handle on my sous vide machine Maureen, so thanks for the tip! Loving the soup, so yummy indeed x
Cool. I didn’t know there was such a thing as a sous vide machine.
Love this soup too, I have been on the hunt for the ultimate onion soup for nearly 2 years now. Gonna have a crack at yours and see if this is the one. 🙂
I love making fellow blogger recipes. I don’t buy food mags and rarely buy cookbooks any more so they are my source-like your chocolate muffins and scones that are my favourite recipes for each! 😀
I love kylie kwong too, she is cool. =)
the onion soup look great, don’t know what you have with the picture. We can’t always be perfect right? At least we know that the soup must have left such a great aroma that you enjoyed it completely. =)
I love caramelized onions, these look incredible!
Your french onion soup looks divine! What a wholesome method of extracting as much flavour as possible 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I’ve been looking into a sous vide machine for quite a while now, but if I bring another gadget into the kitchen, i’ll have to build a bigger kitchen. 🙂 Those onions look amazing! What a great idea to turn them into a French onion soup! Headed over to Happy Today. 🙂
You brave girl! I’m blown away that the onions came out caramelized – makes me want to go back to science class! Just beautiful.
p.s. thank you for sharing Happy Today – the kind of site to induce a perpetual grin.
This looks just wonderful Maureen!
How great this is so clever. caramelising onions is painful and this brilliant. Lovely soup and I look forward to your caramilised onion jam 😀
I won my sous vide oven/sealer from an amazon.com sweepstakes – as an active home cook and vegetarian foodie, I knew of its power but needed starter recipes to jump start my culinary inspiration.
This dish was soooo perfect!
My husband loves french onion soup, and although I’ve made it before, the sous vide technique of the onions elevate and left the simple french onion soup into something stellar! Thank you for sharing!!
Thanks, Nikii! I knew someone would try it and feel the same way I did about the soup. 🙂
I am surprised that caramelization takes place at such a low temperature, as most sugars don’t get chemically active until way above 212F. There are some example temperatures at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramelization. And yet, your onions did turn brown. But still, I would like to see a side-by-side comparison of onions done your way and onions done the hard way (raising and lowering the temperature 10 or twelve times over 2 hours). If they are basically the same you have made a remarkable contribution.
Hi Ted, I was shocked that they turned brown in the sous vide and honestly it took a long time to get them that way. I’ll also admit that they were delicious and 1/10th the work. I’ll give it a try next time I have a few hours to stir onions. 🙂
I must have missed it, but what temp were you cooking these at?
350F 180C
Looking for cool things to do with my newish sous vide machine, I enjoyed reading this recipe. I tried out a test batch and they worked out well. But now that I’m about to try the recipe itself, I noticed a few things.
1) The list of ingredients doesn’t include the stock or the cheese. Not a big deal.
2) The operation sticks to the ~185 range given for most sous vide vegetables. However, as one other reply mentioned, carmelization really starts at a higher temp. I’m thinking I’ll try a batch at 212.
3) I followed the instruction and clarified the onions before bagging. However, as I’m not using a vacuum sealer, I’m wondering if this is really necessary. If I keep the bag open, perhaps the escaping gases will just bubble up and out!
4) In my survey of online advice, one very French chef talked about the pan carmelized onions as being both soft and crunchy. This is no criteria of mine but I do wonder if there’s a way to achieve this while still taking advantage of the sous vide.
Thanks again for the wonderful and informative recipe!
I’ll recheck the recipe, thanks.
I’m not sure how they get onions well caramelized AND still crunchy. I’ve eaten French Onion Soup in some really fancy restaurants and I don’t recall crunchy onions. Do you?
I’ve tried the extended crockpot method and have had great success with caramelized onions. Using sous vide why do you need to put the onions in a skillet first? If you use a binder clip to hold the edge of your onion bag to the side of the container so that gas can escape would you still need to sauté them first to prevent the gas build up?
If you sous vide onions from raw, they give off a gas that can break the bag. So the way to combat that is to saute just a bit first until they release some of their juices. I wasn’t taking any chances and losing all those onions. You might be right. 🙂 If you try it, please let me know.
My onions are in the sous vide now. Thinking of making the onion soup but I don’t see beef stock in your recipe list or how much to use.
Thank you
I’m definitely trying this, sounds amazing. The volume of stock isn’t listed in the recipe. How much do you use in total?
Loved the well developed thought process and actually took it a step further. We have an immersion type setup [2 Anova machines in 5-6 gallon plastic tubbies – Walmart $6.00]. About 3 months ago, we found a stainless pan storage rack [$8.00 at Lowe’s], that with a minor hacksaw adjustment, fit perfectly in the tub and still let up close the top as well. Instead of using the skillet, with the water level about 1″ below the top of the racks, put a couple of heavy table knives in the bottom of a 1 gallon bag and added my 3 large sliced brown onions and butter. Left the top of the bag open and kept it above water level by using a couple of black paper clips / clasp type. After about 2 hours at 183F, the onions had translucent and stopped giving off gas. Pulled the bag out, wiped the top edges dry with a paper towel, sealed it 2 times [we always make a double seal when working with hot bags or those containing liquids]. Pulled the rack out, put the sealed bag in, turned the rack over and put it on top of the bag. We then set our homemade bag weight on the rack [really that weight is just a nice flat rock weighing about 4 pounds], checked the water level, put the top on, and pulled the finished onions out 24 hours later. During the last 8 to 10 hours, increased the water temperature to 193F – just experimenting. There was no issue with any gas or bloating of the bag. Hope this helps all who love delicious caramelized onions.
Brilliant!! I love clever people like you!
I’m not sure if waiting 2 hours then sealing the bag is less work than sauteeing them first, but thank you for answering my question of whether having the bag burst is a real concern without an extra step. My machine is a new toy and I’m just getting my feet wet, but this soup looks like a wonderful version of one of my favorite meals.
It didn’t take long and yes it’s a pan to wash but that’s just part of cooking something good. The sous vide onions were fantastic.
I was actually answering the gentleman who mentioned he left the bag open for 2 hours in the SV to release their gases, then sealed it and cooked the remaining time. My comment was it might be easier to saute (your way), close the bag and wash an extra pan. I agree, washing up is small price for delicious meals.