If you put away the slow cooker come springtime and don't even think about serving soup after the weather turns warm, it may be time to reconsider your stance on soup and slow cookers.
(READ MORE: 7 crockpot favorites from Chattanooga cooks)
I've been seeing recipes for slow-cooker French onion soup for a couple of years and only recently made it for myself. French onion soup is my favorite soup, hands down, and I could eat it 12 months out of the year, even on the hottest of days. A good rainy, dreary March day that we had recently seemed like the perfect time to give it a go.
This soup requires a couple pounds of onions, but after slicing a single onion, the tears began. So I pulled my food processor out of the cabinet, fitted it with the slicing disc and, presto, my onions were sliced perfectly in seconds. Duh.
So many recipes call for caramelizing the onions ahead of time. I tried that, adding a bit of sugar and seasonings, and it turned out far too sweet. I tossed those and began again, using a recipe I found at southernliving.com. It turned out perfectly without spending time caramelizing the onions in advance. The recipe calls for letting the slow cooker do that.
But as with most recipes, some tweaking took place with the one from Southern Living. The French always add Worcestershire sauce to their French onion soup, and it's amazing what a difference it makes, adding a bit of umami flavor and boosting the flavor of the beef broth.
(READ MORE: A delicious French onion soup at home, at last)
I also used yellow onions rather than the Vidalias called for. Vidalias have their place in cooking, but not in slow-cooker recipes. They're too soft and don't meet the demands of slow cooking like yellow onions do. Plus, Vidalias are very watery and this recipe has enough broth, so more liquid isn't needed. So there we are: delicious French onion soup that is a little labor-intensive on the front end, but worth it in the end.
Slow Cooker French Onion Soup
2 pounds yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 8 cups sliced)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for garnish
6 thyme sprigs, tied with kitchen twine
1 bay leaf
5 cups lower-sodium beef broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
12 (1/2-inch-thick) baguette slices
6 ounces Edam or Gruyere cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
Fresh thyme leaves
Stir together onions, melted butter, sugar, salt and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker until onions are fully coated. Place thyme and bay leaf on top of onion mixture.
Cover and cook on high, stirring once halfway through, until onions are deep golden brown and caramelized, 6 to 7 hours.
Remove and discard thyme and bay leaf. Stir in broth, Worcestershire and vinegar. Cover and cook on high until thoroughly heated, about 30 minutes.
Heat oven to broil, with oven rack about 6 inches from heat. Spoon soup into 6 ovenproof ramekins; place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Top each ramekin with 2 baguette slices; divide cheese evenly among ramekins (about 1/4 cup each).
Broil until cheese is melted and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves and black pepper. Serve immediately.
COOKIES AND BEER
WanderLinger Brewing Co., 1208 King St., has planned a family-friendly event pairing Girl Scout cookies and craft beers 1-4 p.m. Saturday. Troop 40371 will bring the cookies and have enough for sale to help you stock your pantry.
Tickets, available at the door, are $18 for a beer flight and cookie pairing for ages 21 and older, $6 for children and teens, who'll be served cookies and nonalcoholic beverages.
Visit wanderlinger.com for more information.
MERCH MADNESS
Puckett's Chattanooga, 2 W. Aquarium way, is having a Merch Madness sale Wednesday through April 9, with BOGO deals on sauces and small-size spices as well as chef seasonings priced at $8. The sale will take place both in-store and online at puckettsrestaurant.com.
SPRINGTIME LAVENDER
Starbucks is ushering in the spring season by adding lavender to the menu for the first time with two new beverages. Iced Lavender Cream Oatmilk Matcha features creamy matcha and oat milk served over ice and topped with a lavender cream cold foam. Iced Lavender Oatmilk Latte combines smooth Starbucks Blonde Espresso with oat milk, ice and sweet and subtle floral notes of lavender. The new drinks are available in the U.S. and Canada for a limited time, while supplies last.
LENT AT LOGAN'S
Logan's Roadhouse is celebrating the Lenten season with new salmon-inspired dishes on its spring menu. Diners can start with the Mesquite Wood-Grilled Salmon Dip, then move on to an entree such as the Teriyaki Salmon and Shrimp Duo, enough for sharing, or the Cilantro Lime Salmon for daintier appetites. Pair your meal with a new cocktail, Blue Colada or a Spicy Mango Groupie. The spring dishes will be available through May.
A word to the wise for steak lovers: There's a new Wednesday-only steak special that offers a 6-ounce mesquite-grilled sirloin steak, two sides and a soft drink for $13.
There are two Logan's locations in the Chattanooga area: 504 Northgate Mall Drive and 3592 Cummings Highway.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.
Anne Braly