French Onion Bread Soup

Slowly, but surely, I am making my way through the mounds of posts I have starred in my google reader or bookmarked in my favourites folder. I'm never going to get through all of the recipes I've starred in my google reader.

But, here are a few more recipes I can check off as having tried and add to my repetoire.

First, my salad was inspired by Bellini Valli's Chicken Chopped Mediterranean Salad with Feta Vinaigrette. Check out her blog for her version of this salad.

Here is what I did:

1 can of tuna in water
2 tbsp mayonnaise
lettuce of your choice
1 English cucumber, sliced
2 plum tomatoes
1/3-1/2 cup of sesame seeds
red, yellow and green peppers

Dressing
1-2 T red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil (you may reduce the oil slightly if desired)
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp fresh minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, plus extra for garnish

Combine tune and mayonnaise - set aside.

Prepare lettuce (wash and tear/cut into smaller pieces) and add to remaining vegetables in a bowl.

In a sealable jar or container with a lid, combine red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, basil, oregano, salt, garlic, pepper and sugar (if using) and crumbled feta cheese. Seal lid and shake vigorously. (Bellini's tip: If you would like, let sit for 1/2 hour to let the flavours marry)

Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine. Then add tuna mixture and sprinkle sesame seeds overtop all of the salad.



Next up is Deborah from Taste and Tell's French Onion Bread Soup , a recipe she adapted from Every Day with Rachel Ray.

French Onion Bread Soup

Serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds onions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups beef broth
1/2 baguette, cut into small cubes
2 cups shredded gruyere or monterey jack

Preheat the oven to 450°. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, thyme and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper, lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the onions are caramelized, about 45 minutes. (Rachel Ray's recipe only calls for 15 minutes of caramelization, by Deborah suggests closer to 45 minutes).





Stir in the wine and cook for 3 minutes. Add the beef broth, reduce the heat to low and cover the saucepan.




Divide half of the bread cubes among four small ovenproof bowls



cover each with 1/4 cup cheese



Divide the soup among the bowls



then top with the remaining bread



and cheese



Set the bowls on a baking sheet and bake until the cheese is bubbling, about 10 minutes







Verdict: Both the soup and salad were great. I'm not the biggest onion fan in the world, so one small bowl of the soup was enough for me. But R loved the soup and ate so much of it that he had to sit and let the food digest for a while before he could move. Giz thinks I should have used more cheese...but I was satisfied with the amount I used.



I'm submitting the French Onion Bread Soup to Ruth's Kitchen Experiment's Bookmarked Recipes, a weekly event.