Ingredients

For the “Quick-ish” Onion Soup
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 6 large or 10 medium onions, quartered, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • A small handful thyme stems, tied with string
  • Salt and finely ground black pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 cans beef consommé or 3 tablespoons demi-glace and 3 cups water
  • 1 quart beef stock or broth
  • 8 slices from a 3-inch round batard or Italian bread, cut into one-inch thick slices
  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups each shredded Emmentaler and Gruyère cheese
For the Spinach Salad
  • 9 slices of meaty bacon, divided
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 large shallot, finely chopped
  • 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Salt and pepper
  • About 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • About 3 tablespoons white Balsamic vinegar or wine vinegar
  • 3/4 pound medium-sized leaf spinach, cleaned and stemmed (if weighing with stems, buy 1/4 pound per bundle—I usually buy 2 bundles)
  • 2 spring onions, 4 scallions or 1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
  • 4 large white mushrooms, very thinly sliced
  • 1 cup smoked blue cheese crumbles (I use Oscar’s Smokehouse)

Yield

Serves: 4 servings

Preparation

For the soup, heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat and melt butter. Fill pot with onions, bay, thyme, salt, pepper and garlic. Place a lid over half of the pot and sweat onions until deeply caramel and soft, 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add consommé or demi-glace and water, and dissolve. Add stock or broth, bring to simmer and cook for 30 minutes at a low simmer.
 
While the soup is simmering, preheat oven to 400°F and bake 8 slices on a slotted pan or wire rack set on a baking sheet to crisp, 12-15 minutes. Remove, raise heat to broil for bread.

 
Place eggs in a medium saucepot, fill with water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Cold-shock the eggs, peel and cut into quarters lengthwise.
 
For the croutons, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and toast bread under broiler on a rack in the center of the oven until light golden. Raise rack 1 notch and cover rounds with cheeses. Broil to brown and bubbly.
 
Mince remaining slice of bacon, add to a skillet and render over medium-high heat for 2 minutes while stirring. Add shallots and garlic, and stir 3 minutes more. Stir in sugar, black pepper and Dijon, then whisk in vinegar and EVOO. Remove pan from heat and add spinach in bunches, wilting it a bit but keeping it tender-crisp. Toss in mushrooms and onions and top with blue cheese crumbles and eggs.
 
Serve soup in crock-shaped bowls topped with croutons, with the spinach salad alongside or in separate shallow dishes.


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