There are a zillion recipes for tomato pie here in the South, and I’ve never tasted one I didn’t like. Many of them, however, contain so much added mayo and cheese that you can just feel your arteries clogging up. Here’s a simple version with *just enough* mayo and cheese to bring out the yummy summer flavors!
Ingredients
- 4 large onions, peeled
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
- 5 cups (figure out consomme+water combo)
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme (use dried in a pinch)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp cognac or other brandy (optional)
- salt and pepper
- croutons (see recipe)
- 1 cup grated grueyere, parmesan or mozarella cheese
Instructions
- Halve the onions top to bottom and slice them as thinly as you can manage. Put the butter in a large pot over medium heat. When the butter melts, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and beginning to brown, 30 to 45 minutes. Adjust the heat so they slowly turn into a melting mass and don’t brown too fast. Don’t rush.
- Heat the oven to 400°F if you’re using the croutons and cheese. Add the stock, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently. Add the thyme, parsley, and bay leaf and the cognac if you’re using it, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens a bit, about 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and herb sprigs. (At this point, you can refrigerate the soup, covered, for up to 2 days; reheat before proceeding.)
- If you’re using the croutons and cheese, put 4 ovenproof bowls in a roasting pan or on a sturdy cookie sheet. Put a crouton in each bowl, ladle over the soup, and top with cheese. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, just long enough to melt the cheese. Serve immediately.
CREDIT
Adapted from Mark Bittman: https://medium.com/heated/why-you-should-make-this-version-of-french-onion-soup-c610720ba427
Two Lives at the Table 