Do you have to use consomme in french onion soup?

I’ve found alot of recipes for french onion soup that call for chicken or beef consomme, and I know how complicated it seems to be to make it so I’d like to avoid it if possible. Do you have to use it or is it possible to get by without it?

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6 comments a “Do you have to use consomme in french onion soup?”

You can get by without, I fry onions in butter and add beef stock made from stock cubes, its so easy and really delicious, I’m not sure of quantities, I normally just adjust according to taste.

it is possible to use boullion or normal stock: beef, chicken or vegetable. the only diference between consomme and the others is that stocks and bouillon are slightly cloudy, whereas consomme has been clarified to give a clear soup. i dont see any point in using consomme because the finished onion soup will be slightly cloudy anyways. consomme is only clear for presentation purposes- as this soup is usually consumed on it’s own and not used as an ingredient for another dish.

No. I know that it’s a traditional ingredient, but (even as a carnovore) it just annoys me to see it used in a ‘vegetable’ dish. Mind you, the French do seem to have a tenuous grasp on the concept of vegetarianism.

Anyway, I just replace it with vegetable stock (ie. a vegetable OXO cube in water) in mine. You can get the colour by caramelising (don’t over do it – that’s known as burning!) the onions.

You can buy consomme at the supermarket, but if you can’t find it, a basic stock that you make or is bought will do fine.

Use a good quality canned broth like College Inn.
My family and friends rave about my French Onion soup.
And they tend to be picky.

From the Paris Cafe cookbook:

Brasserie Balzar Onion Soup

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 lbs onions, thinly sliced
2 T flour
1 quart water
1 c. dry white wine
1 bouquet garni (thyme, parsley, bay leaf)
salt and pepper
baquette
1/2 lb gruyere

Heat oven to 325. In saucepan, melt butter over med. heat, add onions, and cook until carmelized… 8-10 min. Add flour, and stir for 3 min.
Add water, wine, bouquet garni, and simmer for 30 min. Remove bouquet garni, add salt and pepper. Pour into four oven-safe bowls.
Top with baguette, and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
Bake in oven for 15 minutes, then sit under broiler to brown the top.

==delicious and authentic==

Do you have to use consomme in french onion soup?

6 comments a “Do you have to use consomme in french onion soup?”

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