There’s nothing like a steaming bowl of onion soup to warm your body on a winter night, and the addition of hearty meatballs made with Gruyère makes it a meal. The addition of red wine to the stock deepens the color of the soup as well as enhancing its flavor.
Soup:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 pounds yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 quarts Beef Stock or purchased stock
3/4 cup dry red wine
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Meatballs:
3 slices white bread
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg
11/2 pounds ground chuck
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3/4 cup grated Gruyère
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Vegetable oil spray
1. For soup, heat butter and oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Add onions, toss to coat with fat, and cover the pan. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover the pan, raise the heat to medium, and stir in sugar. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are dark brown.
2. Reduce the heat to low, stir in flour, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in stock, wine, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring soup to a boil and simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper; remove and discard bay leaf.
3. While soup simmers, prepare meatballs. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil, and spray the foil with vegetable oil spray. Tear bread into small pieces, and place in a bowl with milk; stir well.
4. Heat butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent. While vegetables cook, whisk egg in a mixing bowl, and add bread mixture, beef, parsley, and cheese.
5. Add onion mixture to the mixing bowl, season to taste with salt and pepper, and mix well. Make mixture into 1-inch meatballs, and arrange meatballs on the prepared pan. Spray tops of meatballs with vegetable oil spray.
6. Bake meatballs for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove the pan from the oven, and set aside. Add meatballs to soup, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
Note: The soup can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Reheat it over low heat, covered.