Onion and Apple Soup with Fontina Crouton

Adapted from a recipe created by Chef Vincent Scott

This recipe is lighter than your typical onion soup.  What I like best is the crouton topping as it avoids having to struggle with all the stringy cheese on the top. Today, a friend told me about a restaurant in Connecticut which serves their onion soup with children’s blunt-ended scissors in order to help cut the strands of cheese! No need to worry with this verion.

Soup Ingredients:

3 Tablespoon olive oil

3 Tablespoon unsalted butter

6 pounds onions (a mixture of yellow, red and sweet onions), cut in julienne strips

7 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup apple cider

¼ cup Calvados

2 Tablespoons fresh chopped thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)

2 cups peeled, and cut into ½-inch cubes, Macintosh or Ginger Gold (or other tart-flavored) apples

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Fontina crouton (see below)

Cooking instructions:

1.        Heat oil and butter in a large, heavy-bottom pan until melted.

2.       Add onions, cover and cook over medium heat, stirring periodically, 45-60 minutes or until very soft, amber in color and caramelized.

3.       Add stock, apple cider, Calvados and thyme.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 35 minutes.

4.       Add apple cubes and continue simmering 10 minutes.

5.       Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6.       To serve, float croutons on top of the soup.

Fontina Croutons ingredients:

2 cups 3/4 -inch fresh bread cubes, crust removed

¼ cup melted, unsalted butter

4 ounces (1 cup) shredded Fontina cheese (substitute Asiago or Parmigiano, if necessary)

Cooking instructions:

1.        Preheat oven to 350⁰ F

2.       In a large bowl, toss bread cubes with melted butter, then with the cheese

3.       Spread croutons on non-stick baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. 

4.       Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet.

5.       Serve croutons atop soup

Serves:  12 1-cup servings

Wine recommendations:  SAuvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Viognier, Gewürztraminer, Beaujolais or Dolcetto or even a hard cider.