French onion soup beans

Food for frayed nerves

Hello! Here is, loosely, how I made lunch today. It felt like exactly the right vibe for a day (a week, really) like this one, and a few people asked for a recipe. I am rarely so giving but today is about civic duty! And if you haven’t already, vote!

1. Caramelize as many onions as you feel like cutting. For me, three large onions worked while cooking for two and making enough to have seconds, but more wouldn’t hurt (this resulted in more onion flavor than texture). I caramelize onions basically like this Serious Eats recipe.

2. The onions take a while so in the meantime, cut or tear bread into bite-sized chunks. I used three thick slices of sourdough, which I tossed with olive oil and then air-fried until they were crisp on all sides. You can also do this in the oven.

3. Grate a block of cheese, Gruyère ideally. I also grated some Parm because why not.

4. Once the onions are a rich brown, add some butter and stir in a spoonful of flour. Let it brown lightly. French onion soup purists might scoff at this but I’m going for thicker, saucy texture that will cling to the beans. A pinch of thyme would also be great here if you have it.

5. Add stock (beef or vegetable) and bring the mixture to a boil. I used half a carton? Use more or less depending how soupy you want it. It’ll thicken a little once it boils and you can keep reducing it if you want.

6. Once you like the texture of your sauce, lower the heat to a simmer and add in your cooked beans. I used about three cups of cooked flat white beans, but any cooked white bean would be good.

7. Taste and season with salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce (a little soy sauce would work if you want to keep it veg — just for some umami), and a splash of red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar.

8. Spoon the toasted bread onto the beans, followed by the grated cheese. With the heat around medium, put the lid on the pot for a minute or so to let the steam melt the cheese. If you want browned and bubbly cheese, put the uncovered pan under the broiler for a few minutes.

9. Add a crack of pepper before serving. A sprinkle of chives would be nice too if you happen to have them.

The process looks like this:

Okay, godspeed to us all!!! You can follow me on Instagram @crispyegg420.