Recipe Background
Dive into this Best Steakhouse Soup, perfect for savoring slow moments.
My love for steakhouse soup began on moving day when my best friend and I were unpacking boxes in my very own kitchen for the first time. I wanted to create something grand to honor this rite of passage, and I remembered the comforting smell of onions caramelizing in butter from my childhood. They would take ages, but something about that patience felt just right for a day of new beginnings. So, I reached for a bag of onions and started slicing, throwing in a sprinkle of brown sugar to help those heavenly strands turn golden.
With everything slowly simmering, I turned to my trusty slow cooker—a housewarming gift from my ever-practical aunt—and added beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and a splash of dry sherry that my friend called 'the grown-up's secret weapon.' We kicked back with our bowls and toasted to the little things, like having fresh thyme on hand for garnishing. Letting the soup rest for just a few minutes before serving made all the difference. The flavors became even more entwined, as if somehow knowing we would appreciate every bite just a bit more.
Before we knew it, that soup had gone from a simple meal to an event, each spoonful revealing layers of flavor and a slowly building camaraderie. Anyone watching us would’ve seen the essence of good friendship, served hot with a side of cheesy, toasty bread. Now, every time I make this dish, I think of that day and the joy of embarking on something new, one slow-cooked moment at a time.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 large white onions sliced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 (32-ounce) containers beef broth optionally low-sodium
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/3 cup dry sherry
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme plus more, to taste, torn leaves, for garnish
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 slices French bread day-old
- 3/4 cup Gruyère cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup Emmental cheese shredded
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese shredded
Directions
- In a large, nonstick pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter.
- Add the onions and the brown sugar to the melted butter and cook, while stirring, until the onions are golden and caramelized, about 20 minutes.
- Add the caramelized onions, the beef broth, the Worcestershire sauce, the garlic, the dry sherry, 4 of the thyme sprigs, and the bay leaf to a slow cooker.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low until the flavors meld together, about 6-8 hours.
- Preheat the broiler.
- Remove and discard the thyme sprigs and the bay leaf from the soup.
- Ladle the soup into heatproof serving bowls and place them on a baking sheet.
- Place 1 slice of the bread in each bowl, then top each evenly with the Gruyère cheese, the Emmental cheese, and the parmesan cheese.
- Broil the soup until the cheeses on top are melted and slightly browned, about 2-3 minutes.
- Garnish with the extra thyme leaves and serve hot.
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