French Onion Soup With Meatballs Or Not Recipes

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the olive oil. Add the onions and cook for about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very soft, medium brown and caramelized. Add the sugar about 10 minutes into the cooking to help the onions cook down.
• Stir in the garlic and dried thyme. Cook for about two minutes.
• Stir in the flour. Cook for another minute or so.
• Add the vegetable broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer, covered, for about an hour. Continue to simmer over low heat while preparing the meaty half of the soup. Skip to step 8 if you're not making the meaty half.
• Meanwhile, make the meatballs. In a medium bowl, using a fork, mix together the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, garlic, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper until all ingredients are well-incorporated. Scoop out tablespoonfuls, roll into balls, and set aside (I place them on a sheet of wax paper).
• After the soup has cooked for an hour, into another large saucepan over medium heat, transfer two cups of the soup plus another 1/2 cup or so of the onions with a slotted spoon. Add the two additional cups of broth (either beef or more veggie). Bring to a boil then turn to a simmer.
• Carefully drop in the meatballs into the meaty soup and continue to simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes until cooked through.
• Butter the French bread on both sides and place on a cookie sheet. Broil on high heat until golden brown; turn over and brown the other side. Remove from the oven, but keep the broiler on.
• Ladle the vegetarian soup into three oven-proof bowls, and ladle the meaty soup into three bowls as well. Reserve three meatballs to place on top of the soups with meat. Place one piece of French bread on top of each bowl of soup, then sprinkle each with 1/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Gruyere. Cut the meatballs in half, and place two halves on each bowl of meaty soup.
• Carefully place the bowls on a cookie sheet and broil on high until the cheese is melted and bubbly, then serve.

Steps:

• In a 4-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 9 ingredients. Cook, covered, on low until onions are tender, 8-10 hours., Ladle soup into 6 broiler-safe 16-oz. ramekins. Top each with 3 slices of bread and 2 slices of cheese. Broil 4-6 in. from heat until cheese is melted, 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Combine beef, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, and soup mix in a large bowl. Knead the mixture with your hands until well blended; it will be quite dry. Add eggs and Italian dressing and mix. Allow mixture to sit in the refrigerator 10 minutes.
• Pinch off just enough of the meatball mixture to fit comfortably inside your palm, then roll to form a ball. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
• Cover the bottom of a skillet lightly with olive oil and heat to medium-high. Add meatballs. Cook on one side for about 4 minutes, then turn and continue to cook until browned and no longer pink in the centers, about 4 minutes more. You may need to cook these in batches depending on how large your skillet is.