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Saturday, June 15, 2019

Life's Simple Pleasures; Caramelized Onion Cheese Soup and a Glass of Rosé #SoupSaturdaySwapper #FrenchWinophiles

Life doesn't get much better than a bowl of creamy, rich, hot soup and a cold glass of clear, crisp Rosé from Languedoc.




This soup starts with Caramelized Onions and finishes with plenty of Gruyere cheese for creamy richness that welcomes the acidity and dryness of  Rosé wine.  Join me today as The French Winophiles collide with Soup Saturday Swappers.......

This month Martin of Enofylz Wine Blog gave the members of The French Winophiles full rein asking us to share any cheese and wine pairing from France.  Who doesn't love cheese and wine?  Count me in coach.  You can learn more from Martin's Preview Post.



French Winophiles and Soup Saturday Swappers is always on the third Saturday of each month.  Normally I post twice on this day however this month....Providence.

Ashley of Cheese Curd in Paradise asked us all to celebrate National Dairy Month with her and share a soup made with Cheese.  Perfect!!  I had just the soup that I wanted to make, however it called for Colby Jack cheese.  And it didn't caramelize the onions nor did it use the homemade croutons that I made from my experimentation with homemade sour dough bread.  And it included Parmesan cheese.  Yeah.....I pretty much made my own recipe, there is nothing left of the original except the idea of a creamy cheesy onion soup.


So I know that you are all shaking your head about now because didn't I just say earlier that I used Gruyere cheese?  Are you wondering what happened to the theme of French cheese?

Well here's the thing....as I was developing my recipe I really thought that Gruyere was the right choice to go with the caramelized onions so I did some research and here is what I found.

"Gruyère cheese is generally known as one of the finest cheeses for baking, having a distinctive but not overpowering taste. In quiche, Gruyère adds savoriness without overshadowing the other ingredients. It is a good melting cheese,[2] particularly suited for fondues, along with Vacherin Fribourgeois and Emmental. It is also traditionally used in French onion soup, as well as in croque-monsieur, a classic French toasted ham and cheese sandwich. Gruyère is also used in chicken and veal cordon bleu. It is a fine table cheese, and when grated, it is often used with salads and pastas. It is used, grated, atop le tourin, a type of garlic soup from France which is served on dried bread. White wines, such as Riesling, pair well with Gruyère. Sparkling cider and Bock beer are also beverage affinities."   
Source Wikepedia

So now you are probably saying to yourself that just because Gruyere is used in a lot of French dishes doesn't make it a French Cheese.  No worries.  Here is what else I found......

"The famous French Gruyère – not to be confused with its Swiss counterpart – has been produced in the Franche Comté and Rhône Alpes regions since the 13th century. The word “Gruyère” is derived from Gruyer officers, an institution of tax collectors founded by Charlemagne; in the territories that would later become France and Switzerland, taxes were sometimes collected in the form of cheeses. Today, near Annecy, there is still a village named “Gruyères”; and there is another in Switzerland named “Gruyère”. French Gruyère can be recognized by the slight bulge of its surface and the presence of small eyes in the paste. A yellow casein plaque applied to the edge of the wheel assures its traceability. The cheese is generally matured for six to twelve months."
Source Fromages de France

So now I was golden.  A Caramelized Onion Gruyere Soup it was.  With that decision made and knowing that I wanted to pair it with a  Rosé, all that was left to do was decide which producer.  As it turns out this was an easy choice for me.


Last month the Winophiles introduced us to Gerard Bertrand wines.  I paired this new to me white wine, Ciglaus, with an old family favorite casserole.  You can read about that pairing here.  I loved the wine and was anxious to try the Rosé that other members of the group were gushing on about.

This is a very elegant wine.  Crisp, acidic and fruity.  It paired perfectly with the richness of the soup. It is exquisitely bottled, when I bought this wine at my local grocers the cashier commented on how beautiful it was stating "anything that pretty had to taste good".  My favorite part of the packaging is that adorable little glass cork.


Full disclosure.... I couldn't find any French Gruyere so I used Swiss. I'm sure the Winophiles will forgive me LOL.  You can find out if they do by joining us today for Twitter chat at 11 AM ET following #Winophiles.  Here are the other Cheese and Wine Pairings that we'll be discussing.


Don't leave yet. You still want to take a look at all the wonderful Cheesy soups being shared today.  If you love soups please join our Soup Saturday Swappers where we take turns choosing themes/ingredients to create soups/stews each month.  Just comment below with your blog name and email so I can send you an invitation to the group.

Now onto my recipe of which I am very proud.  I think I will be serving this quite often but probably a small bowl as a first course as it is very rich for a main course meal.  



#soup, #cheese, #creamy, #caramelizedonions,
First Course, Appetizer, Soup
French Fusion
Yield: 8 Servings
Author: Wendy Klik

Caramelized Onion Gruyere Soup

This soup starts with Caramelized Onions and finishes with plenty of Gruyere cheese for creamy rich goodness.
prep time: 5 Mcook time: 30 Mtotal time: 35 M

ingredients:

  • 1 lg. Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 t. sugar
  • 4 T. butter
  • 4 T. flour
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 4 c. milk
  • 2 c. shredded Gruyere cheese
  • Garlic Croutons, if desired for garnish

instructions:

How to cook Caramelized Onion Gruyere Soup

  1. Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add the onions, sprinkle with sugar and cook slowly, stirring occasionally until onions are golden brown and caramelized, about 15-20 minutes.
  2. Increase the heat to med high. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper.  Cook and stir for a minute or two and then gradually whisk in the milk.  Continue to cook and stir until the milk comes to a boil and thickens, another 10 minutes or so.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese until melted.  Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed.  
  4. Serve garnished with croutons, if desired.

NOTES:

Inspired by a recipe found at Taste of Home
Calories
284.06
Fat (grams)
18.81
Sat. Fat (grams)
11.21
Carbs (grams)
14.61
Fiber (grams)
0.57
Net carbs
14.03
Sugar (grams)
3.33
Protein (grams)
14.47
Sodium (milligrams)
393.57
Cholesterol (grams)
59.73
Created using The Recipes Generator


30 comments:

  1. Gruyere is one of my favorite cheese, it goes great with just about anything. I can't wait to try it this way!

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  2. This looks so good- I love these flavors and I can just see myself settling in with a nice glass of wine and a big bowl of this! Yum.

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  3. I adore cooking with Gruyère. It's wonderful for mac and cheese and is the best ever baked in cheese bread. Your soup sounds divine. P.S. Great factoids about the cheese!!

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  4. Great choice of selecting a Rose to pair the Gruyère soup. My Rose works nice a charm with all my 7 cheeses!

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    Replies
    1. Rose is the perfect wine for almost any food pairing I think.

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  5. Big fan of any kind of onion soup here! This sounds delicious!

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  6. There may be no words for this. That soup sounds amazing and I think your pairing works well!!!

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  7. Great pairing! Gruyere and French onion soup is a classic, and the croutons are a must. Nice way to feature it with the rose, which I would have paired with as well.

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  8. I am definitely making this soup! What a great post. Cheers!

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  9. My first ever risotto was with Gruyère, great choice. I've yet to try this Gérard Bertrand rosé, need to locate a bottle and try your recipe!

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    Replies
    1. I think you will love the Gerard Bertrand Rose and I hope you love the soup as well Lynn.

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  10. What a great pairing Wendy. The looks and sounds especially wonderful!

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  11. This soup sounds so soothing - with the rose to give it sparkle. Nice pairing!

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  12. I love this idea! This gets filed away to pull out in the fall or winter, when I am craving a rosé, but need something warm and filling for my belly!

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    Replies
    1. Perfect for then or for a cold rainy blustery day like we were having in this non summer of Michigan.

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  13. The soup looks divine!! Love the wine selection too! All that's needed at the table is... me!! :-)

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    Replies
    1. I would love to have you at my table Payal. That would be so lovely.

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  14. I love caramelized onions and this add to a cheesy soup must have tasted divine.

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