Description
Savory short ribs simmered in rich French onion broth,
topped with melted Castello Weissbier cheese and crusty baguette.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 lbs boneless short ribs
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 white onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 32 oz beef broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 cup sherry
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (plus more to taste)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 white onion, sliced
- 1 baguette, sliced
- 8 oz Gruyère cheese, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the short ribs on each side for a few minutes until well-seared.
- Add the chopped onion and cook with the meat for a few minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic, red wine, beef broth, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the sherry and red wine vinegar and stir to combine.
- Cover the Dutch oven, turn off the burner, and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2½ hours until the short ribs are tender and falling apart.
- About 30 minutes before the short ribs finish cooking, melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onion, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and caramelized.
- Remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Take out the short ribs and shred them into bite-sized pieces using two forks. Return the shredded meat to the soup.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Add the caramelized onions to the soup. Season to taste with additional salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar if needed.
- Preheat the oven’s broiler and position the rack slightly below the middle level.
- Place oven-safe bowls on a baking sheet. Fill each bowl with soup, making sure to include plenty of meat and onions.
- Top each bowl with 2-3 slices of baguette, partially submerging them in the soup. Layer thinly sliced Gruyère over the bread.
- Broil for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly browned on top.
Notes
- Sear the short ribs well before braising. The browned crust adds depth to the final soup.
- Use boneless short ribs to save time on shredding. Bone-in works too but requires removing the bones after cooking.
- The sherry and red wine vinegar add acidity that balances the richness of the beef and cheese. Don’t skip them.
- Gruyère is traditional for French onion soup and melts beautifully under the broiler. Comté or Emmental work as substitutes.
- Use oven-safe bowls or crocks for broiling. Regular bowls may crack under high heat.
- Watch the broiler closely. Cheese can go from perfectly melted to burnt in seconds.
- If you don’t have oven-safe bowls, toast the baguette slices separately with cheese on a baking sheet, then float them on top of the soup.
- This soup is rich. Serve with a simple green salad to balance the meal.
- Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop and add fresh bread and cheese when serving.
- The soup can be made a day ahead and reheated before adding the bread and cheese topping.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 150 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Braising
- Cuisine: French-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 1200
- Fat: 35
- Saturated Fat: 15
- Unsaturated Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 40
- Cholesterol: 150