short rib onion soup

short rib onion soup

⏱️ 9 minutes prep, 15 minutes cook (24 minutes total)
📊 Easy
🍽️ Australian Cuisine

Instructions

A couple months ago, I was out with friends and we stopped briefly back at a friend’s place (hi Jocelyn!). It smelled amazing and it turned out she hadchicken chiligoing in the crockpot. Despite not planning to stay, we inhaled a bowl in her yard before heading back out again and I have not stopped thinking about it since, hospitality on a you-never-know level.Stewsand heartysoupsare already wired with this energy — they keep well, are easily reheated, and if nobody else eats it, you’re happy to have it for yourself. But if it’s already ready, it means you can have impromptu drop-ins, and they are unquestionably the best kind. The table isn’t set, the toys aren’t put away, you’re still in sloppy clothes, and everyone has more fun. And here’s a new pick for peak December cozy luxury. It merges two of my favorite cold-weather foods,braised short ribsandfrench onion soup. We had a Hanukah Happy Hour a few weeks ago and along with the usuals — an overflowing tray oflatkesand everything good you can put on top of them, endive salad (this, but as boats for handheld suitability), lots of pickles,Manichewitz Sours, and doughnuts (I didn’t make themthis time, butyou still can) — thinking of that you-never-know chili, I thought it might be nice to have something hearty on the stove in case someone was hungrier. In the end, everyone stayed long, there wasn’t a scrap of latke or a drop of soup left, and it was one of my favorite drop-ins to date. So, if this soup sounds good to you, I hope you make it and have it at the ready for whatever the second half of December sends your way, be it a Christmas or New Years dinner, a more casual cocktails-and-cookies thing, or just to spoil yourself. I hope it’s wonderful. 6 months ago:Perfect, Forever CornbreadandChocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches1 year ago:Gingerbread Yule Log2 years ago:Unfussy Sugar Cookies3 year ago:Falafel4 years ago:Dutch Apple Pie5 years ago:Union Square Cafe’s Bar Nuts6 years ago:Pull-Apart RugelachandTres Leches Cake + A Taco Party7 years ago:Decadent Hot Chocolate MixandGingrebread Biscotti8 years ago:Eggnog Florentines9 years ago:Cashew Butter Balls10 years ago:Caesar Salad Deviled Eggs11 years ago:Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms12 years ago:Coffee Toffee13 years ago:Zuni Cafe’s Roast Chicken + Bread Salad14 years ago:Chicken and Dumplings15 years ago:Pecan Squares

Ingredients

Braise3 pounds (1.3 kg) bone-in beef short ribsKosher salt and freshly ground pepper2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive or vegetable oil1 large carrot, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)2 large yellow onions, or 1 large onion plus 1 large leek, chopped4 sprigs fresh thyme1 bay leaf8 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled1 tablespoon tomato paste1 cup (235 ml) red wine, any variety but ideally a dry one8 cups (1.9 liters) beef broth or stockSoup6 tablespoons (3 ounces or 85 grams) unsalted butter2 1/2 to 2 3/4 pounds (1.15 to 1.25kg) yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced1/2 cup (120 grams) dry sherryToasts and assembly6 to 8 (one per bowl) thick slices sourdough or country bread1 small garlic clove, peeled1 cup (4 ounces) coarsely grated gruyere cheeseChopped fresh chives, for serving

Cooking Tips

There are three components here: 1. Oven-braised short ribs, cooking the meat and creating the dreamiest broth. 2. Caramelized onions on the stove, building the soup’s base. 3. Cheese croutons to sink into the final soup bowls. Because this is rich, I like to serve it on the smaller side, in 12-ounce (or 1.5-cup) bowls. It’s definitely closer to a stew in consistency, but if you’d like it more soup-like, you can add more broth to thin it. You can also, if you wish, broil the cheese toasts on top of the soup, as onion soup is more traditionally served. I usedthisshort rib onion soup as guidance here, but ended up needing more short ribs and using my own, preferred, onion soup method.