French Onion soup   encrusted with 3 Cheeses 

Serves  4  can be doubled, tripled or even quadrupled
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour + 30 minutes

1-2 Large Sweet onions ( enough for 4 cups )
1/4 lb butter
1 TBS Olive Oil
4 cans Campbells beef broth
4 slices  Provolone 
4 slices Swiss cheese
4 Tbs  grated parmesan
French Baguette cut into 1/2 inch slices

Directions:

1. Slice large onions 1/4 inch slices..not need to be exact.
2.Cut butter into 1/4 inch pieces so it melts faster
3. Heat 4 quart pot on low and add butter and oil, do not brown butter
4. Add all the sliced onions,  turn heat to  medium high saute until all the water from the onions evaporates and they start getting pasty,,,approx.30 minutes
soft and pasty and honey brown
  they should be sizzling in a constant simmer but not burning .
This can take 45-60 minutes (Caramelizing )  stirring occasionally

Carmelized onions complete...onions start to  smell sweet and are the color of caramel...45minutes -1hour


 
Add beef broth Simmer 30 minutes
break up french bread

take out cheeses

Assembly:
1. Ladle soup to within 1/2  inch of the top of a soup bowl   (these are onion soup bowls that you can buy and use for all kinds of things)

2. Break French bread into large in pieces, and Float pieces on surface to cover all the soup all the way to the edges , do this to all the bowls to be served

3.Cover soup with the layers of cheese ,covering edge of bowl





4. Place  on cookie sheet 4 "  from broiler, until melted and bubbly and  slightly browned

NOTE:  Soup bowl will be hot so place it on a small dish to serve.   enjoy!!!




Split Pea and Ham soup a la Lori (thick  and creamy) 

makes 2 quarts

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking time:one hour

Ingredients:

4 strips Bacon
1 carrot  (1 1/4 cups chopped)
1 stalk celery  (1/2 cup chopped)
1 onion   (1 1/4 cup chopped)
1 leek  white and green( 1 1/4 cups chopped)

2 potatoes ( 2 cups)
Green or Yellow split peas one package for very thick soup
1 ham Hock and or a small ham steak
 sachet:
1 bay leaf
5 pepper corns
1 clove garlic crushed
1 whole clove

6 cups of Chicken stock or broth ( swanson)
croutons
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Mince bacon  ...heat a 4 quart pot and brown bacon on medium to release the fat. Remove bacon with slotted spoon when crisp and set aside, leaving fat in the pot.
2.while bacon is cooking Dice all the Vegetables, place carrots,celery,onion, leeks in a bowl.   keep potatoes separate
3. Prepare a sachet of herbs...place Bay leave, peppercorns, clove and crushed garlic clove into a tea ball or a coffee filter folded up or cheese cloth - tied tight with string 

4. Place onion,carrots,celery and leeks  into heated pot with bacon fat. Stir and heat on med low  to sweat veggies ( heat through) but do not brown. 

5. Add potato, Peas and Ham Hock and all the broth, stir .

6. Simmer 20 minutes

7. Add sachet and simmer 30 minutes8. Remove ham hock and set aside to cool and  remove the sachet.

  Pre puree     >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

9. Puree the ingredients in the pot with a hand blender   (easiest way) OR
 cool soup and place in regular blender, food processor or use a  potato masher.







10. Dice ham hock and add to puree. can add Bacon to puree, optional. Also, add some diced ham steak if desired,it depends how hammy you like your soup...


ASSEMBLY: serve with croutons or really dense Artisan bread and butter

Hand blender is the easiest  and fastest way to thoroughly mix whisk or puree anything and it's done right in the pot or bowl , no muss no fuss . It can be found on the amazon.com at the best price...great for all mixing needs: custards,eggs, pancake batter, etc  It's listed on this blog... just click on it to see what it is..