🥣 French Onion Beef Short Rib Soup
🍖 Ingredients:
For the Short Ribs:
- 2–2.5 lbs bone-in beef short ribs
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the Soup Base:
- 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil (optional, for extra browning)
- 2 tsp sugar (helps caramelize onions)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup dry red wine (optional, but recommended)
- 8 cups beef broth (preferably low sodium)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt & black pepper to taste
🧀 For Topping (optional, but amazing):
- Toasted baguette slices
- Gruyère cheese, shredded (or Swiss or provolone)
🔪 Instructions:
1. Sear the Short Ribs
- Pat short ribs dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat.
- Sear ribs on all sides (about 3–4 minutes per side) until browned. Remove and set aside.
2. Caramelize the Onions
- In the same pot, melt butter over medium-low heat.
- Add sliced onions and stir to coat. Add sugar and a pinch of salt.
- Slowly cook onions for 30–40 minutes, stirring often, until deeply golden and caramelized.
- (Optional: Add 1 tbsp olive oil halfway through if onions seem dry.)
3. Build the Soup Base
- Add garlic and tomato paste, stir for 1–2 minutes.
- Deglaze the pot with red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let it reduce for 2–3 minutes.
4. Simmer
- Return short ribs to the pot.
- Add beef broth, thyme, and bay leaf.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
- Cover and simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours, until short ribs are tender and falling off the bone.
5. Finish the Soup
- Remove short ribs, discard bones and any large fat pieces.
- Shred the beef and return it to the pot.
- Taste and season the soup with additional salt and pepper if needed.
6. Optional: Make it a French Onion Classic
- Preheat broiler.
- Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls.
- Top each with a toasted baguette slice and generous handful of Gruyère.
- Broil for 2–3 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and golden.
🍷 Serving Suggestions:
- Serve with crusty bread or a side salad.
- Pairs beautifully with red wine (Cabernet or Syrah).