French Chicken Soup

I love Susan Branch. Her illustrations and simple, happy outlook on life always inspire me. I pulled out her Autumn book recently to look for ideas to help me fully enjoy the beauty that is Kentucky in Fall.

She describes this recipe for French Chicken Soup as tummy-warming and it didn't fail to deliver on that promise. This is really a chicken studded variation of french onion soup. Homey, yet sophisticated, the broth was delicious with the hint of mustard in the background and the slow-cooked, caramelized onions as the star. This soup is perfect for a lazy Fall weekend dinner!

French Chicken Soup

adapted from Autumn by Susan Branch

1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced

3 Tbsp butter

4 Tbsp olive oil

6 onions, thinly sliced

1 tsp sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup flour

8 cups chicken stock

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp dried thyme

1 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup tomato sauce or puree

1/2 cup fresh minced parsley

3-4 cups cooked chicken, chopped

4 cups Gruyere cheese, grated

Cook the mushrooms in 1 Tbsp olive oil in a dutch oven until soft; remove and set aside. In the same pan, melt butter, 3 Tbsp oil, and sugar; over medium heat, cook onions for 30-40 minutes, stirring often until golden brown. Add garlic, stir well and cook another two minutes. Sprinkle flour over, stir well, cook another two minutes. Pour 1 cup chicken stock into pan, stir well, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan. Add the rest of the stock. Stir in mustard, thyme, and pepper; boil 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Add tomato sauce; simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in parsley. Into ovenproof bowls, put about 1/2 cup of chicken; divide mushrooms evenly between bowls; fill each with broth; top each with about 1/2 cup cheese. Bake, uncovered, until brown on top, about 20 minutes. Serve.