What do you get when you mix kim chi with French onion soup? One kickass good soup!

I had just a little bit of my homemade kim chi left and suddenly had a thought to mix the two. What you get is an onion soup that has extra flavor and a bit of a kick. Try it. You might never make another kind at home again.

Note: I'm not sure how this will work with different types of kim chi.

Kim Chi French Onion Soup

make 1 large serving

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/3 cup kim chi and juices

2 cups beef broth

stale bread, about 1/4 cup 

1/3 cup shredded fontina cheese

In a medium skillet melt together the oil and butter. Add onion and turned to low heat. Allow the onions to cook with minimal stirring. Cook for 30 minutes until very golden and tender. You want the onions to turn a dark golden brown without crisping or burning. Add kim chi and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. Pour in the beef broth and simmer for another 2-3 minutes until soup is hot.

Pour the soup into a large soup bowl. Place pieces of stale bread on top. Spread cheese over the top of bread. Place bowl under broiler and melt the cheese until it is melty, bubbly, and golden. Carefully remove bowl and serve.

Coca-cola is a great ingredient for all sorts of dishes where you want the caramel flavoring and sugar. I've used it in BBQ sauce, pot roast, cakes, and more. Recently I was watching a food show where the chef was using it while caramelizing onions and it struck me that it would be great in French onion soup. 

The secret to a great French onion soup is to cook the onions long and low. The onions need to sweat out moisture and their sugars, thus caramelizing. You should use sweet yellow onions, but often times I only have red onions in my frig and they work just as well. The Coke just adds more caramel.

The bread is meant as a thickener. Europeans use bread to thicken many soups such as Italian ribollita or German schwarzbrotsuppe.

My cheese of preference is Fontina, but use your favorite. Some people will also add a bit of cooking sherry or wine.

Overall impression? Does the Coke add much? It adds a bit more sweetness, but doesn't really change it that much. It's more just the novelty of it.