French Onion Short Ribs
I’m such a fan of an old fashioned recipe for French Onion Soup that this was only a small leap of faith and it turned out to be a good one. French Onion Short Ribs are heavenly!
It’s been awhile; I don’t think in all the many years I’ve been blogging that I have not introduced something totally new in such a long period of time; a few revisited recipes from years ago are good to have but not the same. Whether planned or not, I needed a break from the stress of this past year and a good old-fashioned cold made me take it! French Onion Short Ribs was my first foray back and a welcome one at that.
There is a reason that some foods share the notion of being ‘comfort food’ and these amazing French Onion Short Ribs deserve that moniker. Rich with flavor and warmed in the oven, this dish has sustained me for the past week and yet I was still sorry when I finished that last bowl.
I have a fabulous recipe for French Onion Soup that is such a great legacy from my hometown of St. Louis and I still love it. I’ve also made a different version I call the Ultimate French Onion Soup that takes a bit longer but is also well loved. But this is different, introducing short ribs into the mix has created not only the most amazing broth with caramelized onions and carrots, but also includes some yummy beef to sink your teeth into. OMG good.
Lucky for me, I have the sweetest friends in the meat biz. Wouldn’t you love to open a box delivered to your door with those goodies shown above? The most gorgeous short ribs, sausage, pork chops and bacon all nicely refrigerated and boxed just for me. I know I’ll be making some of my favorite Maple Bourbon Bacon too.
It was a picker upper for sure and I wanted to do justice to the quality of this meat when I made something; how fortuitous that the recipe for this soup pretty much landed in my lap.
A friend on Facebook had just uploaded this photo of her dish after she had completed it and I could almost taste it.
Hers was fit for a crowd and I loved both how she presented it and some of the minor revisions she had made to the original recipe; adding caramelized onion slices and topping the short ribs with cheese really did give it a French Onion Soup feel.
I took it a bit further even. I included diced tomatoes and sliced carrots…and that was a good call, sort of a French onion beef stew with short ribs. My time honored recipe calls for the soup to be refrigerated overnight and I’ve always trusted it. Not only do the flavors meld during that time, but it’s so easy to scoop off the fat that has hardened on the top. It means planning a day in advance but I think totally worth it.
Because her recipe was made in a crockpot, I’ve included that method in the recipe notes. My version is made a bit different than regular French Onion Soup, finding it easier to serve some cheesy bread on the side, making it easier to cut through the short ribs that are topped with melted cheese.
I imagine a fireplace roaring with a bowl of soup on the hearth in front of it. Make it now; so soul satisfying, and I think a perfect antidote for the cold of winter; and my cold too!
More French Onion Soups
PIN IT! ‘French Onion Short Ribs’
French Onion Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 4 pounds beef short ribs
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 cup red wine
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes or 1 can
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme minced
For the Caramelized Onions
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 onions thinly slices
To Finish and Serve
- 1 loaf French baguette sliced and toasted
- 8 ounces Gruyere cheese or substitute, shredded
- 1 section thyme fresh
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325º. Season short ribs with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Cook short ribs in the oil until golden brown and crusty; about four minutes per side. Remove from oil and put on plate. Set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook onions and carrots in leftover fat from ribs. Cook for five minutes. Add garlic and saute for one minute then add red wine, tomatoes, broth, herbs and short ribs. Cover with lid and place in oven.
Prepare the Caramelized Onions
- While meat is in the oven, melt the butter and slice and saute the 4 onions until caramelized; doing it slowly for about 20-30 minutes. Remove pot of meat from the oven and stir in caramelized onions, return pot to oven and continue cooking for remainder of time until meat falls off the bones.
- Remove meat and place on a dish to cool; once cooled remove and cut the meat into serving sizes.
- Refrigerate the pot (overnight is great if possible) until the fat has hardened on top and the flavors have had time to meld. Using a large spoon, remove the solid fat on top and discard.
To Serve
- Warm the pot with meat and vegetables over medium low heat.
- Top toasted French bread with butter, a sprinkling of Gruyere cheese and thyme. Toast until cheese melts; set aside..
- Portion soup into oven safe bowls. Top the beef with shredded cheese and broil for approximately 3-5 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Watch closely! Serve with slices of toasted French bread.
how long do you leave it in the oven?
Thanks for sharing this recipe, it sounds and looks amazing. I can’t wait to try it out for myself. It was back down into the mid 30’s again last night, so the time is right for some comforting soup! Dogs and cows (yes, cows believe it or not) are super companions. I still miss several of my pals I’ve lost. Continue to rest and take care of yourself!
It’s wonderful Kim and thanks…I still miss her so much; no one more surprised than me how much every little thing reminds me of her; even the annoying things! I finally cleaned off the bottom of the sliding glass doors where her nose always left their mark and sobbed thinking I’ll never do it again! I do look forward to some freedom and now that I’m starting to feel better (thanks for that too) I expect I’ll enjoy that aspect a bit more.
I love this soup recipe. Adding the short ribs would give it tons of flavor. Glad you are feeling better. 🙂
The broth was flat out amazing Pat; it also has some other veggies in the mix so it was different but so good; which I’ve said like a billion times…but it’s true! 🙂
Our bodies certainly have a way of telling us that we need to stop everything, that we need down time in order to recover from all that it has been through.. I’m sorry to hear that you were so ill but relieved to read that you are feeling on the mend. You have been through a hell of a lot over the past year+ and I hope that you take your recovery very slow. Time to take good care of you and truly pamper yourself with lots of rest and yes, great soups like this one. I’m glad your Dr. gave you a strict warning and I’m happy that you listened to him/her. *Jump* back into your routine with great care. We all want you fully back to the Barb we know and love, but in good time. XOX
I told someone yesterday that I’m my own worst enemy Paula; I have way too much to do and I just kept doing it. Maybe not full speed but I really did not give into being sick and paid the price. It has been one hell of a year, I can’t deny; simply way too much for this one person. Now my youngest is moving to Vegas but at least there is some joy in that she found a great job…just will be weird to have both of my kids living elsewhere. All those years of single parenting and now they’re gone. I know that happens but to have them both move in 3 months? Priceless! I am feeling a need to do some pampering for myself; thanks for the encouragement! xoxo
Glad to hear you are feeling better, Barb. Pneumonia isn’t something you mess with. Hopefully you will get stronger and stronger.
This soup sounds wonderful! I love French onion so this one already appeals to me and with beef, I can imagine the broth!
Take care of yourself, and hopefully see you soon.
Nazneen
It was a bear; when I saw you guys for lunch I thought I was progressing but the grief over Abbie was just too much and my poor immune system wasn’t up to the challenge. I am feeling better and that’s a great feeling! Thanks so much for your kind words; they all help! XO
Glad you are on the mend Barb! xx
Thanks Jayne; fingers crossed!! 🙂
Awesome recipes! thanks for sharing with us
I’ve been thinking about you and I was sure that your absence was due to grief. You deserve that time and we are all here for you. Glad to see your face in my inbox.
Now this soup sounds full of flavor and oozing with cheese. Perfection in a bowl.
I knew I would miss her Maureen but had no idea the impact it would have on me. I think of her and shed a few tears everyday; for the silliest reasons too. I decided to wash down the bottom of the sliding glass doors today; you know, where her nose always made the bottoms a mess. Made me cry and yet…I hated that mess! She was a good, sweet dog; I sort of figure she deserves the tears so I’m not beating myself up too much for shedding them. You are so sweet; thanks.
Barbara, I thought you had been quiet! Glad to hear you managed to get some well needed sleep! Do keep taking care of yourself. Love your recipe xox
At least you should be all caught up on rest. This soup looks sooo amazing. Its what I’m craving for lunch now.
Would probably take me years to actually catch up but I obviously needed a lot of sleep and glad to finally get some! Amazing how that helps you heal isn’t it? Soup is totally divine; hope you make some for yourself!
Glad to see you back! Sorry you were out of action, but sometimes just shutting down things and resting is the best thing to do. Sounds like this was one of those times. Anyway, terrific soup! I make onion soup often, but never included short ribs. Love the idea! What a hearty soup. Sounds totally delish. Not to mention good stuff. 😉 Thanks for this.
That looks like the most comforting food of all. Glad to hear you’re on the mend. I am so sorry to hear about the loss of Abbie. Our cocker spaniel is also elderly and we almost lost her once already. There’s nothing like the pain from the loss of a pet–part of your family. You’re in my thoughts.
It was heartbreaking Carrie and I won’t deny I miss her every single day but she gave us 15 great years; we’re the lucky ones. The cat is not the same!! 🙂
Barb, it has been a long few months for you and I am hopeful that you are on your way to much improved health. This soup would certainly help! Let me know when you are ready to get out and about and we’ll plan to get together. Take care of yourself!! Holly
So good to see you back here, Barb, and to know that you’re feeling better! What a fantastic recipe to come back with, too. It’s certainly still cool enough here in the evenings to enjoy this delectable soup.
Thank you Lana; it’s good to feel good enough to be back!