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French Onion Soup with Braised Beef, Broiled Salmon & Roasted Vegetables

Deconstructed French onion soup, beef braised in red wine, broiled rosemary salmon, roasted potatoes, acorn squash, carrots and rutabaga ... with asparagus of course!
Deconstructed French onion soup, beef braised in red wine, broiled rosemary salmon, roasted potatoes, acorn squash, carrots and rutabaga … with asparagus of course!

 

Aaah the weekend, break out every piece of cookery! This Saturday our menu plan called for French onion soup. Problem is, I really didn’t want to deal with a separate seething hot bowl of soup on our plate, especially with two young girls at the table.

Keeping with the French theme however I had a fit of inspiration and was suddenly overwhelmed with culinary excitement for the evening’s menu.

Caramelized onions in a silky broth, slightly thicker than traditional onion soup and packed full of flavour as a result
Caramelized onions in a silky broth, slightly thicker than traditional onion soup and packed full of flavour as a result

 

Deconstructed French Onion Soup

Using a bit of culinary logic, I figured that getting rid of the bowl would mean thickening the soup a little so it would stay together when served on a plate. Despite the soup being delicious, everyone knows the best part of an onion soup is the bread.

Oven-baked croutons ready to accommodate the tasty deconstructed soup
Oven-baked croutons ready to accommodate the tasty deconstructed soup

It only seemed appropriate then to turn bread into the foundation of my deconstruction. With a rich and flavourful thickened onion soup served over well seasoned freshly baked croutons and a sprinkling of cheese, the main attraction of our Saturday meal was ready to go.

Ridiculously tender organic beef braising in red wine for hours
Ridiculously tender organic beef braising in red wine for hours

 

Beef Braised In Red Wine

It wouldn’t be a French meal without beef slowly simmered in copious amounts of wine for a few hours. This week I was fortunate to find some lovely fresh organic beef cubes at our local health food store. Starting early, the delicious morsels went into a Dutch oven right after lunch with a good amount of my favourite red that we have bottled at a nearby family-run wine & beer crafting store. The end result was so deliciously tender and definitely worthy of a rustic French family dinner.

Lovely chunks of salmon seasoned with a dash of cane sugar and some fresh rosemary then broiled until just cooked and super tender
Lovely chunks of salmon seasoned with a dash of cane sugar and some fresh rosemary then broiled until just cooked and super tender

 

Broiled Rosemary Salmon Bites

In keeping with the promise of always having a delicious pescatarian option at each of our meals, the counterpart to our braised beef was a thick fresh fillet of wild sockeye salmon, cut into large chunks and seasoned with cane sugar & fresh rosemary. The moist chunks were then broiled until just cooked and tender, making it challenging for everyone else to choose between beef or fish … so why not just have both!

It wouldn't be French without asparagus
It wouldn’t be French without asparagus

 

Roasted Potatoes, Asparagus & Assorted Vegetables

In my mind I originally pictured a true smorgasbord of beautifully roasted vegetables to accompany my deconstructed French onion soup. The most important of all being asparagus, you can’t possibly have a repas campagnard a la francaise without a serving of asparagus, it would be somehow inappropriate.

More roasted vegetables please
More roasted vegetables please

 

The oven was filled with a spread of roasting pans containing large diced rutabaga, potatoes, carrots and acorn squash; it was exactly what I imagined.

... and last but not least, some irresistible potatoes
… and last but not least, some irresistible potatoes