![Deconstructed French onion soup, beef braised in red wine, broiled rosemary salmon, roasted potatoes, acorn squash, carrots and rutabaga ... with asparagus of course!](http://www.impulsiveculinarian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/image-7-1024x785.jpeg)
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](http://www.impulsiveculinarian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/image-8-1024x759.jpeg)
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](http://www.impulsiveculinarian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/image-9-1024x862.jpeg)
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](http://www.impulsiveculinarian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/image-10-1024x813.jpeg)
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](http://www.impulsiveculinarian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/image-11-1024x716.jpeg)
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](http://www.impulsiveculinarian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/image-12-1024x768.jpeg)
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](http://www.impulsiveculinarian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/image-13-1024x853.jpeg)
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](http://www.impulsiveculinarian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/image-14-1024x772.jpeg)