this post was sponsored by Zoup! Good, Really Good™ Broth. thank you for supporting the partnerships that allow brewing happiness to grow and exist. xoxo.
This one is for my sister. We were sitting in a little cafe in NYC last year when she asked me to make a version of French onion soup. She was slurping a bowl of the cheesy, oniony goodness at the time, but knew she’d love a health-ier version to make at home. So when the opportunity to work with Zoup! Good, Really Good™ Broth I knew just what to make.
It’s probably been a year since I promised my sister I’d make a version for her, but I needed time to figure out just how to health-ify this classic. I knew I wanted to add greens to it – that was obvious. There’s really no reason to not add in some greens – they cook down, they add nutritional benefits, they really don’t change the flavor at all.
But there was still something missing. I’ve been wanting to delve into the bone broth health trend, but honestly I’ve been a little scared. I eat white meat sparingly and honestly, I still don’t love cooking it. But I just felt like the health benefits of bone broth were too good to not try. That’s why I was beyond thrilled that Zoup! had a (delicious) chicken bone broth that I didn’t have to make, but could use for this recipe! Zoup! actually got its start in the soup business as a fast-casual franchise chain of restaurants and is now also bringing restaurant-quality broth to supermarkets (v. cool.) The broth adds flavor plus it’s completely free of hormones, gluten, GMO’s, fat, trans fat and saturated fat.
The challenge of making french onion soup is simply being patient. There’s a little bit of chopping, stirring and simmering. But mostly, it’s just waiting. So be patient and you’ll have the coziest, most decadent soup of winter.
Try more soup recipes like this: Creamy Cashew Cardamom Soup, Super Greens Soup with Fennel, Easy Coconut Carrot Soup, Creamy Potato and Cauliflower Soup, and Carrot-Noodle Vegetarian Ramen.
Bone Broth and Swiss Chard French Onion Soup
This Bone Broth and Swiss Chard French Onion Soup made with ghee, chicken bone broth, and swiss chard is a healthy yet decadent way to enjoy this classic!
Ingredients
- 4 yellow onions
- 1/4 cup ghee (sub butter)
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons flour
- 2 1/2 cups swiss chard, sliced into thin ribbons
- 4 cups Zoup! Good, Really Good™ Chicken Bone Broth
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 French baguette
- 3 oz gruyere cheese, sliced
Instructions
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Slice your onions into thin moon-shaped slivers. Dice and mince your shallot and garlic cloves.
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Heat a large stock pot over medium-low heat. Add in ghee. Once melted add in onions, bay leaves, thyme, salt, diced shallot, and minced garlic.
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Cook with the lid on for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Meanwhile, slice your swiss chard into thin ribbons by discarding the stems and chopping the leaves. Set aside.
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After 40 minutes, stir in your flour and cook for two minutes.
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Add in swiss chard, Zoup! Good, Really Good™ Chicken Bone Broth, and pepper. Stir and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Stir often.
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With 10 minutes left to cook, heat your oven to broil. Slice your baguette into 1" thin slices and lay flat on a baking sheet. Add slices of gruyere to each baguette. Broil for 2-4 minutes.
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Ladle your soup into 3-4 bowls and top each bowl with 2-3 slices of cheesy baguette.
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EAT UP.
Winter is a time when our bodies start craving carbs, cheese, and sugars. It natural. You aren’t alone. We all just wanna sit inside and eat loaves of bread covered with butter. Don’t freak out.
I know that I can find myself judging what my body is craving. I feel weird tinges of guilt for ordering the pizza instead of the salad, or the breakfast potatoes instead of the yogurt bowl. That’s residual food guilt that I’m still dealing with. But somehow I think I’m not alone. Our bodies start to jump into hibernation mode, and we think “where did this craving come from and how do I kill it?”
The truth is that its natural and normal for our bodies to want to carb up for the winter. It’s probably even healthy to do so (in moderation). Our bodies know what they want and need, even if hibernation is no longer a necessary part of our lives. So we find balance. (Or try.) We eat french onion soup with cheesy bread on top, but we add in bone broth and swiss chard for our health. That’s the balance.
I’m a big believer that we should never deny what our bodies are asking for. We should simply adapt those cravings to both satiate and nourish our bodies. So here are my top 5 tips for staying healthy-ish through winter!
- PUT SOME GREENS ON (IN) IT. Wherever you can, as much as you can, add some greens to your meals. Craving mac ‘n cheese? PUT SOME broccoli or kale (or both) in it. Or eat a big ole salad before you eat the other stuff. Just add in greens.
- HYDRATE YO SELF. It’s sooo easy to get dehydrated in winter. Sometimes your body can confuse thirst for hunger, so the more water you are drinking the more your body will send you the right cues on hunger and cravings. Plus, your skin will thank you.
- BE CHOOSEY ABOUT DESSERTS. There will be tons of sweets around, especially during the holidays, but you don’t have to eat them all. Pick out your absolute favorites and just indulge in those. Less sugar will make you less prone to cravings, and you’ll end up really enjoying the desserts you do eat.
- PACK YOUR DRINKS WITH NUTRIENTS. Along with tons of water, I suggest sipping on something delicious almost all the time. That can be as simple as adding turmeric to your hot chocolate, sipping on some bone broth, or adding apple cider vinegar to your juice. Just add a little nutritious boost to your drink to both hydrate and nourish.
- CUT YOURSELF SOME SLACK. It’s hard to get to the gym everyday in winter. It’s cold. You’re tired. Life happens. So what if you miss a few workouts and eat more bread than usual? Does that make you less of a living, breathing, decent human? NO. Definitely not. It’s hard to be healthy all the time in winter. So just don’t try to be perfect. Do the best you can and accept that life happens and you are going to survive this season and still be a human being. That’s plenty good enough.
RECIPE NOTES: I ended up making a vegetarian version of this soup for a friend using Zoup! Good, Really Good™ Veggie Broth. It was equally as delicious, so feel free to make that substitution if you would like! But if you’re into this bone broth thing like I am, you can find Zoup! Good, Really Good™ Broth at retailers nationwide, including Albertsons, The Fresh Market, Giant, Giant Eagle, Kroger, Rouse’s, Gelson’s, Central Market, Fresh Thyme and Safeway. You can contact [email protected] if you need help finding a location near you. Or you can buy it online. Totally up to you.
Check out more about Zoup! Good, Really Good™ Broth on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
PS. Here’s a coupon for you, just cause I love ya! xo.
